With modern technology that brings us news instantly, we are constantly being hit with a tsunami of trauma and violence. Mass shootings, terrorism, natural disasters, and global warming seem to lurk everywhere. Though we aren’t experiencing the actual event, merely witnessing the video is enough for us to respond with secondary trauma, also known as vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue.

If you or someone in your family experience vicarious trauma, you’re with a rapidly growing majority. Especially children, whose brains are even less equipped to comprehend visions of violence, can have their mental health negatively impacted by watching even a few minutes of a traumatic event.

Our brains have various ways of letting us know we’re on overload. Examples include anxiety, feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, trouble sleeping, trouble focusing, nightmares, depression, and personality changes.

While you can’t control a tsunami, you do have some control over how you react to it. Tips:

• Take a break from exposure to the news, or at least cutback
• Spend more time with people and activities that bring you joy
• Share kindness with others
• Accomplish short-term goals like cleaning out a desk drawer
• Take time to connect with nature
• Give yourself permission to be human and reach out for help when you need it

For more information:

Self-Care From Secondary Trauma
Coping for You and Your Children
Triggers for Trauma in the News
How To Talk To Your Child About the News