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How to Manage Vicarious Trauma
What Is Vicarious Trauma?
Vicarious trauma is the experience of trauma symptoms resulting from continuous exposure to other people’s trauma or responding to incidents that involve serious injuries and/or loss of life. Vicarious trauma is cumulative and builds up over time.
Individual responses to vicarious trauma vary and can be negative, neutral or positive. Responses can change over time as a result of continuous exposure to traumatic situations.
Vicarious trauma is often mistaken for burnout or compassion fatigue however,they are different.
Vicarious trauma as a first responder
Emergency first responders are regularly faced with difficult and stressful situations and are typically the first to arrive at scenes involving serious injuries and loss of life. Vicarious trauma affects many first responders or those working in emergency services as a result of continuous exposure to victims of trauma and violence. In this article, you will learn the definition of vicarious trauma, symptoms of vicarious trauma and how to manage your own trauma to keep yourself healthy.
Symptoms of Vicarious Trauma
Some vicarious trauma symptoms include:-
- Difficulty managing emotions
- Disturbed sleep or difficulty falling asleep
- Increased irritability, frustration, fear, anxiety
- Physical signs of stress such as aches, pains and decreased resistance to illness
- Worrying that something bad will happen
- Withdrawing from family and friends
- Destructive or addictive behaviours such as over/under eating, substance abuse, gambling
Tips for Combatting Vicarious Trauma
There might not be a way to diminish all stress and anxiety associated with responding to a traumatic incident, but there are some things you can do to minimise it.
When responding to a traumatic incident, be sure to get as much information about it as possible. Know what you are walking into, so you are not surprised. You should also know what your exact role at the scene will be.
Self-care is a must when you are dealing with traumatic events on a daily basis. For starters, create a routine for yourself. When you wake up at the same time each day and prepare for bed at the same time each night, you place less stress on your body.
You should also fit in some time for morning or evening workouts or exercise sessions. It does not have to be intense workouts, either. Practicing yoga or going for a walk will do.
If there is a hobby or two you enjoy doing, then you need to find the time to engage in these hobbies at least twice a month. It gives you something to look forward to and helps take your mind off other things.
Other self-care strategies include taking breaks, eating healthy foods and seeking support from colleagues, family and friends.
If you think a co-worker may be suffering from vicarious trauma you should reach out and talk to them, encourage them to use the above self-care strategies or refer them to Wellbeing Support.
Have a Solid Support System
A solid support system is more beneficial than you may believe. It's not uncommon for some to want to handle vicarious trauma alone. Although, this is not a healthy approach.
Lean on your co-workers when you can. Your co-workers are the best people to understand what you are going through. When working, be sure to work in groups as well.
Having your co-workers by your side to vent to and share your trauma will help ease your pains.
Keep your Family Educated
Your family can be one of your most significant support systems and one of your biggest distractions from the traumas associated with your career. Keep in mind, though, that unless your family members have experience working with trauma victims, they might not fully understand what you are going through.
The best thing you can do is educate them. Explain to your family what vicarious trauma is, how it affects you, and the signs of it. There are plenty of resources available that you can share with your family members to give them a better understanding of what vicarious trauma is.
If needed, your direct family members can even seek out their own therapy sessions. The more you explain what you are going through, the better they will be able to help you and be there to support you.
Supporting Employees’ Mental Health
Mental health is important as it is something that affects all of us. We all have mental health on a spectrum from good mental health to poor mental health. How do you look after yours? Looking after our physical health has some basic steps such as eating well, getting regular exercise and maintaining good sleep hygiene.
Looking after our mental health requires the same steps and also includes basics such as monitoring our stress levels, practicing mindfulness and being aware of our self-talk.
The MyPulse team is focussed on building awareness around mental health. For more information on mental health and wellbeing, check out other articles and resource available through MyPulse.
