A quick look at social media and it feels like the world is crumbling around you. And in a lot of ways it is. But so is people’s mental health with it.
Constant imagery and videos from war-stricken regions, protests across countries following brutal attacks on individuals or communities, and political turmoil can trigger two things. One, the Trainwreck Effect where you cannot look away from something gruesome. And the other is Vicarious Trauma or Secondary Traumatic Stress.
In this article, Poorti Srivastava, mental health clinician at Even explains how distressing news can affect you and how to cope with the trauma as a result of that.
You experience Vicarious Trauma (VT) when things are not directly happening to you, but you experience symptoms similar to that of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder aka “PTSD”.
By nature, humans are relational and the media is often designed to trigger our sympathies and emotions. Something shifts within us when we regularly absorb information about traumatic events. The sights, sounds and repetitive nature of the news and media can unfailingly overwhelm and exhaust consumers.
Watch out for the following signs if you think you are experiencing secondary traumatic stress:
- Withdrawing from others
- Ruminating about the event, distraction
- Physiological effects (muscle tension, headaches, stomach upset – especially in children)
- Survivor’s Guilt: feelings of guilt for experiencing a ‘normal’ life or having ‘survived’
- Feelings of anxiety, despair and helplessness
- Poor concentration and attention span
It’s important to know that Vicarious Trauma isn’t unusual and that support is available. We’ve developed tips below to look after yourself during this time and to get the help you need.
Monitor yourself – eat well, rest, and exercise
- Do not undermine the significance of timely balanced meals, adequate rest and sleep times as well as an active exercise/fitness routine. Being intentional about these crucial elements maintains your hormonal balance and equips you to face stressors throughout your day, including triggering news pieces.
Minimise consumption of news after a certain period of updating yourself
- Turn off notifications from social media and news apps
- Put time limits on your news apps or social media platforms. Most phones have an in-built timer that disables apps after a certain period. You can also look for third party apps for that.
- Keep your device in focus mode
- Set your phone display on grayscale to make content less addictive
- Do not keep social media and news apps on your home screen. You are less likely to notice or check them that way.
Conduct a body scan prior to exposing yourself to potentially triggering or traumatic news content
- For many of us, stress not only has mental and emotional symptoms, it has physical symptoms too. Mentally scan yourself from head to toe — many people imagine a laser copier scanning the length of their body — bringing awareness to every single part of your body, noticing any aches, pains, tension, or general discomfort. This will allow you to decide the degree of exposure to any news content.
Practice mindfulness
- Studies have found that practising mindfulness can help mitigate the effects of secondary trauma. Some examples of mindfulness-based interventions include but are not limited to Yoga Tai Chi; Qigong; practising gratitude; animal assisted therapy, and immersion in natural environments.
Journal your thoughts and let it all out
- Trauma causes chaos in our minds, and one of the things that reduces that confusion is writing down what’s happened to us so there’s a visual record of it. Naming what’s happening to us helps us recognise it. If you’re able to recognise it, then you can start to process what’s going on and address it.
Lean on natural coping mechanisms
- This may include spending time with friends, exercising, playing video games or anything that makes you feel better.
Seek a therapist who has the right kind of training and experience
- Experiencing Secondary Trauma may bring up a past traumatic event memory for you. Please seek help of a Trauma-informed therapist who can help navigate this time for you through effective evidence-based interventions such as Bilateral Stimulation, Somatic Therapy among other trauma-focused psychotherapies.
Ground yourself
- Sometimes, you need a focal point to pull yourself back into the present. Use your senses to ground yourself physically and mentally. (Example: Identify one thing you can smell, see, feel, hear, taste, and touch in the moment. Go through each sense in your mind or say the name of the object out loud). The focus it takes to identify and feel each sense grounds your mind and body in the here and now, where the trauma is no longer present.
Practise deep, slow breathing
- Trauma specialists recommend practising slow, deep breathing to reduce your heart rate and bring down stress levels when trauma symptoms catch you unaware at work. An example includes 4-7-8 breathing.
Contact your nearest Medical Emergency Centre
- If you or anyone you know is experiencing a psychiatric/psychological emergency please consider utilising the following helplines for call based support:
- iCall – icallhelpline.org, 022-25521111
- Aasra – +91 98204 66726
- Vandrevala Foundation – +91 730 459 9836, +91 730 459 9837, and 1860 2662 345
- Parivarthan – +91 76766 02602
If you are an Even member and need help, please reach out to your support team on Care Chat.
