Title: Signs of Vicarious Trauma | Joyful Heart Foundation
Headings: Signs of Vicarious Trauma
Signs of Vicarious Trauma
Exhaustion and physical ailments
Emotional shifts
Thought patterns
Behavioral shifts
Relationship changes

Content: Signs of Vicarious Trauma | Joyful Heart Foundation
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Vicarious Trauma
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Signs of Vicarious Trauma
When we experience overwhelming volumes of information—especially information that holds an emotional charge—our bodies, minds, and spirit adapt to help us cope. At times, the way we cope may help in the moment but may have negatic long-term results. While there are signs you or a person you know may be dealing with vicarious trauma, everyone copes differently. If you notice any of your own experiences in the following list, please remember solutions exist. Exhaustion and physical ailments
Constant tiredness, even after resting
Physical body tension
Headaches, back pain, and wrist pain
Difficulty falling asleep or excessive sleeping
Falling sick when you have time to rest, such as on a vacation
Emotional shifts
Hypersensitive to emotionally-charged material
Feeling disconnected from your emotions and/or your body
Guilt for having more resources or opportunities than those you serve
Feeling like no matter how much you give, it will never be enough
Feeling helpless or hopeless about the future
Increased levels of anger, irritability, resentment, or cynicism
Thought patterns
Difficulty in seeing multiple perspectives or new solutions
Jumping to conclusions, rigid thinking, or difficulty being thoughtful and deliberate
Minimizing the suffering of others in comparison to the most severe incidents or situations
Intrusive thoughts and imagery related to the traumatic material you have seen or heard
Behavioral shifts
Absenteeism and attrition
Avoidance of work, relationships, and/or responsibilities
Dread of activities that used to be positive or neutral
Using behaviors to escape, such as eating, taking alcohol/drugs, watching TV, or shopping
Relationship changes
No separation of personal and professional time
Viewing other people who don’t work within your field as less important
Difficulty relating to others’ day-to-day experiences without comparing them to those you serve or yourself
Lacking a personal life outside of work
Hypervigilant and concerned about the safety of those you care about
Isolate yourself completely from others or only interacting with people who are in your same field or can relate to your experiences