Secondary Trauma: How the Headlines & Harm to Others Affects You Too
Many of us begin the day checking social media on our phones, commuting to a morning radio program or sipping coffee while listening to the morning news. Too often, we wake to a fresh wave of fear and dread as shocking headlines and breaking news unfold.
Though you may not directly experience the reported events, you can still suffer. So much so, that you feel as though you were there. A deep connection to the actual victims’ vulnerability, anxiety, grief, and confusion is not unusual. This form of trauma is real, disturbing, and referred to as secondary trauma.
As you can imagine, secondary trauma is often part of the territory for those who are exposed to trauma in their work. If you work as a first responder or healthcare professional, self care and support is vital. Yet, secondary trauma can also impact any of us who are regularly consuming the media reports of a 24-hour news cycle too.
If the trauma in the media persistently occupies your thoughts and causes distress, you aren’t alone. It’s important not to minimize your experience.
PTSD Counseling NYC: Why Your Secondary Trauma Deserves Attention
Simply put, we are talking about more than compassion or deeply felt empathy. Secondary trauma is unproductive emotional duress and potentially debilitating. This type of mental, emotional and physical stress occurs when a person hears about the first- hand traumatic experiences of others.
If you are suffering this way, you may also be dealing with a sense of shame or embarrassment about the intensity of your emotions. You may feel anxious and worry that you don’t have a right to feel as affected as you do.
Please know that trauma can happen to anyone, at any time. Your experience is valid and your own. Resist the urge to judge it. Instead, acknowledge and accept what’s happening internally. Learning more about secondary trauma symptoms is a good start.
PTSD Counseling NYC: You May Be Experiencing Secondary Trauma If…
- intrusive, random, or repetitive thoughts happen often
- chronic sleepless or fatigue persists
- hypervigilance or arousal occur
- cycles of sadness, hopelessness, or powerlessness recur
- minimizing or avoiding trauma becomes common
- focus and concentration lags
- lack of clarity is pervasive
- withdrawal or detachment feels safer
- emotional exhaustion is unresolved
- anxiety, anger, fear or cynicism affects relationships
- guilt or shame interferes with life and connections
- physical comfort or illness occurs or recurs
- absenteeism from work or school becomes a coping mechanism
To help alleviate your suffering and rumination on traumatic events, you can start to recover heal in several key ways.
PTSD Counseling NYC: You Can Deal with Secondary Trauma By…
Tuning in to and Accepting Your Emotions
An important first step is to notice and journal your emotions, physical reactions, and automatic responses to news reports from primary victims. Are you regularly irritable, depressed, or prone to poor sleep and focus?
It’s okay to honor what you think and feel. It’s okay to allow thoughts and emotions to come and go. You don’t need to hide, control, or avoid them. It doesn’t disrespect or take anything away from the primary victim’s experience to acknowledge your own reactions.
Relieving Stress with Routine and Healthy Activity
Find activities to help take your mind off your distress. However, avoid misuse of food, drugs, and alcohol as soothing activities. Such choices can create additional problems. Instead, choose a regular bedtime, eat well, and exercise daily to support overall wellbeing. Intentionally take some time off from media coverage and look for more affirming and positive information sources.
Sharing Your Experience
Prioritize relationships as you deal with your trauma. Healing and sharing often go hand in hand. Communicating your struggles with a trusted loved one, clergy member, or a therapist, can start to soothe the reactivity in your mind and body. Sharing and receiving support can help you maintain perspective and prevent the cynicism, powerlessness, and hopelessness that can accompany secondary trauma and news exposure.
Connecting and Contributing to Your Community
Embrace your community. Where the headlines can lead you to believe that we’re at the mercy of violence, discord, or disconnection, reaching out can combat such anxiety. Volunteering, social connection, and getting to know your neighbors creates a sense of belonging that is particularly calming and purposeful.
PTSD Counseling NYC: Take the Time You Need…Try Therapy
Every day, we try to process and digest what’s going on “out there.” Rolling reports and graphic video of mass shootings, political abuses, war and worse can shock and shake us on a deeper level than we realize. Regardless of how we come by trauma, healing is a process.
A therapist can help you navigate your emotional state honestly and patiently. Therapies that have proven effective in the treatment of secondary trauma and PTSD are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). Let us help you determine what’s best for you.
The Relationship Suite
Are you ready to deal with your trauma recovery and move forward? Please reach out, we’re a group of skilled therapists ready when you are. We have the experience to support trauma sufferers. Please read more about PTSD therapy and contact us for support soon. You can feel better and live well.
To learn more about our Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment services, click here.
If you’re struggling, call 917-273-8836 or Contact us for a complimentary consultation to learn more about counseling in NYC and how we can help you.
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