The empathy is the ability to put ourselves in the place of others. Who would say that it is something negative? It is not, of course. The problem arises when you carry excessively with you the suffering and the pain another person in an attempt to relieve it when it does not depend on you, thus producing vicarious trauma.
What is vicarious trauma?
It originates in the human capacity to empathize and connect emotionally with othersPeople who are regularly or intensely exposed to stories or testimonies of suffering, such as health professionals, social workers, journalists, and even family members and close friends of people who have experienced trauma, can develop this type of trauma.
It can affect a range of people, including health professionals, social workers, journalists, carers and anyone who is in close contact with individuals who have experienced trauma. Additionally, it can also affect friends and family who provide emotional support to those who have suffered trauma. It is important to note that anyone can experience its effects.
Symptoms of vicarious trauma
Your beliefs and convictions, your vision of the world… Everything has been shaken. Every person suffers the vicarious trauma in different ways, but it is very common to find 4 levels of symptoms:
- Emotional symptoms: Feelings of anxiety, sadness, irritability, sudden mood swings, anger, insecurity, guilt…
- Physiological symptoms:Discomfort and stress cause headaches, skin rashes, muscle tension, ulcers, chest tightness, tremors, dizziness…
- Cognitive symptoms: Lack of concentration, absent-mindedness, confusion, bewilderment and memory loss due to being 100% focused on the traumatic experience. In addition, there is the inability to solve problems or make decisions and intrusive thoughts.
- Behavioral symptoms: Social isolation, pessimism, sleep problems. You may even turn to food, alcohol or drugs because the situation is unbearable and makes you forget about the traumatic situation.
Causes
- Continuous exposure to shocking narratives or images.
- I work in highly stressful and emotionally demanding environments.
- Close relationship with people who have suffered trauma.
- Lack of social support and the absence of adequate coping tools
Try a free session
See a psychologist if you feel that what happens to others affects you in a very intense way. With therapy, you can reduce the symptoms of vicarious trauma.
Make an appointment
Importance of empathy
Is It is essential to recognize the importance of empathy in addressing vicarious traumaEmpathy, understood as the ability to put oneself in another's shoes and understand their emotions, can be a powerful tool to alleviate vicarious suffering. fostering empathy in professional and personal environmentsand by providing safe spaces for people to express and share their emotions, the negative effects of vicarious trauma can be reduced.
Prevention
- Implement self-care and personal care measures. Establishing healthy boundaries around exposure to traumatic content, both at work and in one’s personal life.
- Recognize and respect your own emotional limitsand seek support and advice when necessary.
- Resilience and coping skills training can be very helpful. Learning to identify and manage stress, practicing relaxation techniques, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and finding activities that provide personal satisfaction and well-being are strategies that can strengthen the ability to cope with vicarious trauma.
- Creating healthy and supportive work environmentsis also critical to preventing vicarious trauma. This involves promoting open communication and mutual support among colleagues, as well as offering resources and programs for psychological care and support in the workplace. It is also essential to provide training and continuing education opportunities to improve coping skills and understanding of vicarious trauma.
Treatment
- Individual or group therapy, focusing on the expression of emotions and the development of healthy coping strategies, may be beneficial.
- Promote self-care, set appropriate limits on exposure to traumatic situations, and seek support from colleagues, supervisors, and mental health professionals.
When you are faced with traumas that others have experienced and you help them, there is a chance that this indirect trauma will appear, which will have a negative impact on you. On the other hand, positive stories of growth and resilience have the opposite effect and indirect motivation can appear.
If you cannot escape from vicarious trauma and you see that it affects your life, whether at a family, work or social level, do not hesitate to go to a online psychologist.
It is clear that the suffering of others not only affects those directly involved, but also those who witness and connect emotionally with those experiences. Empathy will prove to be a powerful tool to mitigate the effects of vicarious trauma.
Why choose
- We have been leaders in online psychological care since 2012.
- First informational appointment free.
- Online therapy from 40 euros per session.
- Team of senior psychologists, with decades of experience.
- All the therapy we offer is via videoconference. 100% confidential.
- The same psychologist will attend to you throughout the treatment.
- At you do not lose the money for the sessions. If you cannot connect or are not there, the session is postponed to another day.
- Attention in Spanish, English and Catalan.