Most of us are old enough to remember watching the events of 9/11 as they unfolded live on our television sets. And we know instinctively how we can be vicariously traumatized.
As healthcare workers we are continuously subjected to the painful and traumatic experiences of our clients.
The more empathic we are, the more we are vulnerable to be traumatized ourselves.
There is actually a physiological basis for our reactions, as you can see from the following illustration:
