Secondary Traumatic Stress

[silverrein]

I know that with the recent events, a national spotlight has been placed on the military and how PTSD is dealt with (regardless of whether trauma did or did not have a role in this tragedy at Ft. Hood).

Many people have never heard of Secondary Traumatic Stress.
This is described as the experience of someone (usually a loved one or a therapist), who is not directly exposed to a traumatic event, but suffers with some of the same symptoms as the person who does experience the event directly. This happens simply by knowing of the other’s suffering or hearing the details of their trauma. Traumatic events themselves are usually associated with what I describe as the ‘I’m going to die’ moment; however, notice the very last phrase in the paragraph above which indicates that trauma can also refer to a family member or close friend of the person experiencing a life threatening event.

Do you guys believe that Secondary Traumatic Stress occurs? Have any of you guys felt that you have dealt with Secondary Traumatic Stress? This often occurs with therapists and counselors who essentially become a sounding board for their clients who have dealt with trauma.

[sorraia]

Absolutely. I grew up with PTSD in the home (father is a Vietnam veteran - I don't know all the details, but in a nutshell he was the only survivor out of the group he was dropped off with). I was affected very strongly by it. I did not experience the exact same experiences/symptoms as my father, but I did experience similar symptoms in dealing with his trauma.

[LittleRed]

I'm not sure that I believe in it. I believe that someone can hurt for someone else, but not that they can develop a disorder just by listening to someone else's story.

However, it may be that I just haven't experienced it. I'll sit back and watch other responses.

[silverrein]

Originally Posted by sorraia Absolutely. I grew up with PTSD in the home (father is a Vietnam veteran - I don't know all the details, but in a nutshell he was the only survivor out of the group he was dropped off with). I was affected very strongly by it. I did not experience the exact same experiences/symptoms as my father, but I did experience similar symptoms in dealing with his trauma.

I hadn't heard of Secondary Traumatic Stress until my first year in graduate school. I had heard that this often occured with the counselors and families of Vietnam era vets. This happens with counselors who have clients with physical and sexual abuse. Regardless of whether this might have been a factor with recent events, I wish that there was more done to educate the general public of this issue, as well as provide loved ones with adequate resources to deal with it.

[sorraia]

Originally Posted by LittleRed I'm not sure that I believe in it. I believe that someone can hurt for someone else, but not that they can develop a disorder just by listening to someone else's story. However, it may be that I just haven't experienced it. I'll sit back and watch other responses.

I think it's a little more than just hearing stories. I can't speak for counselors, because I am not one, but I do know that living with it can do a lot to a person - even tweak them a bit. It probably varies to - depending on the degree of PTSD experienced by the sufferer, how they express it, how much help they get and when, etc. Someone who is experiencing PTSD to a lesser degree and immediately get help aren't going to affect their families as much as someone who goes on with PTSD for a decade or more before it gets so bad that they attempt to commit suicide and/or threaten their loved ones and are admitted to the hospital where they are officially diagnosed...

[LittleRed]

Originally Posted by sorraia I think it's a little more than just hearing stories. I can't speak for counselors, because I am not one, but I do know that living with it can do a lot to a person - even tweak them a bit. It probably varies to - depending on the degree of PTSD experienced by the sufferer, how they express it, how much help they get and when, etc. Someone who is experiencing PTSD to a lesser degree and immediately get help aren't going to affect their families as much as someone who goes on with PTSD for a decade or more before it gets so bad that they attempt to commit suicide and/or threaten their loved ones and are admitted to the hospital where they are officially diagnosed...

Maybe I should have clarified. I definitely understand living with someone with severe PTSD and having it affect your life, at least to some degree. K's PTSD isn't severe, he was told he's still having "re-integration issues" [5 years later. I'd like to know when he'll finally re-integrate, then ] and was deployed anyway. I'm 4 months out from homecoming, and already worried about sleeping arrangements, because if his nightmares were bad before to the point of beating me up in my sleep, I am legitimately concerned about sleeping in the same bed with him after this deployment. I know that may not be what you were trying to say - I can't say that I have behavioral changes and I'm certainly not trying to say that I have any form of secondary PTSD, but I can see how living with someone when PTSD is much more severe can definitely impact your life. I don't necessarily think I would call it a disorder, though. I'm not sure how I would classify it.

As far as counseling goes, however, I truly don't understand how someone who listens to your story for an hour a week can allow it to affect their life. I just don't. If you didn't experience those things first-hand and your relationship with someone is purely professional, I just don't understand it.

[sorraia]

Originally Posted by LittleRed Maybe I should have clarified. I definitely understand living with someone with severe PTSD and having it affect your life, at least to some degree. K's PTSD isn't severe, he was told he's still having "re-integration issues" [5 years later. I'd like to know when he'll finally re-integrate, then ] and was deployed anyway. I'm 4 months out from homecoming, and already worried about sleeping arrangements, because if his nightmares were bad before to the point of beating me up in my sleep, I am legitimately concerned about sleeping in the same bed with him after this deployment. I know that may not be what you were trying to say - I can't say that I have behavioral changes and I'm certainly not trying to say that I have any form of secondary PTSD, but I can see how living with someone when PTSD is much more severe can definitely impact your life. I don't necessarily think I would call it a disorder, though. I'm not sure how I would classify it. As far as counseling goes, however, I truly don't understand how someone who listens to your story for an hour a week can allow it to affect their life. I just don't. If you didn't experience those things first-hand and your relationship with someone is purely professional, I just don't understand it.

I agree that I don't understand how only listening to it can affect someone - I've not actually experienced that.

Living with it probably affects people differently too. I grew up with it as a child - I'm sure a child experiences it differently than an adult who understands what is going on. I'm not trying to down play your experiences (because I don't know how you are experiencing it). I have heard that children of different ages deal with and experience divorce in different ways, because developmentally (psychologically and emotionally) they are in very different places. I expect that is definitely the case with an adult vs. a child. And in time maybe the understanding of PTSD and how to deal with it changes too. So maybe those experiencing it today are receiving entirely different treatment than those who experienced it 10 or more years ago (maybe not?). Thus how family members experience living with it might also be different. Just a few thoughts.

[migman7]

I am in the midst of it right now. Simply put, it is an extreme case of "empathy"...you feel what your loved one feels. All I know to do at this point for my disabled veteran experiencing PTSD is pray.

[migman7]

You feel lonely and helpless. You love this person so much and want terribly to help, but there is nothing you can do...he has to do it on his own in his own mind with his own personality with his own attitude...his free will.

[*skittles*]

I don't think so...I developed very strong relationships with my students as a counselor and talked in depth with some of them over such topics as gang violence, family deaths because of violence, domestic abuse, and rape/gang rapes.

I empathized with them. My heart literally broke for them. But I've had my own issues with rape trauma syndrome and PTSD, and I never had PTSD type symptoms just from counseling my clients.

Its a rough job and sometimes it can be thankless, but I don't really think being a psychiatrist is what made this soldier snap...he got counseled for not being able to relate to his clients in the first place. Not everyone is meant to work in mental health.