What to do with Vicarious Trauma from Media Sources.
Written by: Brittany Glaser, M.A., M.Div.
This time in our world is one where we all have more access and exposure than ever before. Things that are happening across the world are readily able to view and digest without looking at anything besides media from the device in our hands. As we all know personally, this access has positives and negatives for all of us.
One consequence has been higher levels of vicarious trauma symptoms. Vicarious trauma through media is the experience of psychological symptoms that are like trauma caused by repeated exposure to graphic/ disturbing content about traumatic events through various forms of media. Witnessing suffering through these platforms can have psychological effects like post-traumatic stress.
When someone is experiencing vicarious trauma, they might have symptoms of: hypervigilance, flashbacks, fatigue, helplessness/ hopelessness, heightened sensitivity to negative experiences, intensified anger, or others.
If you have repeated exposure (more than 1 hour a day) to graphic or disturbing traumatic content and are worried you might be experiencing vicarious trauma, then here are some helpful steps you can take:
- Reduce input- try to reduce your input of distressing news content to under 30 minutes a day (across all platforms)
- Practice self-care- take breaks when stressed and engage in positive activities for your mental health (mindfulness, exercise, breathing, etc.)
- Balance source material- engage in media that fosters positive or peaceful emotions as well
- Seek support- if you notice yourself unable to manage these symptoms then reach out to your support network or a therapist if needed