It
seems over the past decade there have been more acts of violence than in
previous times. This causes an increase
in traumatic events that Americans are facing which in turn creates fears of
the event reoccuring, or feelings of anxiety, depression over the event(s)
(Bell, Friel, & Stacher, 2007). Traumas
have various effects on survivors, first responders, and even those who come to
lend aid. There are specific roles that
a counselor needs to use when dealing with survivors and first responders. They can fall into the same category, but
they are different. Lastly, it is
important that mental health counselors do not devleop VT or STS when embarking
on traumas and learn ways to counteract taking on a clients burden.
Two traumatic events
Colorado Shooting
Most
humans have an understandable fear of Friday the 13th, but some
Aurora dwellers might develop a fear of Friday the 20th. Mid summer at opening night of Batman: Dark
Night Rises, a crazed gunman came through the emergency exit door and opened
fire on innocent and unexpected movie goers (Pearson, 2012). Killing twelve and injuring fifty-eight
others.
Sandy Hook Elementary
Fear
and trauma can easily be addressed when looking at the Sandy Hook Elementay
shooting that occurred in December.
Innocent children were learning ABC’s and 1,2,3’s while another crazed
gunman decided to open fire on the school shooting twenty seven in attendance
twenty of them being elementary students under the age of eight (CNN, 2012).
Effects on
Survivors and First Responders
The two events that have been described certainly have an
impact on survivors, and first responders.
Survivors of the Colorado Shootings all fifty-eight of them have the
potential to develop PTSD. First
responders can be impacted as well because they arrive first to see the carnage
that has befallen those simply wanting to see a movie on opening night,
innocently enough not thinking that movie will forever impact their lives.
First responders of Sandy Hook Elementary could be deeply
impacted not because they have not seen an incident like this, but rather
because it involved innocent children.
CNN reported that this was the deadliest school massacre since the
Virginia Tech shooting in 2007 (CNN, 2012). The survivors are the parents of those
youngsters, who have to wake up every morning and not make lunches, or help
with algebra; the trauma from that experience will last indefinably, learning
coping mechanisms is something a counselor can offer both first responders and
survivors.
Symptoms such as depression, anxiety, fear, PTSD, and
vulnerability are all results of traumatic events, disasters or crises (Bell, Friel,
& Stacher, 2007). A study was
conduted by Bell, Friel, and Stacher explaining that 30 to 40% of any disaster
survivor will experince some level of PTSD for a year after the event (Bell, Friel, & Stacher, 2007), on the same note, 10-20% first responders,
and only 5-15% of those indirectly effected by the incident will be effected (Bell, Friel, & Stacher, 2007). The article goes on to explain that children
are more suseptable to PTSD because children look to adults for guidance, and
if they see or feel they are suffering they will dewell on the disaster (Bell, Friel, & Stacher, 2007).
The Counselor’s Role
A trained professional counselor has
the ability to understand the psychological effects of any disaster, monitor
the long-term effects of the trauma in a given community, and provide crisis
intervention (Dingman & Ginter,
1995). As the traumas continue to occur
through out the world the media will cover them and show scenes directly from
the site and spare no expense at what harm it could be causing its
viewers. Counsleing needs to be
available for workers of the disasters aas well as the resucers.
After the September attacks in 2001,
cousnelors thought coping sills that helped deal with anxiety and stress. This created a normmilization when it came to
emotions and created sheltered situations for those effected by the worlds
largest act of terror (Baldwin,
2012), (Dingman & Ginter, 1995). Offering
these kinds of approaches, counselors are able to aid in a survivor and first
responder’s mental health. A counselor
can be invited to prepare for inpending catastrophic relief.
Vicarious Trauma and or Secodary Trauma Stress
Based on research, both secondary trauma stress (STS) and
vicarious trauma (VT) have similar psychological concept. "The cumulative transformative effects
upon therapists resulting from empathic engagement with traumatized
clients" is how Harrison and Westwood (2009, p.203) translate McCann and Pearlman’s
definition. The vicarious trauma
definition to Biard and Kracen is "result of exposure to graphic and/or
traumatic material", (2006 p.182). Counselors
that are in contact with clients who have been traumatized have the capability
to indirectly experience the same trauma as the clients. (Harrison
& Westwood, 2009; Baird & Kracen, 2006). Symptoms of secondary trauma stress can be
viewed either directly or indirectly to a given traumatic event which has the
potential to produce symptoms similar to PTSD.
A strategy that could possibly aid a
clinician in stearing clear of potential vicarious traumas or secondary trauma stress would be awareness because
they are normal and treatable (Trippany,
Wilcoxon, and White-Cress, 2004). Emplamenting self-care and self awareness
activities such as support groups and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can “minimizing
potential ethical and interpersonal difficulties" (Trippany, Wilcoxon, and
White-Cress 2004, p. 36). One can only
stress awareness as a way to mitigate vicarious trauma and secondary trauma
stress, understanding how to defuse is up to each clinician, what works for one
may not work for another and so on.
Conclusion
In
trauma and crisis there is a potential for all counselors to live the trauma or
crisis of a client. In today’s society with wars and other issues
that affect the world, counselors have vicarious trauma or secondary trauma
stress because the interactions with clients are repetitive. The role of the counselor is to help survivors
and first responders deal with the on slot of issues one could encounter, so
being able to help clients incorporate ways of coping will help ease the pain
from the crisis of events such as the Colorado massacre or the Sandy Hook
Elementary school shooting. As
counselors continue to see patients who are suffering, it is important to
recognize when vicarious trauma or secondary trauma stress are occurring and
take time to not be sucked in to living the trauma with the client.