Vicarious Trauma

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Vicarious Trauma
« on: May 31, 2010, 04:14:40 PM »
Understanding Vicarious Trauma
By Janice Rhyne


Nonprofit sectors are filled with committed, overworked social service professionals who help clients overcome various forms of trauma. One common occupational hazard of this profession is vicarious trauma, where the professional helper begins to show signs of the same wear and tear evident in their clientele. Their desire to care for and help their clients combined with feelings of empathy for their clients' crisis or pain can create ideal conditions for vicarious trauma.

Types of nonprofit workers that experience vicarious trauma include:

    * Victim advocates
    * Mental health clinicians
    * Substance abuse counselors
    * Disability workers
    * Crisis center workers
    * 9-1-1 dispatchers and operators
    * And more

Social service professions often have large staff turnover and worker shortages as well as extensive sick time because of vicarious trauma. It is imperative that social service nonprofit leadership learn more about vicarious trauma and educate their staff and board members to alleviate the negative effects of this condition.

Effects of Trauma on the Brain

The limbic system of the brain is responsible for the "fight, flight, freeze or faint" response which is triggered when the mind senses the body is in danger or experiencing trauma. Information is processed by the thalamus and if the brain sends the message that the body is in danger, the Amygdale starts the response process.

The right side of the brain takes over, which manages the visual, kinesthetic and creative skills, allowing for strength and strategy to help save the day. The left side of the brain, which manages language and coping skills, shuts down. This explains why victims are confused and have difficulty explaining what happened after a crime occurs.

Vicarious trauma can trigger the same brain reactions on a smaller scale. Because a social worker may hear up to 100 traumatic stories each month, the trauma experience can be as debilitating over time as a one-time traumatic experience.

Symptoms of Vicarious Trauma

Physical, emotional and behavioral symptoms can include:

    * Compassion fatigue
    * Headaches
    * Sleeplessness
    * Increased blood pressure
    * Digestion problems
    * Depression
    * Irritability
    * Anger
    * Fear
    * Guilt
    * Helplessness
    * Low motivation
    * Oversensitive feelings
    * Desensitized feelings (numbness)
    * Flashbacks of past cases
    * Memory or concentration loss
    * Poor decision making
    * Self medication (alcohol and over-the-counter medications)

Some of these symptoms have caused social worker licenses to be revoked. It is important that social workers manage their own needs without relying on the affirmation of their clients. Social workers must adhere to their integrity and code of ethics established by the National Association of Social Workers. These ethics include avoiding self disclosure, inappropriate physical contact or discussing cases with friends or family.

Contributing Factors

Many people in helping professions have experienced their own trauma in the past. They may not only experience flashbacks of past clients, but face flashbacks from their own medical or crime related trauma. Some choose the profession to understand their own trauma experience and help end the pain of others who were similarly traumatized.

Falling victim to the general consensus that healers should not need to be healed, social service professionals who experience symptoms of vicarious trauma may be ashamed about their condition and fear the repercussions from their employers, co-workers and clients.

Vicarious trauma is often ignited among counselors who are overwhelmed and overworked because of poor organizational structure surrounding case management. This exhaustion can lead to clinical errors, which can negatively affect an organization's reputation and future funding.

Anyone who works with people in trauma can experience Vicarious Trauma or Compassion Fatigue. Serving over 8,000 victims a year, the staff at The Denver Center For Crime Victims knows firsthand the detrimental effects vicarious trauma can have on the individual and the organization as a whole. Our powerful full-day workshop provides professional service providers such as first responders, EMS, social workers, victim's service providers, attorney's, family therapists, interpreters, nurses and all helping professions with education about Vicarious Trauma and proven tools to reduce its effects. Please visit http://www.denvervictims.org/help.htm or call 303-860-0600.

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