Tough Stuff, Tougher People

MANAGING VICARIOUS TRAUMA WHILE CHANGING THE WORLD

Acknowledgement
of Country

We begin by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land we work, live, and learn on.

Reflex operates from the unceded land of the Awabakal people.

We pay our respect to elders past and present and extend that respect
to other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who are learning with us today.

Contents

What the hell is trauma anyway?

Trauma, trauma, trauma. Super popular buzz word, but what is it? What’s a trauma? What does it mean to be traumatised? PTSD? Vicarious Trauma? Trauma workers? what?

In this part, we define:

  • Trauma

  • PTSD

  • Vicarious Trauma

  • Trauma Work

Cycle-ology

What does cycling have to do with trauma, and what do either of those have to do with the way the brain manages stress?

In this part, we chat about:

  • The Stress Response Cycle

  • Ultradian Rhythms

  • Marvel movies, religion, periods, seasons, and the universe

What does it mean?

Then, we wrap it all up with a casual chat about who we are as people, how we can care for ourselves, and what all of this has to do with working in community with each other.

This includes:

  • Aligning with our values

  • Charging batteries

  • Infectious healing

All in roughly 90 minutes.

Housekeeping

  • At the end of each segment, I’ll briefly open for questions.

  • If you get lost, want me to repeat what I just said, or give an example, ask!

  • If you need to take a break, use the loo, eat, stim, sit on the floor, fidget, avoid eye contact, draw a picture of a cat, use your phone, stand, or have a wriggle, do it. We’re not in school.

  • This presentation has an online version, and a workbook. Also this one.

Presentation Online

A word on content

This presentation contains brief, non-specific descriptions of trauma.
It also touches briefly on the ongoing neurological and psychological effects of trauma.

First, an Intro.

About Reflex

Founded in 2015

Reflex is a Trauma Response Service that brings counselling and debrief services to people in the aftermath of traumatic events.

We deliver mobile counselling services to people
whenever and wherever they need them
so we can live in a country where
no-one falls through the cracks.

Our goal is to create a nation wide trauma response service
so everyone has access to the support and resources they need
within 72 hours of a traumatic event.

Part One: What the hell is trauma anyway?

A trauma vs. Trauma

When we talk about a trauma, we’re usually talking about a traumatic experience, like a natural disaster, the loss of a loved one, or an accident.

When we talk about Trauma, we’re talking about the psychological injury that results from that event, and that’s basically what it is. It’s an injury.

Trauma Symptoms

Most people have strong physical and emotional reactions for days and weeks following a traumatic experience. This is totally normal. Some of these symptoms include:

1. Physical

Disturbed sleep, being easily startled, being constantly alert, fatigue and exhaustion, muscle aches and general pain.

2. Emotional

Fear, numbness, detachment, sadness, guilt, shame, anger, worry, irritability.

3. Cognitive

Brain fog, intrusive thoughts and memories, nightmares, problems with memory and concentration, visual images of what happened, disorientation

4. Behavioural

Avoidance of the place it happened or where you went immediately after, isolation, loss of interest in normal activities, social withdrawal.

Again, experiencing some or all of these is the way a brain heals, adjusts, and makes sense out of what has happened.

When trauma becomes PTSD

PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) is a mental health condition where certain symptoms of trauma are ongoing and they impact on someone’s ability to function.

Most people who experience a traumatic event do not develop PTSD.

PTSD is not a personal failing, or a weakness of character or strength. It is not caused by a lack of resilience, and it is not made up.

Trauma literally restructures and rewires the brain. You can see it on scans.

Vicarious (Secondary) Trauma

So, if a primary trauma is one you experience yourself, a secondary trauma is a trauma that someone else experiences that you come in contact with.

This is especially common among trauma workers.

Signs of Vicarious Trauma

  • Lingering feelings of anger, rage, and sadness

  • Becoming very emotionally involved, past the point of your normal boundaries.

  • Experiencing bystander guilt, shame, and self-doubt

  • Becoming preoccupied with the situation outside of work

  • Loss of hope, pessimism, cynicism

  • Difficulty maintaining boundaries and overextending

  • Withdrawing emotionally from the situation entirely, or becoming more hostile toward hearing about trauma.

Trauma Workers

Trauma workers are often

  • Doctors

  • Nurses

  • Paramedics

  • Police Officers

  • Social Workers

  • Therapists

  • Case Workers

  • Carers

But they are actually anyone who regularly sees the trauma of others as a result of their job. This means a lot of trauma workers go overlooked and go without the support they deserve. These may include

  • Journalists

  • Social Media Managers

  • Photographers

  • Administrators

  • Marketing Professionals

How does exposure
become trauma?

Exposure becomes trauma when we don’t have the ability or the opportunity to process and pack away what we have experienced, so the wound continues to reopen.

Review.

  • Most people experience a traumatic event at some point or another.

  • Trauma is an injury that happens as a result.

  • PTSD is when that injury doesn’t heal as expected and impacts your life.

  • Vicarious Trauma is when you get a traumatic injury from managing the trauma of other people.