Vicarious trauma: definition, causes and treatment

Do you know the concept of vicarious trauma? It is about the emotional exhaustion that occurs from being in continuous contact with the emotions of others and their life situations (often complicated). It is typical of people who work in areas where human suffering is more palpable.. That is, psychologists, doctors, nurses, security forces, police and firefighters, etc.

Vicar It means someone who performs the functions of another person, but it is also applied to talk about cases in which, through the observation of others, something “happens” to us (think of vicarious conditioning, for example).

In this case, what happens is that the wear and tear we are talking about can affect us in different spheres, such as work or our social relationships. Do you want to know more about this phenomenon? How can we prevent or combat it? Keep reading!

Vicarious trauma: what is it?

Vicarious trauma is defined as the psychological or emotional exhaustion that people who care for others may suffer, that is, caregivers, or also those people who are continually exposed to the suffering of other people (or their emotions in general). This wear and tear derives from being in constant contact with people who are having a hard time, that is, who are suffering.

This is a concept that dates back many years, and was already discussed by Perlman & Saakvitne (1995), who also referred to it as compassion fatigue. On the other hand, according to Figley (1982), vicarious trauma is the phenomenon associated with the “cost of caring” for others. Other authors have called this concept in other ways: secondary traumatic stress (Stemm, 1995, 1997) and secondary victimization (Figley, 1982).

Who is affected?

Who is primarily affected by vicarious trauma? In the professional field we find psychologists, health personnel (doctors, nurses…), social health personnel (caregivers, personal assistants…), civil protection personnel, state security forces and bodies and armed forces. Definitely, people who are in contact with others who suffer or who also suffer from trauma. Each person, to their own extent and according to their own circumstances, can suffer vicarious trauma.

From vicarious trauma, as we said, results in psychological and emotional exhaustion (in addition to physical wear and tear, in the case of caregivers or personal assistants, for example). Thus, this problem would affect the person’s personal sphere but also the work sphere.

The central axis: empathy

These people we are talking about, those who suffer vicarious trauma, They use empathy as a work tool in much of their daily lives.. What happen? That being empathetic is very good, because it allows us to connect with others, understand them and help them.

However, when this empathy is used daily and in serious cases of suffering, continuously, it can affect us over time, producing the wear and tear we mentioned.

Why does vicarious trauma occur?

Furthermore, through empathy we put ourselves in the other’s place and in turn expose ourselves to suffering or distressing situations or experiences, which causes our brain to experience symptoms similar to those of the person we are caring for.

In this sense, the brain is prepared to protect us from what it perceives as a threat; What happens then? That when we see others suffer (and connect with them), the brain also prepares for the “threat”, even if we do not actually experience it ourselves.

The caregiver syndrome

Related to the concept of vicarious trauma, we find the caregiver syndrome, which is attributed to those people who care for others and who are not able to adapt to circumstances in a positive way, due to the physical and mental exhaustion they suffer from caring for dependent people. This wear and tear could perfectly be explained by vicarious trauma.

According to Guide for caregivers in the family environment (2009) prepared by the Provincial Council of Granada (Area of ​​Welfare and Citizen Rights), people who suffer from this syndrome suffer from the following symptoms (or some of them): nervousness, stress, sadness, decreased appetite, pain, sweating, tachycardia, sleep disorders, lack of attention, skin conditions, reduced work performance, self-medication, decreased self-care, etc. That is to say, symptoms of physical and mental overload.

How to prevent vicarious trauma?

If you are a professional who works in some of the sectors mentioned, it is also likely that you will end up developing vicarious trauma in the future. Whether or not it finally occurs, We leave you a series of ideas that can help you prevent or combat it:

Perceive and carefully analyze the emotions you feel at every moment.Apply a certain emotional distance with the people you work with; I don’t know about being cold and distant, but about finding a middle ground to protect ourselves (this will also allow us to be more objective in our work). Reinforce yourself, especially when you get home; You can do it through a moment just for yourself (a hot shower), for example.Disconnect from work when you get home; You can try music, being with your loved ones, meditation, etc. In line with the previous point: avoid bringing your work (and the cases you deal with) home.Practice physical exercise (it will allow you to disconnect). Take care of your lifestyle and diet.

Final thoughts

Vicarious trauma can affect many of us and as a consequence also affect the people we work with or care for. The Guide for caregivers in the family environment (2009) offers us a series of reasons to start taking care of ourselves in the case of suffering from caregiver syndrome (which we can also apply in the case of vicarious trauma):

Maintain an adequate state of health Feel emotionally good about yourself and others Maintain quality of life to be able to offer quality of life to the person you care for

We can achieve all this by ourselves, with the help of others or by asking for professional help. And it is that, How important it is to take care of ourselves when we should take care!

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