These grim realities are published online for anyone to watch. Not to mention what is available on the deep or dark web.

What you might not realise, is that these incidents might affect you psychologically. The idea of second-hand or "vicarious" Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) might sound incredible. How could someone who watches events on a screen suffer the same problems as those who experience it?

June is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder awareness month (PTSD). The aim is to educate and promote further treatment, understanding the causes, and what methods can prevent it from developing in those who have experienced trauma.

“PTSD is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event – either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.”

There are ways to deal with PTSD, namely body techniques which help manage these conditions, as well as psychotherapy, exercise, and with the help of charity organisations.

According to daysoftheyear.com, PTSD can be experienced by keeping up with real-time events or watching violent video footage which triggers flashbacks or memories.

Some people would even be offended if one would suggest that merely watching disturbing or violent events online could trigger the disorder.

According to the BBC, Walter Busuttil of the veterans' mental health charity, Combat Stress, says that vicarious PTSD is a well-established phenomenon. "There is a level of resilience that may be very high in some people and very low in others, and social media may actually affect particularly vulnerable people," Busuttil says.

According to this article, the diagnostic model includes a classification of vicarious PTSD for workers - such as paramedics, police officers or journalists - who might routinely be exposed to disturbing online videos because of their jobs. News organisations regularly warn journalists about the effects of repeated viewing of violent or disturbing events.

Ordinary internet users, however, usually don't have that same protection. Dr Pam Ramsden, a researcher at the University of Bradford, has done several studies in this area and admits her research has thrown up some controversial findings. But she says that the proportion of her research subjects who have experienced stress after viewing disturbing images has remained consistent, and points out that social media lacks the same context as traditional broadcasts.

"On television or even on the radio, you get a warning: 'The following story could be disturbing'. You don't get that kind of warning on social media," she says. "Now everything is on YouTube, and things that we don't necessarily even pick up on are being viewed millions of times - car accidents, all kinds of disturbing things."

"We really can't censor those things, and I'm not for censorship. What I'm saying is that people need to be aware that those images can cause disturbances or add to life stress," she says.

If you need a referral to a psychologist, psychiatrist or support group, please call the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) on 011-234-4837 or 0800-20-50-26 and speak to a trained counsellor who can assist you further. 

OFM News/Sonri Naidoo (Additional source: BBC)