Compassion fatigue – yes it is a thing.
I recently found some information about Compassion Fatigue, it is a term that is common place in professions that deal with trauma on a regular basis – hospital staff, police or the frontline carers.
However it is a term that is now being used in other professions and especially informal carers.
Compassion fatigue is more likely to affect inexperienced professionals
People who help others in short-term spurts. These people may not have the same coping mechanisms and debriefing opportunities as those who repeatedly work in trauma and care-giving. Another area that compassion fatigue can be seen is in people providing care for their loved ones – especially aged care.
Untreated or unmanaged compassion fatigue can lead to burnout, but the two conditions are not the same. Burnout is related to the job environments in which we work and the stresses attached to those jobs and requirements, such as paperwork or poor supervision, management or support. It is equally common among men and women.
There is a significant overlap between compassion fatigue and burnout symptoms
These include:
- Decreased concentration
- Minimisation of one type of loss over another
- Preoccupation with trauma
- Withdrawing
- Isolating
- Loss of purpose
- Impaired immune system
- Bottled up emotions
- Substance abuse to mask feelings
- Mental and physical tiredness
- Being in denial about problems
People who experience compassion fatigue or burnout are taking on the issues they witness without an appropriate outlet. They then “store” these issues – like storing toxins inside your body – which then compromises their immune system.
Compassion fatigue often has a quick onset, whereas burnout is a prolonged response to chronic job-related emotional and inter-personal stressors. If untreated, prolonged burnout (three to six months) can lead to depression.
People with compassion fatigue may exhibit the following warning signs
• Feeling overwhelmed, exhausted and drained
• Not wanting to be around your loved one (choosing to work late, daydreaming about no longer having to care for them, etc.)
• A decrease in patience and tolerance
• Angry outbursts that are uncharacteristic of your behaviour
Being proactive is one of the best ways to combat this or at least prevent it from getting out of hand.
The next step is to begin making yourself a priority and tend to, at the very least, some of your needs. While many caregivers feel this is impossible to do, it is important to understand that if you don’t make time for yourself, no one else will.
Therefore, allocate at the very least five minutes each day to eat, pray, dance, laugh, walk, sing, read an inspirational quote, meditate, chat with a friend, the list can go on and on.
Give yourself a mental and physical break from actively caring for a loved one. The ability to do so in small bursts can allow you to begin the practice of adequately caring for yourself and hopefully get you to increase these efforts moving forward.
Having a non-judgmental outlet to express your thoughts can also be beneficial. Outlets like writing in a personal journal, talking with a confidant, or seeking advice from a healthcare professional can help you with processing your feelings and offer a safe place to release pent up thoughts and emotions.
Talk about it and remind yourself that it is ok not to be ok
Reach out and ask for help. Checkout the resources page for more bits and pieces that can build your toolkit.
