Witnessing trauma, hearing traumatic stories from loved ones in real life, losing a loved one to murder, exposure to neighborhood violence, exposure to witnessing school or workplace bullying/harassment, witnessing crime scenes, having a job that involves witnessing others' traumas - these are all forms of vicarious or secondary trauma.

Much of the extant literature on vicarious/secondary trauma largely focuses on first responders and helping professionals. However, many persons who have experienced complex trauma, polyvictimization throughout the lifespan, and neighborhood violence are also among the populations who experience vicarious/secondary trauma.

In my lifetime, I have been exposed to many different forms of trauma, including witnessing many of the things mentioned above, sometimes in an ongoing pattern. Living in violent neighborhoods when I was poor and homeless at times only increased my trauma exposure. When such exposure remains in the present, it is called continuous traumatic stress.

Those who experience continuous vicarious trauma may be prone to the same symptoms and behavioral problems associated with PTSD. Recurrent nightmares, intrusive thoughts, and hypervigilance are some of those symptoms.

When I heard gunshots every week, and then received a call from a veteran who was feeling both suicidal and homicidal, I tried my best with my own PTSD AND DID to calm myself down, call the VA for help with a symptomatic veteran, and call the police regarding the veteran's claims to me by phone. It took a while for me to call the correct precinct, since I had no idea where the veteran lived, but I knew enough to redirect them to the VA, where the team there could locate her. They did, and they apprehended her weapon. About a week later, she called and texted me a few times. I explained to her that I was not feeling safe, and that I was sorry for not being able to continue being her friend. I felt really badly, but she continued to snail mail me even after I had said that and blocked her. I realized then that I was experiencing multiple forms of trauma from that event alone, not including the local gang violence in my community. Vicarious trauma caused me to flashback, freeze, dissociate, isolate, panic, and fear the unknown. The VA helped me to feel safe a little, but the veteran I described above was recently fired from the VA and feeling hurt by many people. My fears of military sexual trauma resurfaced after that because I was afraid of both uniformed military personnel and potentially hostile veterans at the VA, since my experiences in the military were hostile. I knew my paranoia was somewhat irrational, but I also knew that there may be potential vicarious traumas that could take place in such settings. I wanted to be a help to my fellow veteran family, but my unresolved traumas made me more senaitive to the vicarious traumas I was experiencing.

I moved out of state two months ago to find safety.

I can just imagine what therapists, police, fire fighters, rescue, clandestine operators, and others may be experiencing in terms of vicarious trauma and continuous traumatic stress.