Trauma that develops as a result of witnessing, or being closely involved in, another person’s traumatic experience — rather than experiencing the event directly oneself. Vicarious trauma is particularly relevant for co-survivors of cardiac arrest: watching a partner or family member collapse, believing they are dying, witnessing resuscitation attempts, or sitting at an ICU bedside while uncertainty about survival continues can be deeply traumatising in their own right. The symptoms of vicarious trauma closely mirror those of PTSD — including intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, hypervigilance, avoidance, and emotional numbing — and deserve the same recognition and access to support. Vicarious trauma is sometimes also called secondary traumatic stress, particularly when it develops through ongoing exposure rather than a single event.
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