Title: General - Secondary PTSD - An Overview | My PTSD Forum
Headings: General
Secondary PTSD - An Overview

General Secondary PTSD - An Overview
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Exposure Therapy Advice/ Tips?
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Trauma or just an 'unfortunate event'?
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Content: Why? Because we typically need to "unwind" after such experiences. We each tend to develop our own means of settling down when we get home--whether it be by reading a book, watching TV or cleaning the kitchen--because we are all dealing with the same issue; i.e., our arousal level is heightened. It is obviously so when we have been on the scene of a disaster. It may be less obvious when we have "only" been counseling the victims of the disaster, particularly when the disaster is long past. But if we have been maintaining a good connection with people who themselves are aroused (because they're still dealing with primary traumatic stress), then it's likely that we too have entered a state of heightened arousal. Sometimes the only difference is that we are able to unwind and go to sleep, while the trauma victim can often only do so by exhausting himself or resorting to chemical aids. The Knowledge of What Can Happen
Another way in which we can recognize the impact of secondary exposure is in our world view. Just as the trauma survivor becomes aware of dangers that he previously ignored or denied, those who listen to his story come to see the world differently as well.