Now it makes more sense...

Found this online:
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While individuals who work with trauma survivors experience an enhanced sense of meaning, self-esteem, respect for the strength of others, and connection with humanity, research is beginning to show that, for these individuals, working with trauma survivors, under certain conditions, may have negative effects as well. Those who work with survivors may begin to show signs of stress disorders ranging from difficulty sleeping to PTSD symptoms such as intrusive thoughts, avoidance, and heightened reactivity. While this area of research is relatively new, researchers have coined a number of terms to describe the effects of working with trauma. These terms are described below to explain the changes workers may observe in themselves as a result of experiencing traumatic events or witnessing the effects of those events on others.

Burnout
The term "burnout" has been applied across helping professions and refers to the cumulative psychological strain of working with many different stressors. It often manifests as a gradual wearing down over time.

The factors contributing to burnout include:
* Professional isolation
* Emotional drain from empathizing--(HECK, YES.)
* Difficult client population-------------(YES.)
* Long hours with few resources-------(YES, YES, YES.)
* Ambiguous success--------------------(YES, YES, YES, YES.)
* Unreciprocated giving and attentiveness
* Failure to live up to one's own expectations for effecting positive change


The symptoms of burnout include:
* Depression---------------(YES.)
* Cynicism
* Boredom-----------------(YES.)
* Loss of compassion-----(OH GOD, YES.)
* Discouragement

Secondary Traumatic Stress
The term "Secondary Traumatic Stress" has been coined by various authors (e.g., Stamm, 1995) to describe professional workers' subclinical or clinical signs and symptoms of PTSD that mirror those experienced by trauma clients, friends, or family members. While it is not recognized by current psychiatric standards as a clinical disorder, many clinicians note that those who witness traumatic stress in others may develop symptoms similar to or associated with PTSD. These symptoms include:

* Hyper-arousal (heightened reactivity -- startle, heart rate, pulse)----(YES, YES, YES, YES.)
* Intrusive symptoms---------------------------------------------------------(NO SHIT.)
* Avoidance or emotional "numbing"----------------------------------------(YES, YES, YES, YES.)
* Anxiety------------------------------------------------------------------------(OH GOD, YES.)
* Depression--------------------------------------------------------------------(YES, YES, YES.)

Compassion Stress
Charles Figley (1995) coined this term as a "non-clinical, non-pathological" way to characterize the stress of helping or wanting to help a trauma survivor. Compassion stress is seen as a natural outcome of knowing about trauma experienced by a client, friend, or family member, rather than a pathological process. It can be of sudden onset, and the symptoms include:

* Helplessness
* Confusion
* Isolation
* Secondary traumatic stress symptoms

Compassion Fatigue
Compassion fatigue, also coined by Figley, is considered a more severe example of cumulative compassion stress. It is a defined as "a state of exhaustion and dysfunction, biologically, physiologically, and emotionally, as a result of prolonged exposure to compassion stress"(Figley, 1995, p. 34).

Vicarious Traumatization
Vicarious traumatization was coined by Pearlman and Saakvitne (1995) to describe "those permanently transformative, inevitable changes that result from doing therapeutic work with trauma survivors." In their research, they noted that a number of changes were common among those mental-health workers who had clients who were trauma survivors. The changes were considered not pathological, as described for secondary traumatic stress, and were seen instead as normal cognitive or emotional changes relating to how the mental-health worker felt and thought about him- or herself. The changes were cumulative as, over time, the mental-health workers worked with several trauma survivors The changes were also pervasive in their effects on an individual's life. These changes tended to occur more often in highly empathic, sensitive individuals, those with a previous history of trauma, and newer therapists.

Vicarious traumatization can detrimentally affect one's:
* Relationship with meaning and hope-----------------(HECK, YES!)
* Ability to get one's psychological needs met--------(YES.)
* Intelligence
* Willpower------------------------------------------------(YES.)
* Sense of humor
* Ability to protect oneself------------------------------(YES.)
* Memory/Imagery
* Existential sense of connection to others------------(YES.)
* Self-capacities, including:

The enduring ability to maintain a steady sense of self
Tolerance for a range of emotional reactions in one's self and others
A sense of inner connection to others
A sense of self as viable, worth loving, deserving
A sense of self that is grounded-----------------------(SHIT, IT'S ALL GONE FOR RIGHT NOW.)

There are a number of possible behavioral changes that might result from vicarious traumatization, including:

* Becoming judgmental of others
* Tuning out
* Having a reduced sense of connection with loved ones and colleagues
* Becoming cynical or angry and losing hope or a sense of meaning
* Developing rescue fantasies, becoming overinvolved, taking on others' problems
* Developing overly rigid, strict boundaries
* Feeling heightened protectiveness as a result of a decreased sense of the safety of loved ones
* Avoiding social contact
* Avoiding work contact
(YES, IT'S ALMOST ALL TRUE FOR ME.)

If You Recognize These Changes in Yourself

It is recommended that an individual take steps toward self-care and lifestyle balance if he or she is experiencing symptoms of burnout, secondary stress, or vicarious traumatization.
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Well, at least it feels good to find this material. First we all have to name our beasts before we can befriend them.