What is witness injury and how does it occur?
Witness trauma is a strong shock that has negative consequences for the psyche of a person who was not a participant in a dangerous event, but observed it from the side.
In essence, it is post-traumatic stress disorder, only obtained indirectly. The American Psychiatric Association, for example, defines PTSD as “a mental disorder that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, series of events, or set of circumstances.” Bystander trauma is usually discussed separately to emphasize that a person can suffer from PTSD without even being at the center of a tragedy. If he feels bad, it doesn’t mean that he’s just taking things to heart, or making things up, or being dramatic, or wanting to attract attention to himself. He really could be injured.
The study of witness trauma began not so long ago. A powerful trigger was the terrorist attack in the United States, when the invaders sent passenger planes into the towers of the World Trade Center. Subsequently, people who were not in the towers began to turn to doctors, but, for example, lived in Manhattanwhere it all happened, or at all were far away from the scene of events.
Incidents that trigger PTSD may include natural disasters, serious accidents, terrorist attacks, war and combat, rape and harassment, bullying, and so on.
Bystander trauma can occur in a person who observes a terrible event, including by reading or watching the news, or learning that something bad happened to someone they know. This type of PTSD sometimes manifests itself as a result of repeated exposure to details of incidents. For example, the disorder may be diagnosed in police officers who work with crimes against children.
Natalia Kiselnikova
Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Head of the Laboratory of Consultative Psychology and Psychotherapy “Psychodemia”.
It is a known fact that people can develop PTSD if they were a direct witness at the scene of an accident or saw the incident on the news when the information was highly emotionally charged. For example, if murders are shown, bodies of dead people, people being tortured, this can cause trauma to the witness.
Who is at risk
It’s worth mentioning right away that all people are different, and it is impossible to predict who will be injured and how badly they will be injured. Someone can be in the middle of a frightening event and come out of it without much consequence. And some will suffer from PTSD just by reading the news. Too many factors influence how the psyche responds to tragedies.
At the same time, in the risk zone there are peoplewho have been previously traumatized, have other disorders, or have used substances.
Natalia Kiselnikova
Individual factors play a large role, such as the presence or absence of a supportive relationship. People who have supportive loved ones are less likely to develop PTSD than those who are lonely, those who have no one to share their experiences with and no one to rely on. Our ability for emotional regulation is also different, as is the sensitivity of the nervous system and impressionability. All of this affects the level of vulnerability to traumatic events.
There are also professional risk groups: these are health workers, firefighters, rescuers, and journalists who act as the first witnesses when a traumatic event occurs.
PTSD develops around 5–10% people who have experienced trauma. It is diagnosed twice as often in women.
What are the symptoms of bystander trauma?
They are the same as for PTSDand can be different, for example:
- intrusive thoughts, recurring involuntary memories, disturbing dreams;
- avoiding reminders of the traumatic event;
- avoiding talking about what happened and feelings about it;
- negative thoughts and feelings that lead to persistent distorted views of yourself or others;
- inability to experience positive emotions;
- aggression, outbursts of anger, self-destructive actions – for example, drinking too much alcohol or driving too fast;
- anxiety, fear, horror, anger, guilt;
- problems with concentration and sleep.
Naturally, the set of symptoms may differ for each person. And feelings will not always be logical. For example, among other things, a witness to a terrorist attack may be irrationally angry not at the terrorists, but at the victims: why did they go there; if they hadn’t gone, nothing would have happened.
It is important to understand that if a person is unable to sleep and concentrate immediately after a traumatic event, this is not necessarily PTSD. This is literally a reaction to what is happening, it can be very vivid. The diagnosis is made if symptoms persist for three months or more and lead to problems in a person’s life.
If you suspect that you are experiencing PTSD, you can take an online test, for example this one, from the link. You cannot make a diagnosis based on its results: there are too many nuances in everything related to psychological disorders. But at the same time, if the result is alarming, this is a signal that it is important to contact a specialist right now.
What can you do to avoid witness injury?
There are a few things to try.
Stop doomscrolling
When something terrible happens, you want to constantly read and watch the news so as not to miss anything. This gives the illusion of control over the situation. And at the same time, it forces us to plunge deeper and deeper into the traumatic event, although most often we cannot influence anything. Which ultimately only increases the feeling of fear and insecurity and worsens the condition.
Therefore, it is important to consume information in doses and from trusted sources. Choose a period when you will watch or read the news, and do something else the rest of the time. What you can’t miss, you won’t be allowed to miss. You can find out other news later.
Talk with loved ones
Communicating with people you care about allows you to regain a sense of security. It makes it clear that you are not alone, that people around you also feel fear and helplessness. But you are ready to support each other.
Maintain routines
Against the backdrop of traumatic events, you may want to lie down and stare at the wall. But it is important to continue doing daily activities – working, walking, going to the gym, playing with children, meeting friends. This, on the one hand, distracts from the news, and on the other hand, reminds us that life goes on.
Maintain healthy functioning
It is important to continue to sleep enough, eat normally, and engage in physical activity, that is, to maintain the body in a more or less healthy and prosperous state. Because if you don’t do this, it will affect your psychological state as an aggravating factor, and it’s already difficult for you right now.
Accept your feelings
Any feelings you have are normal. You have the right to feel them. You may feel scared and bad, even if you are just reading the news. The fact that someone is worse off is not a reason to prohibit yourself from experiencing some emotions. If you push them in and not live them out, there is a risk that they will still break out later, but in an unhealthy form.
Natalia Kiselnikova
There are no right or wrong ways to experience your feelings. It is important not to try to deny them, not to try to prove to yourself and other people that you are stronger than you are, and that this traumatic event did not affect you in any way. Therefore, it is recommended to admit that you are not a superman, that you are observing something terrible, and you may be scared, anxious, you may feel vulnerable, and not know how to live further.
You can simply say to yourself what kind of tangle of feelings you are experiencing right now. If you wish, meet with a person you trust.
Help the victims
This gives you the feeling that you are not helpless, that you are agentic, that although you could not influence what happened, you are able to do something now. But, naturally, we need to act when there are resources. If you don’t feel strong and any contact with a traumatic event worsens your condition, then you need to take care of yourself first.
Contact a psychologist
If you have PTSD, you need to see a specialist. But a professional can also help you manage your distressing feelings so that they don’t become a disorder. A psychologist will tell you how to live through emotions carefully, without destructive consequences.
How is a witness injury treated?
PTSD is a serious disorder that requires consultation with a psychologist or psychiatrist.
The patient may be prescribed antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications to relieve symptoms. But the main method of treatment is psychotherapy, especially cognitive-behavioral. It involves, among other things, learning how the body responds to trauma and stress, reframing problematic thought patterns, and practicing symptom management skills.
It is better not to self-medicate here – it can only make things worse. Thus, to treat PTSD, exposure therapy is used, which involves simulating traumatic situations. Without the help of a professional, you can only make the problem worse.
Take care of yourself and your loved ones 🧐
