Secondary traumatic stress is common across our community following the July 4th shooting in Highland Park. We talked to Dr. Julie Friedman, PhD, trauma psychologist, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Skyway Behavioral Health, Skokie, IL, about the symptoms and treatment for this emotional duress.
While many people experienced the trauma of the July 4th shooting in Highland Park first-hand, countless others who weren’t at the scene are feeling sad, confused, scared, and sometimes even guilty for their resulting struggles. Experts call this secondary traumatic stress. It is real and widespread across our community right now.
“Secondary traumatic stress or vicarious trauma is when you yourself have changed because you’ve engaged with a trauma survivor or a first-hand narrative of a traumatic event,” explained Dr. Julie Friedman, PhD, trauma psychologist, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Skyway Behavioral Health, Skokie, IL.
That empathic engagement with how other people must be feeling may come from talking to a friend who attended the parade, visiting the site, or hearing and reading about it on the news. Ultimately, it can lead you to worry deeply about safety in our world and cause agitated depression and anxiety of secondary traumatic stress.
What are the symptoms of secondary traumatic stress?
- Anxiety
- Sadness
- Irritability
- Anger
- Difficulty sleeping
- Substance abuse
- Risky behavior
- Avoidance of people or activities
- Difficulty making decisions
- Loss of hope
- Ruminating
- Apathy
- Feeling of numbness
It may be tempting to simply avoid interacting with anything or anyone related to the trauma, but Friedman cautioned against that. “If you avoid the things that make you anxious, you will be in worse shape a year from now,” she said.
How do you treat secondary traumatic stress?
- Seek professional help.
- Talk to others about how you are feeling.
- Prioritize self-care with consistent sleep, exercise, a balanced diet, and engaging with others who make you feel good.
Left untreated, secondary traumatic stress can last indefinitely and lead to a chronic condition, said Friedman. “The longer you wait, the worse and more durable it becomes.”
She also acknowledged that the recent spate of mass shootings, the pandemic, and other current events are compounding the impact of the drama and trauma of the last few years. “It feels like the world is on fire,” she said, “people are so fatigued and it’s just exhausting to constantly feel worried about what’s going to happen next.”
Trauma of any kind can push an individual to feel an urgent need to help, but Friedman said anyone who is bearing the weight of all of this should pace themselves. “The need to provide comfort and support is ongoing. Give yourself compassion and conserve resources. There are only so many things we have control over, and there are limits to how much help you can provide without exhausting yourself.”
If you are looking for professional support, check out this list of local trauma-informed mental health providers who are making themselves available in the aftermath of the Highland Park shooting.
