Vicarious Trauma: Coping with What We Hear

Angela Scott, J.D.Assistant Professor

Winona State UniversityAdapter from Lisa Yazdani

“The effects of vicarious trauma are cumulative and build upon memories obtained through listening to the stories of one inhumane act of cruelty after another. This creates a permanent, subtle or marked change in the personal, spiritual and professional outlook of the counselor or advocate (Richardson, 2001).”

“Experiencing and listening to the pain, hurt, difficulties, frustrations,

and trauma of others gets transferred to the victim service provider. . .Vicarious trauma isn’t an issue of ‘If’ but rather ‘When’

(COVA, 2005).”

An Attorney’s Experience: “It actually feels good to hear that I am not

the only one who feels depressed and helpless and that these issues are worth studying. Fortunately, the stress has decreased with experience and time for me, but I still have vivid memories of quite traumatic experiences representing victims of domestic violence who were so betrayed that it was difficult to continue to have faith in humankind.” (from Vicarious Trauma in Attorneys by A.P. Levin, M.D. and S. Greisberg, M.A.)

Definitions: Vicarious Trauma- cumulative transformative

effect upon the professional who is working with survivors of traumatic life events

Secondary Trauma- the emotional & psychological effects experienced through vicarious exposure to the details of the traumatic experiences of others

Compassion Fatigue- the emotional residue of exposure to working with those suffering from the consequences of traumatic events.

Burnout- assoc. w/work stress; feelings resulting as things that inspire passion/enthusiasm are stripped away, and tedious/unpleasant things crowd in.

Research Follette et. al. (94)- police officers reported

significantly greater symptoms of psychological distress and PTSD symptoms than mental health professionals.

Levin & Greisberg (03)- attorneys demonstrated higher levels of trauma symptoms than the mental health providers and social service workers.

Numerous studies have found that therapists and social workers experience negative effects of working with severely traumatized people.

(For example: Ghahramanlou,M & Brodbeck,C, 2000; McCann & Pearlman, 1990; Pearlman & Saakvitne; Steed and Downing, 1998)

V.T. can produce PTSD like symptoms: Generalized

anxiety Numbing Poor coping Intrusive thoughts Nightmares Irrational fears

Addictions Sleep

Disturbances Despair Incapacity for

intimacy Sense of loss of

control

Recognizing the Signs Feeling overwhelmed Sleeplessness Numbing of feelings Listlessness Pervasive cynicism Lack of interest in

sex or romance Talking all the time

about your cases/job Feeling angry much

of the time Fatigue

Viewing all people as potential abusers or victims

Distrusting others Overusing coping skills Feeling isolated Denying own needs Feeling overly

responsible for community safety

Physical Symptoms

Mississippi Research Survey 142 Surveys 77% female/23%

male 78% serve on MDT 33% Social workers 29% Law enforc. 11% Attorneys 27% Other (medical,

mental health, VAC, CASA, forensic interviewers)

30% in field < 5 years

34% in field 5-10 years

34% in field more than 10 years

(2% did not answer)

Perception of Job Stress

0 10 20 30 40 50

None

A Little

Stressful

Very

Too Much

%

Healthy Strategies- Top 5 Prayer Talking with Friends and Family Reading Exercise Soaking Baths

Unhealthy behavior due to pressures of job

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Irritable

Withdraw

Over-Eat

Other behaviors listed:

Expressing anger/rage inappropriately (16%)

Smoke (16%) Drink (13%) Use medication/drugs

(3%)

How your job impacts parenting: 67% of respondents were parents Overwhelming majority of parents

felt that when compared to their peers, their own children are more aware of: Child sexual abuse Prevention of abuse Child abduction

Are we targets of stress?

“As I see it, everyday, you do one of two things: build health or produce disease in yourself”.

- Adelle Davis

Balancing Act

Organizational Setting Professional Life General Coping Strategies as an

Individual

Strategies for the Organizational Level Sufficient release time Forums for venting & conflict

resolution Team-based decision-making Clear boundaries and policies Specific training for all (including mgt) System’s failure is not individual’s

failure

Strategies for the Professional Balance caseloads Seek assistance and work as a team; build

a network of professional connections Accessible supervision Seek training Take short breaks throughout the work

day Talk about your feelings/fears/frustrations Assume as much control over your work

schedule as possible

General Coping Strategies for the Individual: Take care of yourself daily: eat properly,

rest, exercise, relax Enjoy other environments and get fresh

air regularly Socialize; isolation makes matters worse Learn anger management techniques Focus your empathy on strengths and

resources of the survivors Keep a sense of humor

General Coping Continued: Limit your exposure to traumatic

material (i.e. movies, t.v., books) Learn and use relaxation techniques Avoid alcohol and drugs as means of

coping Accept your reactions as normal

responses to specialized work Avoid volunteer work that is too similar

to your professional work

Develop a Self Care List (see binder) 3 positive things you’ll do for

yourself beginning immediately One mid-range goal to attain by the

end of the year One life-style change you will make

over the course of the next two years

“I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles”.

- Christopher Reeve

References

COVA: Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance. Trainings summary, internet posting www.coloradocrimevictims.org.

Figley, CR (ed), 1995: Compassion Fatigue. Levittown, PA: Brunner/Mazel. Follette, VM, Poulusny, MM, Milbeck: Mental Health and law enforcement

professionals: trauma history, psychological symptoms, and impact of providing services to child sexual abuse survivors. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice 25: 275-282, 1994

Ghahramanlou, M, Brodbeck, C. Predictors of secondary trauma in sexual assault trauma counsleors. Int J Emergency Mental Health 2000 Fall; 2(4),: 229-40

Levin, A.P., and Greisberg, S. (2003). Vicarious Trauma in Attorneys. Presentation to the Second Annual Pace Women’s Justice Center Domestic Violence Think Tank, Pace Law School, White Plains, NY, May 22, 2003.

McCann, IL, Pearlmean, LA: Vicarious traumatization: a framework for understanding the psychological effects of working with victims. J Traumatic Stress 3: 131-149, 1990.

Richardson, Jan (2001). Guidebook on Vicarious Trauma: Recommended Solutions for Anti-Violence workers. Ottawa: Health Canada.