You don’t have to be the victim of a natural disaster or other devastating event for your mental health to be affected. When you’re significantly impacted by someone else’s trauma, you could be experiencing secondary trauma.
Secondary trauma can result from frequent exposure to a wide range of others’ trauma, including:
- Observing the human impact of natural disasters, like Hurricane Helene
- Listening to heart-wrenching or disturbing stories
- Seeing people in physical or emotional distress
- Witnessing others’ graphic injuries
To learn more, WellTuned spoke with Dr. Jill Amos, a licensed behavioral health psychologist for BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee.
Understanding secondary trauma
Dr. Amos: Secondary trauma is something many of us may be experiencing regularly right now. It may be related to a natural disaster, or it could be a tragic event that’s happened in your community. This awareness can make it harder to be hopeful for the future.
You can experience different symptoms, which may include:
- Trouble sleeping
- Problems with concentration
- Intrusive thoughts
- Anger
- Hypervigilance
- Exhaustion
- Mood swings
- Feelings of guilt
Some people may find themselves eating or drinking more to deal with their stress. Secondary traumatic stress can even take a toll on your immune system.
While anyone can experience secondary trauma, it’s most common among:
- Mental health professionals
- First responders
- Intensive care and emergency room medical professionals
- Social workers
If you have a history of trauma or childhood adversity, you may be especially vulnerable to secondary trauma. Anxiety and depression can also raise your risk. So can loneliness or lack of a support network. You can also experience secondary trauma by helping support people who are going through their own traumas.
How secondary trauma may affect your children
Dr. Amos: You should pay close attention to your children in the wake of a natural disaster or tragedy. With our increasingly connected lives, we witness more human loss than ever before.
Watch out for:
- Nightmares
- Acting out fears in their play and storytelling
- Mood swings
- Preoccupation with events or stories related to a recent traumatic event
- Feeling hopeless
- Acting more reckless than usual or detachment from friends or family
If you notice any of these behaviors, don’t ignore them. Gently approach your child and start a conversation. Encouraging communication is essential. Don’t dismiss whatever they share with you. You can also ask their pediatrician or other health professional for guidance.
Help is available
Dr. Amos: If you’ve been feeling sad, scared or upset (or your child is feeling this way), know that you’re not alone. Help is available. Consider talking to a mental health professional. You may even be able to see a therapist through telehealth if it’s hard to schedule appointments in person.
Other ways to help yourself:
- Take some action. Volunteer to help.
- Mindfulness meditation, yoga, prayer or other types of quiet, focused practice can help you feel better.
- Write about your feelings. Journaling may help you process your feelings.
- Practice other kinds of self-care. Eat healthy meals, exercise, and spend time doing things you enjoy.
More from Dr. Amos on WellTuned
Get more information about specific health terms, topics and conditions to better manage your health on bcbst.com. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee members can access wellness-related discounts on fitness products, gym memberships, healthy eating and more through Blue365®. BCBST members can also find tools and resources to help improve health and well-being by logging into BlueAccess and going to the Managing Your Health tab.