Understanding Secondary Trauma

Secondary trauma can occur when you see or hear about a traumatic event. Secondary trauma or vicarious trauma does not happen to you directly, but you feel its effects. You might have experienced secondary trauma when you watched the news reports after 9-11. More recently, many people were rightly disturbed in the aftermath of hurricanes Rita and Katrina. People can even experience vicarious trauma from watching the news or graphic scenes in movies.

People who work directly with trauma can also experience secondary trauma. Nurses and physicians, emergency personnel, therapists, can all be deeply affected by what they see and hear.

If you think you might have secondary trauma, look for these symptoms:

  • Anger
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Sadness
  • Low self-esteem
  • Emotional exhaustion
  • Trouble making decisions
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Difficulty remembering things
  • Fatigue
  • Headaches or body aches
  • Changes in sleep habits
  • Changes in eating habits
  • Increase in addictive behaviors
  • Withdrawing from others

    • Some people feel that developing secondary trauma is a sign of weakness. If you really care about others, trauma will affect you. It is normal to be affected by trauma. Graphic descriptions of victimization or suffering can leave lasting impressions on our hearts and minds.

    Although any of us can develop secondary trauma, people are more prone to secondary trauma if their lives are