During the reaction phase of critical incident stress debriefing (CISD), a client expresses a desire to forget a painful experience. What does this indicate?

During the reaction phase of critical incident stress debriefing (CISD), individuals process and express their emotional responses to a traumatic event. When a client expresses a desire to forget a painful experience, it is indicative of their emotional state during this specific phase, where reactions to the incident can vary from denial to a strong emotional outpouring. The desire to forget suggests that the client may be struggling with overwhelming feelings or the intensity of the experience, which is characteristic of this phase where clients begin to understand and verbalize their thoughts and feelings about the traumatic event.

This aligns with the goals of the reaction phase, which is to allow participants to acknowledge and express their emotional reactions. In doing so, they facilitate the processing of these emotions, helping to mitigate long-term psychological distress. It is an important aspect of CISD, as it provides individuals with an opportunity to articulate their experiences and begin the healing process.