Narrative on Trauma and Emotinal Influences - Odors

Emotional trauma may arise with exposure to a violent crime scene, suicide, or human decomposition.

In general, decomposition should be handled professionally because of its tendency to cause emotional trauma; not unlike a violent crime scene.

An unattended death followed by decomposition demands professional attention because of its horrific nature, its unforeseen hazards, and its emotional issues. Whether a crime scene cleanup, a suicide cleanup, or death by natural causes, a decomposed body will leave an extrodinary amount of fluid, tissue, and damage.

The material left behind has its own odors and appearances. It is difficult to explain the awkward cleaning tasks set by an unattended death.

An unattended death followed by decomposition is usually quite horrifying when first seen by the unsuspecting. The odors associated with a death scene strike one as nauseating. On a crime scene, odors add to the horrific appearance as the two become associated with one another.

For a while, many people recall a death scene whenever a loose association is made to it. A male urinating while standing may associate the urine odor with the death scene. The acrid, acidic odors of urine resemble death scene odors because urine is contained in the death scene fluids. Entering a butcher shop will do the same, both visually and by olfaction.

Parosmia is the result, a distorted peception arising from real, airborne molecules triggering unpleasant memories.

As a psycho-somatic cue for the death scene's trauma inducing responses, the subject may easily recall the traumatic scene with a tightening of muscles and restricted vascular flow. This is in essence the fight-or-flight response of any animal when confronted by a threat, real or imagined.

It becomes obvious that children and others exposed to a death scene created by violence or decomposition may suffer emotionally later, which may be framed as Post Traumatic Stress Syndrone (PTS). Any decomposition death scene has the potential to do the same. Emotional cues are instilled by traumatic scenes, whatever their cause.

Besides homicides, suicides, and death by natural causes, any decomposition of the human body requires special consideration, special handling. TOP

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