Depths of Trauma
The National Child, Traumatic Stress Network, defines Secondary Trauma as the “emotional duress that results when an individual hears about the firsthand trauma experiences of another.” It is when the mind, body, and spirit are emotionally affected by hearing someone’s trauma. Examples include when a social worker who hears stories of child sexual abuse may zone out, become highly agitated, or overprotective with their children. Although not directly exposed to the traumatic event, your body and mind are receiving the information. As a bystander, hearing about the incident is an experience through the sensations impacting you.
Vicarious trauma is like secondary trauma. Vicarious trauma is when one is exposed to someone’s trauma over a period.
An example is when a domestic violence worker begins to think relationships are all “bad” because they constantly hear and experience stories about domestic violence. Vicarious trauma includes individuals working in high stressful trauma-exposed environments (child abuse investigators, prosecutors, clinicians, those in the helping profession, those working in animal shelters, ambulance and hospital workers, police are just a few examples). If you notice difficulty balancing emotions, a sense of numbness, fatigue, changes in sleep, or other systems, then you are being affected. Both forms of trauma lead to compassion fatigue, burnout, and PTSD.
You are not alone, do your self-care, and ask for help.
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