Understanding Vicarious Trauma

By Mark Deremer, LPC, CCTP

True or false? You must be injured or in the hospital to experience trauma. FALSE.

As a society, we are often taught that trauma is a personal encounter and if we aren’t hurt or in the hospital, we haven’t experienced trauma. In realty, trauma comes in all shapes and sizes.

Trauma is an emotional response to a disturbing event like an accident, crime or natural disaster that overwhelms an individual’s ability to cope.

What happens when you identify with the pain of people who have endured something terrible? Witnessing a horrible event or situation involving someone you care about can result in Vicarious Trauma or Secondary Trauma.

When you identify with the pain of people who have endured trauma, you can bring their fear, grief or anger into your own experience. When we experience something so overwhelming, our mind and body might adapt to help us cope in the moment, but this also might leave us with unprocessed trauma down the road.

Symptoms of vicarious trauma look similar to those of someone that has experienced the trauma firsthand and can range from anxiety to depression. Later in life, it’s common to feel emotional trauma even though you might not have personally experienced the traumatic event firsthand. This could stem from a child seeing his or her sibling being abused by a parent or even a health professional who engages empathetically with survivors of traumatic incidents.

Traumatic situations that cause post-trauma symptoms vary from person to person and can occur at any age. Exposure to trauma manifests itself in many ways, from the psychological to the emotional and even the physical.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF VICARIOUS TRAUMA

Symptoms of Vicarious Trauma fall into five categories:
• Emotional symptoms: feeling anxious or sad; irritability and anger; changes in mood or sense of humor; angry or numb
• Behavioral symptoms: increased substance abuse or drinking; risky behavior; social withdrawal
• Physiological symptoms: increased signs of physical illness like headaches, rashes or stomach pains; difficulty sleeping
• Cognitive symptoms: memory problems; difficulty making decisions; increased negativity
• Spiritual symptoms: loss of hope or sense of purpose; discouragement or feeling disconnected

TREATING VICARIOUS TRAUMA

You are not alone! Self-care and social support from loved ones are great places to start. Make time to engage in activities that support your overall wellbeing.

Trauma therapy is also one of the best ways to cope with trauma of any kind. It will help confront distorted thinking patterns along with other negative reactions/actions and identify other symptoms related to your vicarious trauma. A therapist can help teach you new coping skills to use when you’re feeling the effects of Vicarious Trauma.

Just remember, it’s never too late to show yourself the same level of compassion that you show others.