10 Self-Care Tidbits to Prevent Vicarious Trauma

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

I can’t breathe.

On May 25, George Floyd a 46-year-old-Black man, who was accused of buying cigarettes with a fake $20 bill, ended up dead moments later after 911 was called and the police arrived on the scene. Floyd was murdered in eight minutes and forty-six seconds by a White policeman putting a knee on his neck as three other policemen watched while ignoring Floyd’s crying out, I can’t breathe. Unfortunately, all too familiar words.

Murders of Black men at the hands of cops. Senseless killings of innocent children by bullets meant for others or at the hands of evil people. Protesting. Rioting. Looting. Blatant racism. Gun violence. Political insanity. And, on top of all that, the COVID-19 pandemic. These are all hot topics constantly being discussed around the world and even in other countries.

Plus, my profession as a therapist requires me to be as fully present as possible with my clients. And, many of them have experienced their own trauma. Although I love my job, listening to clients share their trauma stories, along with dealing with the hot topics I mentioned above going on in the world, is exhausting at times.

No wonder I began experiencing symptoms of vicarious trauma, also known as secondary trauma.

Truthfully, you too could be experiencing symptoms of vicarious trauma. In fact, as you read this blog post, you could even be recovering from your own COVID-19 diagnosis. Sadly, enough you could be grieving the loss of family members or friends to this deadly virus.

Exactly what is vicarious trauma?

“Vicarious trauma (VT) and Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) are frequently used interchangeably to refer to the indirect trauma that can occur when we are exposed to difficult or disturbing images and stories second-hand. This can occur by viewing graphic news reports, gruesome or frightening television shows and various other media, hearing a detailed traumatic story from another person, viewing crime scene evidence, working in a court room, attending a debriefing or a conference where disturbing images are described or shown, and many other ways in which we can be indirectly affected by the content or visuals of some other living creature’s suffering.”

I have been experiencing the following symptoms of vicarious trauma:

●       Emotional – feelings of grief, sadness, and irritability

●       Behavioral – difficulty sleeping

●       Physiological – out of nowhere a rash developed on my elbow that was itching me like crazy

●       Cognitive – difficulty concentrating

●       Spiritual – feeling disconnected from others

Therefore, I increased my self-care. Truthfully, self-care is even more paramount because of all the uncertainties and stressful times we are living in today.

According to Raphalia Michael, MA, self-care is defined as:

“Self-care is any activity that we do deliberately to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health. Although it is a simple concept in theory, it is something we very often overlook. Good self-care is key to improved mood and reduced anxiety. It’s also key to a good relationship with oneself and others.”

If you have flown on an airplane any time in your life, you’re told that, in the event of an emergency, put your own mask on first.  

Why do you think this spiel is always repeated before take-off?

I will tell you.

If you do not put the oxygen mask on yourself first, you will not be able to help anyone else should an emergency occur. 

Self-care is like that oxygen mask. It’s crucial to prevent the vicarious trauma symptoms I have been experiencing from exacerbating. Eventually helping others will become a pastime if I neglect myself.

Below are 10 self-help techniques that I have recently kicked up a notch:

 

1. I limit my time watching the news and on social media and avoid heated debates with folks over various posts that really do not matter in the scheme of things
2. I reach out to fellow mental health professionals for support without feeling ashamed to do so
3. I ensure that I go to the nail shop and get a pedicure twice a month
4. I keep balance in my life
5. I read at least one book a week
6. I journal more consistently
7. I watch more comedies and less crime shows
8. I listen to some of Amazon Music’s gospel streaming platforms
9. I consistently go walking in the nearby park
10. I pray, pray, and pray some more

If you feel as though you are experiencing vicarious trauma, please feel free to use any of the tidbits above. 

And, remember that you are not alone…