Psychological trauma is a phenomenon that develops due to the negative effects of life events such as earthquakes, natural disasters that carry life risks or threaten physical integrity on individuals and is accompanied by various psychological and physical complaints. Secondary trauma is defined as being "traumatized" by witnessing the traumatic event or learning about it through the media, even if not directly.
Traumatic events such as earthquakes and natural disasters in a person's life can affect not only the person directly exposed to the event but also the people around the person. It is defined as the "traumatization" of people who are not directly exposed to the traumatic event, witness the event or watch the event through the media.
Traumas are so pervasive that they can affect different individuals, even those who have no connection with the individual who was exposed to the trauma in the first degree, through the media or the profession they pursue. Even if individuals do not directly experience the traumatic event, they can be negatively affected at various levels by listening to details about the event or watching images.
What are the Symptoms of Secondary Traumatic Stress?
Trauma has a structure that continues to spread and progress in the life of the person it affects. Therefore, trauma affects the individual who is exposed to the trauma in the first degree and then continues to affect the immediate environment of the individual and progresses in this way. Secondary traumatic stress symptoms are as follows;
- Constant state of being reluctant
- Feeling intense sadness, anxiety
- Feeling spasms and pains in the body
- Involuntary recollection of past traumas
- Avoiding situations, feelings and thoughts that may remind the individual exposed to the trauma in the first degree or the traumatic event
- Symptoms of increased arousal difficulty in carrying out everyday life
Who is more at risk of secondary traumatic stress?
In the case of this trauma, the first step is to accept the situation. Accepting the trauma is one of the first steps to finding a solution. The other step is to tell a trusted person about the situation. Telling a trusted person about the situation contributes to sharing the stress and dealing with it. In addition, those who are more at risk of secondary traumatic stress are as follows;
- People with a very sensitive structure
- Individuals with past traumatic experiences
- People who grow up in a family where early needs are not met or are met intensively
- Those who repeatedly explore the traumatic event in detail
- Those with intense sympathy for the trauma victim
- Those who identify with the trauma victim
How to Deal with Secondary Traumatic Stress?
Traumas, of course, pass after the necessary treatments and therapies are carried out. For this, the traumatized person should receive support from a specialized psychologist, psychiatrist or a specialist in the field. It is therefore very important that secondary traumatic stress is diagnosed early. If the symptoms of secondary traumatic stress, which can become chronic, are seen in the person and the person is in the risk group, a mental health specialist who is competent and experienced in trauma should be consulted immediately. Psychotherapy techniques generally used in traumatic stress are as follows;
- EMDR Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Schema Therapy