Support after you've given CPR

Coping after giving CPR

Many people are admired for stepping in to help someone who needed CPR and are glad they tried, whatever happens. Even though it’s the right thing to do, doing CPR on someone can be a shocking and traumatic event for many reasons.  

Most out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen in the home, so you may have done CPR on a loved one or you may have given CPR to a stranger and had to deal with the sudden shock during the event and difficult emotions afterwards. Many find it hard to go through such a life changing event. You might feel new emotions and are unsure how to process what happened. 

Even medical professionals with years of training can be affected. This is understandable and it’s important to look after yourself. This might involve taking a break from work if you can. Speaking to people like friends and family may help, but you may also need to talk to someone professional, to help you process what happened.

• If you need someone to talk to, Samaritans and Mind may be able to pair you with someone that can listen.
• If you would like to learn about why someone would need CPR, read more on our cardiac arrest page.

What happens after you've done CPR?

After you’ve given CPR, paramedics will take over at the scene and continue the life saving treatment you started. It is normal for the police to come as well. Sometimes they can be first to arrive and can help with CPR and start to gather information on what's happened.

CPR keeps blood flowing around their body to make sure their organs and brain are getting enough oxygen. A defibrillator, if required, will then deliver a controlled electric shock to try and bring back their heart rhythm. There will not always be a defibrillator nearby so the police or paramedics will bring one. 

Public access defibrillators are often in places like train stations and shopping centres. Anyone can use one and you do not need training to do so.

As soon as the ambulance crew can, they’ll take over. 

If the person survived after CPR

The ambulance crew will transport the person to hospital. If you know the person, you’ll have been asked to make your way there. If the person survived, you may already know how vital it is that you stepped in. 

It’s important to keep in mind that:

• Many people have no memory of their cardiac arrest and resuscitation.
• Cardiac arrests often make the person change their lifestyle or get treatment for an unknown condition, which improves their life.
• Many of those who have a cardiac arrest will receive treatment to avoid it happening again. 
• If the person affected is a friend or family member, it’s important to talk to them and be open about your feelings. 
• If the person was a stranger, it may help to keep in touch and share your feelings on the experience. 

What happens if CPR and defibrillation does not work? 

By calling 999 and starting CPR you’ve done the best possible thing to help. However, some people will not survive a cardiac arrest, even if they’ve had treatment from paramedics.

This can be because of: 

• the underlying cause of their cardiac arrest 
• the length of time before CPR or defibrillation is started 
• the type of cardiac arrest they had. 

Read Sue Leath's story to see how she coped when she lost her husband despite performing CPR on him. 

Expert tips on managing the emotional impact of CPR

Dr Marco Mion, Clinical Psychologist at Essex Cardiothoracic Centre, says that after performing CPR it’s very common to have feelings of guilt, especially if the person does not survive. “Afterwards people often think ‘what if I’d done it for longer, what if I’d started earlier, what if I’d put my hands in different places…?’ But there are so many variables, it’s not just performing CPR that determines the outcome.” 

Some people will not survive, even if the CPR is done by a healthcare professional. This could be because of the underlying cause of their cardiac arrest, or the type of cardiac arrest rhythm they’re in, or the length of time before CPR or defibrillation is started.  

You might feel angry towards the person who collapsed, and then you might feel guilty at being angry, Dr Mion says. It can be useful to remember these feelings are normal.  

Everyone will need support at some point after performing CPR, Dr Mion says, but more so if the person does not survive.  

“People might not be offered follow-up support and then it’s easy to withdraw, particularly if you’re feeling guilty. If you’ve performed CPR and are struggling, please ask your GP for help.”

• Get more support if you know or saw someone that had a cardiac arrest.
• For mental health support you can contact Mind on 0300 123 3393, or email [email protected].

If someone you know has performed CPR, ask them how they’re feeling, Dr Mion suggests. Listen to what they’re telling you and give them an opportunity to express everything they need to. “Try again,” he says, “as they might not want to talk in week 1, but want to talk in week 5, and there might be other things on top like grief, which is a complicated process. But just checking in with them is a great thing to do.”

Looking after your emotional wellbeing 

Everyone has different ways of coping after a traumatic event and most people will feel better in time. It’s important to take the time out, if you need it.

Try some of our tips if you feel overwhelmed by what happened: 

• Talk to your friends or family about how you're feeling. 
• Spend time doing things you enjoy to make you feel less anxious. This might include a walk, mindfulness, spending time with pets or sitting in the garden. 
• Ask for help from healthcare professionals. This could be the doctors and nurses looking after your loved one or your GP. 
• Read more on cardiac arrest (and on the difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest) as well as caring for a loved one who's had a cardiac arrest and what support you’re entitled to.
• Read about looking after your emotional wellbeing, including counselling and other therapies. 
• Ask your work for some time off to look after a loved one or come to terms with the experience. Find out if they have any counselling services you can use. 
• Read our Heart Matters article to see how others coped after giving CPR.

When to seek further help

The time it takes to get back to 'normal' will be different for everyone. You may be so focused on looking after a loved one that you forget about looking after yourself. 

There’s no right or wrong way to feel after witnessing a cardiac arrest. The feelings you have may include: 

• shock 
• emotional ups and downs 
• anxiety or flashbacks 
• blaming yourself 
• want to be alone more than usual 
• feeling numb or hopeless. 

Physical symptoms may include: 

• not being able to sleep or nightmares  
• feeling very tired (fatigue) 
• agitation or a racing heartbeat 
• difficulty concentrating. 

If these signs do not go away or get worse, you should make an appointment to see your GP. It may also be helpful to read about looking after your mental health as the signs may be a sign of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression. 

Heart Helpline and other support

• To speak to a cardiac nurse call our Heart Helpline. 
• Speak to others with heart and circulatory disease in our HealthUnlocked online community. 
• Talk to others who have witnessed a cardiac arrest through Sudden Cardiac Arrest UK’s Facebook group. 
• Get in touch with your local Ambulance Service. They may be able to talk to you about your event.