Vicarious Traumatization

I'm pretty new to the forums. I work in a job that triggers my PTSD often. I'm a crime scene investigator and I'm usually really good at keeping everything compartmentalized, but every now and then I get re-traumatized by something I see or read about. I guess they call that vicarious traumatization. It's lovely.

Anyway, hello fellow PTSD sufferers. I'm sorry that we're all in the same proverbial boat.

Hello Superheroine: I read your introductory post. Yes... I would guess that your occupation would present many opportunities for "vicarious traumatization". Hopefully you have someone with whom you can process these experiences. Allowing all of this to accumulate "in your head" would be most difficult I would surmise.

Hi and welcome! PTSD is difficult but many understanding and supportive people here.

Welcome, Superheroine. (Love the name.)

Yes, I've dealt with this in addition to my own PTSD for years...I didn't know there was a name for it.

I agree that keeping all this spinning around in your own head will only allow it to gain momentum and work itself into a frightful storm. I've learned this the hard way over and over, but I don't build relationships easily, especially ones where I can bring out this kind of thing. I guess that's why I'm here. I hope you find these forums helpful, too.

I'm short on words tonight, but thank you all for the warm welcome.

I can imagine that your work must be retraumatizing. I was reading from the ACA hand book about relationships at work and how we recreate those from our traumas so that people at work cause our PTSD to be aggravated...my opinion: work sucks when you have PTSD. Period. Doesn't matter your field. We all experience that retraumatization, so we know what you're feeling.

Hope it gets better.

Seesaw

Hey, I'm sorry you're going through this. I deal with something similar as my job is to sit down and listen to PTSD, depressed, anxiety-ridden and cancer sufferers. Though, mine is more like just having constant triggers brought up in conversation. I've had to take a step away from it for a while because of it. Does your superior know about your situation?

Sometimes the jobs that trigger the hell out of us are sometimes jobs we are experts in. =(

After my diagnosis I talked to a career counselor as it was clear to me there were certain careers I would never be able to have. I got diagnosed relatively young, age 31. My diagnosis shut the door on police work or fire fighting work. I knew this without being told . I am currently in the process of preparing to work in a cafe again something I haven't done since high school. I'm also a painter so I don't need a demanding job . My life is demanding enough .

That's got to be rough. I'm so thankful for people like you, as well as first responders, who are able to do something so necessary that not very many people can do. Of course it's going to take a toll, and I hope you can find a way to care for yourself.

I recently learned about this after I was involved in a traumatic incident on the job. I work with people with severe mental illness in the community, their homes, not in an office setting. I've been doing this for years and I guess the stress eventually flipped a switch inside my brain after this last incident. I began having flashbacks and paranoia, not something I'm accustomed to. Then auto-immune issues started happening and I'm pretty sure it's all connected.
Problem is, I love my job. Yes, sometimes I fantasize about being a librarian, or working in a greenhouse, but what I do is a big part of who I am.

Maybe I should take a sabbatical, live in a hut on a beach, braid hair for tourists...