By Dr. Anthony Policastro We sometimes do not realize the impact treating patients has on the providers of care. There are real consequences that are not often discussed. One of those is termed Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS). It sometimes goes by the name of vicarious trauma. It is used to describe the emotional toll that occurs with being around trauma victims. There are several things that contribute to that. One of them is listening to stories of trauma. Another is indirectly witnessing traumatic situations. A third is being exposed to repeated trauma cases. The responses build on each other, resulting in a series of symptoms related to that. The symptoms can resemble post-traumatic stress disorder. It may result in the individual having to [...]