Anjee’s Takeaways on Healing Secondary Trauma
Anjee’s Takeaways on Healing Secondary Trauma
Recently, I ran across a gem of a book that helped me understand the toll of a cancer diagnosis on our mental health and what to do to get healthy called “Healing Secondary Trauma” by Trudy Gilbert-Eliot. The book is written for caregivers, therapists, and health care professionals.
As a cancer survivor, I understand the mental toll cancer takes, but the book also helped me see the toll cancer takes on us when we’re surrounding the patients with care and support. I could relate to several of Gilbert-Eliot’s examples and I liked how she visually outlines practical thinking patterns and how these can lead to compassion fatigue or secondary trauma. I loved that the book was practical, it even had checklists and guided questions.
Here are some of my key takeaways:
Secondary Trauma
Secondary trauma, also known as vicarious trauma or secondary traumatic stress, refers to the emotional duress that results from witnessing or learning about another individual’s traumatic experiences. It can gently unfold through our empathetic engagement and close emotional connections with the experiences of our loved ones. Those who support or care for individuals going through distressing events, such as illness, accidents, or loss, are particularly susceptible.
What does it look like?
It can manifest in symptoms similar to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), such as heightened anxiety, intrusive thoughts, emotional numbness, or avoidance of reminders related to the trauma experienced by the person they are supporting.
Who does it affect?
Health care professionals, therapists, caregivers, and close family members are among those who commonly experience secondary trauma.
Secondary Trauma Checklist
- Intrusive Thoughts or Imagery: Do you find thoughts or images related to your loved one’s experiences intruding your mind unexpectedly? Is there a replaying of distressing moments in your thoughts?
- Avoidance: Are you avoiding conversations or situations that remind you of your loved one’s trauma? Is there a tendency to emotionally disconnect when exposed to related triggers?
- Hyperarousal: Do you feel heightened levels of anxiety or stress when exposed to reminders of the trauma? Is there an increase in irritability or heightened sensitivity to sudden sounds or movements?
- Mood Fluctuations: Are you noticing significant shifts in your mood, such as heightened sadness, anger, or anxiety? Is there a presence of emotional numbness or disconnect?
If you answered yes to these questions, you may be facing secondary trauma.
Compassion Fatigue
Compassion fatigue is a concept that refers to the physical and mental exhaustion and emotional withdrawal experienced by those who care for or support individuals in distress. It may evolve over time due to the cumulative effect of being emotionally tuned into others’ suffering.
What does it look like?
Symptoms may include feelings of hopelessness, a decrease in experiences of pleasure, constant stress and anxiety, sleep disturbances, and a pervasive negative attitude.
Who does it affect?
It often affects individuals in caregiving professions, such as nurses, doctors, and therapists, but can also affect anyone deeply involved in supporting someone going through hardship, like family members or close friends of a person dealing with illness or trauma.
Compassion Fatigue Checklist
- Emotional Exhaustion: Do you often feel emotionally drained or overwhelmed? Is there a sense of heaviness or numbness in your emotions
- Reduced Sense of Personal Accomplishment: Do you feel less satisfied or accomplished in your role as a caregiver? Is it challenging to celebrate small wins or feel a sense of purpose?
- Physical Symptoms: Are you experiencing physical tiredness more frequently? Do you notice any changes in sleep patterns or appetite?
- Reduced Empathy: Is it harder to feel empathy or connect emotionally with others? Do you find yourself distancing from the emotional aspects of caregiving?
What can you do?
I loved this book because it offered ways to take practical steps if you’re experiencing secondary trauma and/or compassion fatigue:
- Acknowledge with Compassion: Allow yourself to feel and express your emotions without judgment. Recognize the impact of the journey on your feelings and relationships, holding them with understanding and care.
- View Seeking Help as a Strength: There’s no shame in reaching out for professional mental health support. It’s a courageous step towards healing and finding strategies that resonate with your well-being.
- Nurture Relationships: It’s completely valid to acknowledge the effects of this journey on your relationships. Embrace the changes with openness, communication, and mutual support, nurturing the bonds with tenderness.
- Find Supportive Communities: Finding healing and insight in support groups or communities who share similar experiences can be a heartwarming space of mutual understanding and guidance.
Feeling compassion fatigue does not make you weak or a bad person. Gilbert-Eliot’s book helped me see that if you think you are feeling compassion fatigue and secondary trauma, you can regroup and reenergize. But you must stop doing what you are doing and put self-care practices into place.
I don’t mean spa days, but really work at what you need to do to reenergize and maintain your mental health.
The journey toward mental wellbeing is continuous, and it takes time. Don’t rush it—big or small, each step you take toward mental wellness counts. Remember: if you’re feeling the impact of secondary trauma and compassion fatigue, you are not crazy and you certainly aren’t alone.
Recently, I ran across a gem of a book that helped me understand the toll of a cancer diagnosis on our mental health and what to do to get healthy called “Healing Secondary Trauma” by Trudy Gilbert-Eliot. The book is written for caregivers, therapists, and health care professionals.
As a cancer survivor, I understand the mental toll cancer takes, but the book also helped me see the toll cancer takes on us when we’re surrounding the patients with care and support. I could relate to several of Gilbert-Eliot’s examples and I liked how she visually outlines practical thinking patterns and how these can lead to compassion fatigue or secondary trauma. I loved that the book was practical, it even had checklists and guided questions.
Here are some of my key takeaways:
Secondary Trauma
Secondary trauma, also known as vicarious trauma or secondary traumatic stress, refers to the emotional duress that results from witnessing or learning about another individual’s traumatic experiences. It can gently unfold through our empathetic engagement and close emotional connections with the experiences of our loved ones. Those who support or care for individuals going through distressing events, such as illness, accidents, or loss, are particularly susceptible.
What does it look like?
It can manifest in symptoms similar to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), such as heightened anxiety, intrusive thoughts, emotional numbness, or avoidance of reminders related to the trauma experienced by the person they are supporting.
Who does it affect?
Health care professionals, therapists, caregivers, and close family members are among those who commonly experience secondary trauma.
Secondary Trauma Checklist
- Intrusive Thoughts or Imagery: Do you find thoughts or images related to your loved one’s experiences intruding your mind unexpectedly? Is there a replaying of distressing moments in your thoughts?
- Avoidance: Are you avoiding conversations or situations that remind you of your loved one’s trauma? Is there a tendency to emotionally disconnect when exposed to related triggers?
- Hyperarousal: Do you feel heightened levels of anxiety or stress when exposed to reminders of the trauma? Is there an increase in irritability or heightened sensitivity to sudden sounds or movements?
- Mood Fluctuations: Are you noticing significant shifts in your mood, such as heightened sadness, anger, or anxiety? Is there a presence of emotional numbness or disconnect?
If you answered yes to these questions, you may be facing secondary trauma.
Compassion Fatigue
Compassion fatigue is a concept that refers to the physical and mental exhaustion and emotional withdrawal experienced by those who care for or support individuals in distress. It may evolve over time due to the cumulative effect of being emotionally tuned into others’ suffering.
What does it look like?
Symptoms may include feelings of hopelessness, a decrease in experiences of pleasure, constant stress and anxiety, sleep disturbances, and a pervasive negative attitude.
Who does it affect?
It often affects individuals in caregiving professions, such as nurses, doctors, and therapists, but can also affect anyone deeply involved in supporting someone going through hardship, like family members or close friends of a person dealing with illness or trauma.
Compassion Fatigue Checklist
- Emotional Exhaustion: Do you often feel emotionally drained or overwhelmed? Is there a sense of heaviness or numbness in your emotions
- Reduced Sense of Personal Accomplishment: Do you feel less satisfied or accomplished in your role as a caregiver? Is it challenging to celebrate small wins or feel a sense of purpose?
- Physical Symptoms: Are you experiencing physical tiredness more frequently? Do you notice any changes in sleep patterns or appetite?
- Reduced Empathy: Is it harder to feel empathy or connect emotionally with others? Do you find yourself distancing from the emotional aspects of caregiving?
What can you do?
I loved this book because it offered ways to take practical steps if you’re experiencing secondary trauma and/or compassion fatigue:
- Acknowledge with Compassion: Allow yourself to feel and express your emotions without judgment. Recognize the impact of the journey on your feelings and relationships, holding them with understanding and care.
- View Seeking Help as a Strength: There’s no shame in reaching out for professional mental health support. It’s a courageous step towards healing and finding strategies that resonate with your well-being.
- Nurture Relationships: It’s completely valid to acknowledge the effects of this journey on your relationships. Embrace the changes with openness, communication, and mutual support, nurturing the bonds with tenderness.
- Find Supportive Communities: Finding healing and insight in support groups or communities who share similar experiences can be a heartwarming space of mutual understanding and guidance.
Feeling compassion fatigue does not make you weak or a bad person. Gilbert-Eliot’s book helped me see that if you think you are feeling compassion fatigue and secondary trauma, you can regroup and reenergize. But you must stop doing what you are doing and put self-care practices into place.
I don’t mean spa days, but really work at what you need to do to reenergize and maintain your mental health.
The journey toward mental wellbeing is continuous, and it takes time. Don’t rush it—big or small, each step you take toward mental wellness counts. Remember: if you’re feeling the impact of secondary trauma and compassion fatigue, you are not crazy and you certainly aren’t alone.
