What Is Compassion Fatigue?
Compassion fatigue describes the physical, emotional and psychological impact of helping others through experiences of stress or trauma and often taking on some of their trauma yourself, according to WebMD.
After two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, mass shootings, natural disasters, war and more, many more people are suffering from this affliction than ever before.
COMPASSION FATIGUE OR BURNOUT
Burnout can be a component of compassion fatigue, according to the American Psychological Association.
For many health care and other frontline workers, their compassion fatigue is often mistaken for burnout. But it’s more specific than that. People aren’t just tired; they’ve mixed in the stress of traumatic events with their own. It’s closely linked to secondary traumatic stress.
All three of these conditions are more likely to impact people in caregiving professions, which can include health and mental health care workers, first responders, legal workers and other service providers.
SIGNS OF COMPASSION FATIGUE
Compassion fatigue at its worst can severely inhibit your ability to do your job or even complete daily activities for yourself. Watch for these symptoms:
• Mood swings, pessimistic thoughts, becoming cynical, overly irritable and quick to anger.
• Detachment and withdrawal from one’s social connections.
• Compassion fatigue is increasingly linked with self-medication and addiction.
• Feelings of anxiety or depression.
• Trouble concentrating or remembering details.
• Experiencing lack of sleep or exhaustion.
• Changes in appetite and digestive issues.
• Headaches.
TREATMENT
Compassion fatigue can be overwhelming. If you notice your symptoms interrupting your life and your ability to work, talk to your doctor. You may be referred to a psychologist or psychiatrist specializing in trauma.
While the right treatment depends on your own experience, some common treatments include:
• Improved self care, such as taking the time to eat well, stay hydrated, get enough sleep, exercise and relax.
• Talking to a therapist or psychiatrist, particularly one who specializes in trauma.
You may also want to discuss your feelings with your supervisor and co-workers. You’re probably not the only one feeling this way, and it’s possible that your workplace may be able to take steps to lighten your load. Having a sense of community can also help you heal and prevent any further bouts of compassion fatigue.
“It may not sound fancy or sophisticated, but building community is the most powerful thing you can do,” said Geoffry White, a psychologist who worked to prevent compassion fatigue in mental health practitioners responding after terrorism and war, to the American Psychological Association. “Compared with other societies, the United States has a very mind-your-own business culture, prizing independence and self-reliance over community. But anything that takes away from that isolation — peer support — will help.”