For some, coping strategies may help manage this impact. Others are able to enhance their vicarious resilience, in which personal growth is experienced as patients grow and overcome adversity. Yet for many, vicarious traumatization is a real risk.
“Vicarious traumatization happens when you begin to question your own beliefs about safety and trust, and your world view becomes distorted,” says Judith Margolin, PsyD, Clinical Director of the Women’s Program at Princeton House. “It impacts your overall sense of meaning and hope to the point where you may no longer find joy in life.”
The impact is generally more severe than compassion fatigue or burnout, according to Dr. Margolin. In addition to a distorted world view and hopelessness, warning signs can include:
- Rumination or preoccupation with patient experiences
- Nightmares or sleep disturbances
- Withdrawal from your family or activities that you enjoy
- Symptoms consistent with hyperarousal or hypoarousal, ranging from constantly being on guard to feeling numb
- The inability to find relief through time off
“As caregivers, our roles are challenging,” says Dr. Margolin. “We must have empathy—yet to protect ourselves, we also need boundaries. It can be like walking a tightrope. The goal is to show compassion and empathy but not become enmeshed in our patients’ experiences.”
Dr. Margolin suggests these tips for reducing the risk of vicarious traumatization:
- Recognize it as a real phenomenon and be in tune with your own mental wellbeing.
- Balance your work with positive experiences, including playful activities in which the world can be seen as a trusted place.
- Practice regular self-care, such as healthy eating, sleeping, and relaxation strategies.
- Share feelings and concerns with peers or your own therapist.
- Look out for peers who may be at risk.
At the Princeton House Women’s Program, vicarious traumatization is integrated in the training curriculum and regularly incorporated into team discussions and presentations. To refocus attention on the positive and the present, daily meetings begin or end with a meditative or participatory mindfulness practice. Topics range from acceptance and gratitude to kindness and compassion.
"There’s an old Cherokee legend that whatever you feed will grow stronger. We help each other highlight the positive, focus on the present, and feel safe in discussing concerns. Negative thoughts will happen, but we don’t have to get stuck in them.” — Dr. Judith Margolin, Clinical Director, Women’s Program
For more information about the Women’s Program at Princeton House, visit princetonhouse.org/women or call 888.437.1610.
Article as seen in the Winter 2019 issue of Princeton House Behavioral Health Today.
