Video Transcription

Experiencing trauma in response to distressing world events

So, we hear a lot about trauma, but what does it mean when we don’t directly experience the traumatic event, but we still feel distressed by it?
Vicarious trauma is typically talked about when professionals work in contexts where they’re repeatedly hearing stories about people’s lived experience of trauma.
Secondary trauma is when we hear about, read about, watch videos, or have someone tell us a traumatic incident that’s happened in great detail, and it leaves us feeling really upset.
Community trauma is when something traumatic happens to a particular community or group, and it leaves that group feeling really vulnerable and distressed by the event.
Collective distress is when we all, as a collective, feel distressed by a traumatic event or incident that has happened in the wider society.
So, if you feel like you’re experiencing this, feel free to seek out support and speak to someone who’s a professional.

Video by Reach Out