Anxiety After a Backcountry Accident or Close Call
Many outdoor athletes experience anxiety, hypervigilance, intrusive memories, sleep disruption, or loss of confidence after a near miss or backcountry emergency.
Also referred to as a “near miss,” a close call in the mountains involves experiencing an unexpected event that had the potential to inflict serious physical injury, death, or damage, but no injury or damage occurs.
Notice that the above definition specifies physical injury.
An incident such as this can be psychologically jarring, particularly due to the sudden, unexpected nature. You do not have to be physically injured or experience a full-blown traumatic event for your nervous system to be kicked into overdrive.
After a backcountry accident, whether an avalanche, climbing fall, skiing accident, or any other mountain emergency, many people experience lingering anxiety, hypervigilance, sleep disruption, or emotional numbness. This is especially common among climbers, skiers, mountaineers, trail runners, and other outdoor athletes after a serious near miss.
Just as the physical body needs time to recover from high efforts in the mountains, the mind also needs time and space to process and integrate the experience.
Research on trauma suggests that near misses and survival events can activate many of the same nervous system responses seen after other traumatic experiences. In the aftermath of a close call, emotions can feel jumbled up, intense, and complex. Sometimes the emotions arise in waves or all at once.
Common Emotional Reactions After a Close Call
Shame
Many individuals struggle with strong feelings of embarrassment or humiliation over decisions that may have led to the incident. It’s easy to fall into hindsight bias in these moments, so the outcome (which was unknown at the time) feels more predictable than it actually was.
Disappointment
This may stem from choices that were made during the incident, such as a decision to bail out on the larger adventure. Disappointment may also center around one’s actions during the close call (e.g., “I know I’m a better athlete than to do that; why didn’t I do something different?”).
Relief
There can be an immediate, intense rush of relief once the fight-or-flight system clocks that safety has been restored.
Depression
A backcountry accident can be followed by a period of sadness or low mood. This can look like loss of interest in activities that are typically enjoyed, tearfulness, low motivation, or feeling emotionally numb or flat.
Fear
Close calls are terrifying by nature. For many outdoor athletes, the mountains are a safe haven, providing a sense of peace. Experiencing an incident such as this can challenge core beliefs around safety, athletic ability, competence, and the ability to navigate risk. Some may start to question their desire to continue recreating in the outdoors, at least in the same ways.
Irritability
In the face of other intense emotions and heightened physiological activation, irritability is common. Everyday stressors may seem less tolerable, and small decisions can feel insurmountable. Overall, there may be a lower tolerance for frustration.
Signs You May Still Be Affected by a Close Call
Some warning signs include:
intrusive memories
replaying the event
avoiding getting back to the outdoors
sleep problems
hypervigilance
emotional shutdown
loss of confidence
social isolation
Conclusion
In the aftermath of a mountain trauma, it is important to allow space for emotions without trying to fix or judge them. This could look like journaling, talking with someone you trust, practicing mindfulness, or allowing yourself time before making major decisions about what comes next. In recovery from an acute stressor, many individuals find that the intensity of their emotions and thoughts naturally decreases with time and opportunity to decompress and process.
If symptoms persist, intensify, or get in the way of daily functioning, consider reaching out to a mental health professional for support– particularly one with expertise in supporting the mental health needs of outdoor athletes, such as myself. You can book a free consult call with me directly on my contact page, which is a short phone call to see if we’re a match in working together.
Author Bio
Dr. Annie Mueller is a licensed clinical psychologist and founder of Summerland Psychology, a private practice serving adults in Washington and PSYPACT states via telehealth. Her work focuses on anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, and supporting athletes and high-performing individuals.
This post also appears on Psychology Today.