How Do I Know If I Have Compassion Fatigue
The symptoms of compassion fatigue can be wide and varied. However, all sufferers of compassion fatigue experience negative emotions and heightened levels of stress. The American Academy of Family Physicians offers a self-assessment test that includes the following signs:
- Personal concerns are intruding on your professional life.
- Colleagues dont seem to understand what youre feeling.
- Small changes feel enormously draining.
- Association with trauma and other peoples stress affects you deeply and you cant recover quickly.
- Youve lost your sense of hopefulness.
- You feel vulnerable all the time.
- You feel overwhelmed by unfinished personal business.
Compassion fatigue can include a few or all of these symptoms along with generalized depression, sleep disturbances, and anger issues. However, these symptoms can be treated or even avoided by taking steps to care for yourself.
Tips For Coping With Compassion Fatigue
Compassion fatigue is a complex and difficult issue that affects a large portion of therapists. Fortunately, it is possible to prevent or cope with compassion fatigue with self-care and self-reflection. Here are four tips for managing compassion fatigue:
1. Take Time for Yourself.
Compassion fatigue can happen when you devote all of your time and energy to others. To combat this, set aside time every day to dedicate only to yourself and self-care. Even if you only have a few minutes to spare, use this time to engage in a hobby, listen to your favorite song, or simply take some deep breaths.
2. Set Boundaries.
Sometimes, a therapist may have a hard time saying no because theyre so attuned to the needs of others. They may feel guilty for not being available all the time or not accepting every request that comes their way. They realize that others are struggling, and they want to do everything they can to help.
While this selflessness is admirable, it can also be detrimental to your emotional health. When you take on too many responsibilities or make yourself available at all hours, you never have time to detach from the stress of your work and practice self-care. Not having an off switch can quickly lead to mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion.
3. Find Ways to Self-regulate.
4. Reach out for Help.
Compassion In Action: The Case Of Meghan
Meghan was a seasoned counselor when COVID-19 hit. She worked at a small university as a staff counselor and also had a private practice on the side. Her days were very long, but she loved the work. She found that providing empathic witness to her clientsâ experiences and being with them during their healing journey was profound and gave her a great sense of meaning and purpose.
When COVID-19 hit, she quickly made the shift to teletherapy. The first few weeks were grueling as she hurriedly worked through an online training to become certified in telehealth, researched all the changing rules about providing counseling across state lines, and updated her paperwork to maintain legal and ethical standards. She was exhausted, but felt good about the way in which she quickly adapted to this new reality. She also wanted to be of service to those who needed mental health counseling but could not afford it. She began offering her services at a reduced rate and soon was seeing 10 or more clients each week in her private practice on top of her caseload at her university.
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Whats The Difference Between Compassion Fatigue & Vicarious Trauma
Many use the terms compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma interchangeably. However there are fundamental differences. Research has shown a clear distinction between compassion fatigue and vicarious traumatization lies in the permanency of change to the individual. Individuals experiencing vicarious traumatization have their cognitive schema permanently altered.5 In other words, their patterns of thought and the way they organized information was changed.
In addition, these professionals questioned the value of their work and the importance of its impact on those they encountered. Another distinguishing characteristic of vicarious trauma is those that are impacted by it tend to question and ultimately change their core beliefs about the world. They both result from ongoing interactions with people who experience trauma. In both compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma, the professional affected may have difficulty continuing their work.
Effectiveness Of Cf Interventions
The thirteen included studies in our search demonstrated mixed or no effects. While ten studies reported significant improvement in at least one element of CF, no study reported positive change on all three indicators and only one study had a follow up period of longer than eight weeks. This makes it difficult to determine with any certainty whether these effects were likely to be sustained over time.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Compassion Fatigue
Each person experiences compassion fatigue in their own unique way however, there are common symptoms, which include: Loss of hope and a sense of cynicism A diminished sense of purpose or enjoyment of your career Hypervigilance Ineffective and/or self-destructive self-soothing behaviours Depression The dread of working with specific individuals Lowered frustration tolerance Increased outbursts of anger and rage Difficulty separating work from personal life Intrusive thoughts/images of anothers traumatic experience or your own historical trauma Heightened and persistent negative arousal Overwhelming emotional, mental and physical exhaustion that doesnt decrease after rest A change in your world view whereby you feel a reduced sense of safety Lowered functioning in non-professional situations.
What are the specific characteristics of those most vulnerable to compassion fatigue?
I think I have compassion fatigue what can I do about it?
Healing from compassion fatigue involves a three-pronged approach.
1. Firstly, take immediate steps to implement self-care practices that address your exhaustion.
2. Secondly, ask your employer to implement strategies that will better protect employees from burnout and vicarious trauma.
3. Thirdly, seek out a compassion fatigue-informed therapist that can help you recover.
For more information about Alison email her directly [email protected].
Compassion Fatigue: What Is It And How Can I Prevent It
Have you ever heard of compassion fatigue? Maybe you heard it from the job you work at or from a family member. Maybe youve actually never heard of it before. Compassion fatigue can be a serious hazard, especially for those working in helping professions. This isnt surprising, as those with the most empathy are the most at risk.
So, what is it? Compassion fatigue is characterized by physical and emotional exhaustion and a profound decrease in the ability to empathize . This phenomenon is often a form of secondary traumatic stress, as the stress occurs as a result of helping those who are in need. It is also sometimes referred to as the cost of caring.
It is also not uncommon to hear compassion fatigue referred to as burnout, however they are not the same. Whereas burnout usually happens over time, compassion fatigue can be less predictable and might come without warning . Here are 10 ways to prevent compassion fatigue :
If you are someone who might be at risk for compassion fatigue, its important to understand the signs and symptoms so that you can work to prevent them. Here are some common signs:
- Chronic exhaustion
- Diminished sense of career fulfillment
References
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Compassion Fatigue: Burnout Secondary Traumatic Stress And Compassion Satisfaction
Compassion fatigue , or the extreme stress and burnout from helping others, is widely considered to be harmful to a professionals well-being. Different conceptualizations of CF can be found in the literature and several different terms such as secondary traumatic stress, vicarious stress, compassion stress, and burnout have been used interchangeably with the term CF, which has led to considerable confusion .
Carla Joinson, a registered nurse, is credited with being the first to use the term CF in a 1992 article. She described CF as a unique form of burnout where caregivers experience a loss of the ability to nurture . She described characteristics of CF she observed in nurses, such as detachment, feelings of irritability, anger, depression, a lack of joy in general, dreading going to work, fatigue, and physical complaints . Further, she asserted that all these characteristics led to ineffective job performance .
Therapy For Therapists: Coping With Compassion Fatigue
As clinicians, we all say it: We must take care of ourselves.
We empower our colleagues, patients and families by repeating this mantra to them in times of stress. But, too often, we forget to take our own advice.
At some point, as humans, we therapists all fail to recognize our own limits. We take on another case, work another weekend, take another call, all under the premise that this workload is what we are built to do. But, what happens when we start to fall apart?
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Counseling Advice: Empathy And Compassion Fatigue
Empathy and Compassion Fatigue, the first time I heard these words spoken I immediately said, I have that. It was a relief to finally have a name to describe the symptoms I was feeling. I kept thinking that something was wrong with me, but I was actually feeling the sadness, fear, anxiety, worry and pain of those I was helping. Initially I felt relieved, however that feeling was short lived as I felt frustration mounting because I wondered why I had not heard of these conditions before. Why was this not a class in my masters program or at least something talked more in depth about then the general importance of self-care? When I reflect back on all the experiences I have had as an intern working with court ordered male sex offenders, women survivors of sexual abuse and assault, and the many traumatic experiences I have heard and witnessed as a field based clinician helping children in intensive services, I feel comfort knowing that empathy and compassion fatigue are felt by many therapists and individuals in the helping profession. Its not just me!
The Mediating Role Of Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the state of being conscious of what is taking place in the present without judgments . Self-oriented empathy could decrease the level of mindfulness. Previous studies found that when empathetically responding to the clients/patients who experienced traumatic events, the caregivers with a high level of self-oriented empathy paid attention to the painful events, further generated unacceptable attitudes and negative judgments . The unacceptable attitudes and negative judgments could indicate a low level of mindfulness . Besides, previous studies provided substantial evidence supporting the negative association between mindfulness and self-oriented empathy , although a few studies found that the association varied depending on the measures employed .
Moreover, mindfulness is effective at decreasing CF . Previous studies found that Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction effectively decreased CF . Further, many cross-sectional studies have suggested that mindfulness is a protective factor against CF and burnout . Based on these findings, we hypothesized that mindfulness may mediate the empathy-CF linkage.
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Stressors In The Business Of Counseling
As a counselor, you need to stay abreast of the constantly changing standards and requirements of the business. This can include agency policies and personalities, documentation, insurance authorization claims, and the occasional legal concern.
If a counselor is in private practice, you need to develop ongoing business plans, take on the responsibilities of marketing yourself, deal with the financial concerns of running a business, in addition to the above-mentioned work tasks.
These occupational stressors can cause vulnerabilities and decrease a counselors empathy.
Burnout And Compassion Fatigue
Burnout is a special type of stress that caregivers and professionals may experience, including a sense of reduced accomplishment and physical and/or emotional exhaustion. Compassion fatigue encompasses a much greater level of stress and exhaustion, occurring as a result of helping others who experience emotional or physical pain, oftentimes referred to as the cost of caring however, someone presenting with compassion fatigue shows a significant decrease in the ability to empathize with others. Compassion fatigue is a type of secondary traumatic stress, which occurs as a result of helping or wanting to help others who are in need. Though they share similar features, burnout generally develops more slowly over a period of time, while compassion fatigue may have an unexpected onset and can occur without warning signs. Professionals and caregivers who experience compassion fatigue may react to situations differently from the way in which others typically respond, due to an erosion of compassion skills. A majority of individuals in any kind of helping profession experience at least some degree of burnout or compassion fatigue in their lives. Minimizing and managing ones stress are important for self-care and living life more fully. This leads to greater self-compassion, including self-kindness, mindfulness, and our shared humanity.
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Coping With Compassion Fatigue
When looking at how to deal with compassion fatigue, the essential first step is to take care of yourself. Compassion fatigue in health care may be common, but that doesnt mean it should be accepted or ignored. Individuals should watch for signs of empathy fatigue in themselves or their coworkers and take action when they identify the warning signs. Compassion fatigue can be particularly challenging to spot in yourself or others because it develops over time. The person may change over a period of weeks or months, but sometimes its a gradual change that occurs over years.
Some of the steps you can take to cope with compassion fatigue are:
- Get enough sleep
- Ensure you have an identity outside of your job
- Have someone you can talk to
If you notice yourself lacking empathy, feeling angry or blaming others, it might be time to consider speaking to a professional counselor. Its worth noting that if youre experiencing empathy fatigue, youre at a higher risk for addiction. Dont turn to drugs or alcohol as a way to self-medicate.
Many individuals who let compassion fatigue continue without treatment quit their jobs and may see their personal relationships suffer. Compassion fatigue wont just go away without you acknowledging it and trying to make a change. Theres no shame in getting help from a counselor to address compassion fatigue before it gets worse.
Who Coined The Term Compassion Fatigue
The understanding that exposure to the trauma of others could put people at risk has long been understoodhistorian Samuel Moyn has said, Compassion fatigue is as old as compassion, but the term was coined by historian Carla Joinson in 1992, and further defined and researched by psychologist Charles Figley, who describes it as a state of exhaustion and dysfunction, biologically, physiologically and emotionally, as a result of prolonged exposure to compassion stress.
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Considering Your Own Personality And Limitations
As a counselor, it feels good to assist other people. It is wonderful to extend acts of kindness, as it increases positive energy into the world. There can be times you overextend and take helping too far. This factor could be a part of your personality or a conditioned response from childhood, which adds stress and strain to your life.
You could be a Type A personality, an overachiever, or have a tendency to people-please. Issues can develop when you reach out to help others compulsively instead of sitting with and feeling your sadness, anger, or fear. You even may have underlying feelings of insecurity or inferiority, stemming from the belief that others will not like or love you, when you set or maintain a professional or personal boundary.
Symptoms Of Empathy Fatigue
Burnout, empathy fatigue, and compassion fatigue share many of the same symptoms. Often they manifest as thoughts and beliefs.
They can also manifest as emotional exhaustion or physical exhaustion. Often, there is a significant overlap in symptoms.
For example, someone with empathy burnout may feel exhausted because they arent sleeping. This can cause them to feel distracted and disengaged during the day. It can also prompt them to feel unsatisfied with their job performance and to be short-tempered with their coworkers.
Below are 12 symptoms of empathy fatigue.
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How Can I Learn To Better Help Trauma Victims
If youre interested in social work that focuses on counseling victims of trauma, consider enrolling in an online Bachelor of Science or Master of Social Work program with Council on Social Work Education accreditation. While some entry-level social work jobs require a bachelors degree such as a BSW, many of the professions advanced positions require you to have earned your MSW. Earning your a degree online can make the process easier, since an online university is structured to allow you to advance your education without uprooting your life. Plus, earning your bachelors or masters in social work online can help you graduate faster and thus save money. If you specialize in crisis and trauma, you can learn how to help others cope with trauma in ways that allow you to take care of yourself and avoid compassion fatigue.
Walden University is an accredited institution offering an online BSW program and an online MSW program. Expand your career options and earn your degree in a convenient, flexible format that fits your busy life.
*Kate Jackson, Social Worker Self-CareThe Overlooked Core Competency, Social Work Today, on the Internet at www.socialworktoday.com/archive/051214p14.shtml.
The American Institute of Stress, Compassion Fatigue, on the Internet at www.stress.org/military/for-practitionersleaders/compassion-fatigue.
Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.
