Compassion Fatigue: It’s a Real Thing!
Let’s face it. Our healthcare system simply wouldn’t function without compassionate, caring and dedicated caregivers. But who cares for them when it all becomes too much? What happens when they burn out, become mentally and physically fatigued or simply cannot find the passion to put in their best effort?
Many in the human services industry suffer from compassion fatigue from daily exposure to devastating and traumatic events. It is real and the symptoms can often mimic those of the actual victims and patients they are caring for.
Professionals in the realm of pregnancy and infant loss can suffer from not only fatigue, but mental drain and decrease in job satisfaction as they become more and more overwhelmed by exposure to devastating circumstances and grief. This can make them appear incompetent, uncaring and lazy. This is far from the truth of what is actually happening!
So, what is compassion fatigue? It is defined as the effect of stress and exposure to the trauma of other people, which is secondary, or vicarious, trauma. The symptoms can range from physical exhaustion to mentally “tapping out” or being “in a fog.” Caregivers may find themselves detaching and finding it difficult to feel empathy for their patients, causing irritability and anxiety. They can even become annoyed at having to do their job. Serious physical symptoms can range from nausea to sleeplessness and headaches.
Until organizations such as hospitals and trauma centers can set aside time for training and support, our front-line workers who witness the most traumatic and heart breaking situations are left to fend for themselves while working impossible schedules with ever increasing workloads.
But there is hope. Recognition of the symptoms and stages of compassion fatigue can help our invaluable healthcare professionals realize they are possibly struggling and need to reach out to a mental health expert, friends and family, coworkers, or their own administrative team.
If you have a friend or family member in whom you recognize these symptoms, reach out. They need you but may not know why or how yet. When recognized and properly treated, caregivers can return to their devoted and enthusiastic selves. The good news is that compassion is renewable.
You may be experiencing compassion fatigue and it is time to seek help if you are feeling/experiencing:
Emotional Exhaustion
Anxiety & Hopelessness
Loss of Interest in daily life or social activities
Negativity
Difficulty Concentrating
Intrusive Thoughts
Difficulty making decisions
Persistent Fatigue
Trouble sleeping, nightmares
Headaches, muscle tension, or digestive issues.
Frequent colds or illness
Self-Isolation
Self-Medication or substance abuse
Poor self-care
Reduced productivity or mistakes at work
Blaming others for your suffering
The Compassion Fatigue Awareness project has link to three self-tests to help you determine if you may be suffering from compassion fatigue.
You can also visit our collaborators page to get access to burnout resources specific to burnout (webinar, book and more!)
