How Trauma Spreads To Our Families...

[BloomInWinter]

Some interesting information here about the 'viral' nature of PTSD to our families...and through the generations.

It also has some useful information about why some therapists just....aren't there for us.

"Compassion Fatigue is a more user friendly term for Secondary Traumatic Stress Disorder, which is nearly identical to PSTD, except it affects those emotionally affected by the trauma of another (usually a client or a family member). Indeed, my recent book on burnout in families (Figley, 1997) emphasizes the full extent of the negative impact of the family system. Burnout in Families...."

"Compassion Fatigue, however, is related to the cognitive schema of the therapist (social and interpersonal perceptions or morale). Table 1 provide a useful contrast between the symptom criteria for PTSD and Compassion Fatigue. It is obvious that we can be traumatized by helping suffering people in harm's way as well as being in harm's way ourselves. Examples of Compassion Fatigue symptoms abound."

"We have suspected for some time that the same mechanism operating within families that account for this "spread" of the "virus" of PTSD within families is the same mechanism that accounts for vicarious traumatization experienced by professionals."

Source: http://www.giftfromwithin.org/html/What-is-Compassion-Fatigue-Dr-Charles-Figley.html

Also from this...

"Among the conclusions was that families both breed and destroy stress among its members and that PTSD spreads in the family like a virus unless families have ways to cope. This finding is consistent with others (Figley & McCubbin, 1983; Figley, 1989a; 1989b; Figley, 1995; Solomon, 1995). Thus, if stress is linked to a wide variety of medical and psychological ills (cf., Lazarus & Folkman, 1984), it is important to help families manage their stress-especially PTSD and other byproducts of catastrophe. Compassion fatigue is one form of burnout. Family burnout is its interpersonal equivalent (Figley, 1997)."

I believe I was raised in a family with 'Family Burnout.'

UGH!

 

[reallydown]

Thanks for posting this. Although I suspect I'm not the only PTSD-er in my family (It's a strange dynamic...that I can't begin to explain), I believe there is a lot to this theory. I've also read (htough it escapes me where exactly...it was soem academic study or other...) that even though PTSD itself can't be transmitted genetically, children of parents who have it are more predisposed to it. Something along those lines, anyway.

 

[Sandra]

I look back at my families and I can see why they were all screwed up when my parents had at least one parent that wasn't sane or stable. My father's mother was a total nutcase. And she tried to sexual abuse me when I was in my early teens. Needless to say I stood up to her and slapped her across the face. I wouldn't doubt in the least she also sexually abused her own children. 2 of her 3 sons were alcoholics and my uncle was also a sexual abuser. My so called mother and my grandmother had a huge fight then she wasn't allowed at our house anymore so luckily I didn't have to deal with her again. I never saw her again after that. I never saw my uncle much either since he lives on the west coast. So luckily I never had to deal with him much either then.

As for my so called mother's father. He was illiegitimate and heard his siblings always teased him about that. So I am assuming he took his anger out on my so called mother who then took her anger out on me. It was sure was one vicious circle with abuse in my family on all sides.

My father was deaf in one ear. I asked my so called mother how it happened. Well I wasn't expecting the reply I had gotten. I don't think she was lying as I could see my so called father doing something like that. This was back in the mid 40s when my brother was a baby and was crying cause he was hungry. In those days one had to boil the formula on the stove and boil the bottle. Well the crying was getting on my so called father's nerves and he tried to stop the crying by smothering the baby. Well my so called mother took the hot formula and threw it at him and it went into his ear and deafened perm then.

No wonder my siblings and myself have our issues when we had so much trauma like this to deal with.

 

[BloomInWinter]

(((((Sandra)))))

My heart is hurting for you and the children your family members were.

May your healing pass healing through those you love.

May that be true for us all....

 

[Sandra]

Good thread BloomInWinter