Secondary PTSD and Compassion Fatigue

Published on October 8, 2024

A theme we find in the lives of our caregivers and the professionals who work with families often is Secondary Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. So many of our kinship caregivers are caring for children that have been through significant trauma. Many of this trauma, has been generational, meaning it happened to their parents and their grandparents too. We want to acknowledge as an agency the reality of the trauma going on in the lives of our caregivers. This way of feeling or living may be normal for you, but we want you to know the signs and ways you can get help. The administration for Children and Families gives us a lot of great information about Secondary Traumatic Stress which can also be known as compassion fatigue. To learn more visit https://www.acf.hhs.gov/trauma-toolkit/secondary-traumatic-stress

What is Secondary Traumatic Stress?

It is a natural byproduct of caring for a person who is going through PTSD. You will start to mirror the symptoms of the persons PTSD. Symptoms may include feelings of isolation, anxiety, dissociation, physical ailments, and sleep disturbances.

Here are some observable symptoms of secondary post traumatic stress

Cognitive

Lowered concentration

Apathy

Rigid thinking

Perfectionism

Preoccupation with trauma

Emotional

Guilt

Anger

Numbess

Sadness

Helplessness

Behavioral

Withdrawal

Sleep disturbance

Appetite change

Hyper-vigilance

Physical

Increased Heart Rate

Difficulty Breathing

Muscle and joint pain

Impaired immune system

Increased severity of medical concerns.

Here are some known treatment strategies. Finding what is right for you can be tricky but we are here to help. Some of those strategies include but are not limited to: self care, therapy, asking for help, support group involvement, time management, creating structure in your routine, and many more.

Most of the caregivers we work with are going through many of these symptoms. It is so hard to take care of ourselves when we are so focused on caring for our children. We wanted to bring awareness to this disorder so we can help our caregivers recognize when they need help. Your kinship navigator can get you connected to resources in your area and can be a sounding board for you. Please reach out today.