secondarytrauma

I suspect it is easier for people to understand trauma from physical events (war, car crashes, sexual abuse, etc), than it is to recognize and understand how psychological events (emotional abuse, vicarious exposure, abandonment) can be the onset of PTSD symptoms. I think it is because we accept material needs are part of our survival needs, but as a culture (or maybe just speak for myself I guess) does not accept relationships and emotional safety as a survival need. #PTSD #secondarytrauma #vicarioustrauma Along these lines one of the criteria for PTSD diagnosis is repeated exposure to the details of abuse and trauma events (e.g. child protection workers).

I’ve been seeing a therapist for a few months now, but I’ve felt like it’s been hard to really address the vicarious/secondary trauma I’ve been exposed to over the years, and I’ve been contemplating finding someone who specifically deals with trauma. #PTSD #secondarytrauma

I know I don’t have to live like this, but I feel like the #Anxiety of a traumatic situation potentially occurring is just engrained in me now, and it very seldom is anxiety about something happening to me; it’s about something happening to someone I know. It’s not only the fear of something happening to someone I care about, but the fear of putting my life on pause to deal with it. #secondarytrauma

I work with a lot of trauma victims. Working with children rejected from most other hospitals and at time from jail is draining. Hearing their trauma and how they have been shuffled through a broken system is often a trigger for my PTSD and depression. My anxiety spikes on days like today, when the house is quiet and I’m off work.
I’m posting to remind myself I am not alone in my battles with personal and secondary trauma.
It’s ok to leave my comfy pjs on and watch tv, but I tend to crawl in bed with the curtains closed and not eat. I avoided community today and it hurt me. So I’m up and around, doing self care right now. I am not alone. We who help others need to take care of ourselves. We are not alone!
#notalone