Compassion Fatigue

I believe it takes a special kind of person to wade into human suffering, on purpose.

We humans are social creatures, wired for empathy. Connection with other people is necessary - and sharing our suffering with a supportive person can ease the burden. Fortunately for all of us, many people feel called to help ease the suffering of others. These are the people who are willing to wade in, and the world is a better place because they are there.

For such people, connection and caring can be very meaningful. And… when we are faced with other people’s emotional pain, we usually feel something ourselves. This is empathy, and it’s built in. Over time, feeling empathy for others, and caring about the world around us, might start to feel exhausting. We may experience “empathy overload” when we are repeatedly exposed to suffering. When this happens, it’s called compassion fatigue.

What Is Compassion Fatigue?

Put simply, Compassion Fatigue is the emotional exhaustion that can arise over time from being empathic in response to suffering. It can feel like having nothing left to give. Compassion Fatigue can show up in many different ways. Some signs of Compassion Fatigue might include:

  • Chronic emotional exhaustion

  • Feeling helpless and hopeless, or having a sense that one can never do enough

  • Guilt

  • Fear

  • Trouble focusing

  • Feeling overwhelmed

  • Irritability

  • Dreading work

  • Numbness or an inability to empathize

Who’s At Risk for Compassion Fatigue?

People who work in helping or healing professions, or those who are regularly exposed to trauma or suffering, may be especially prone to experiencing compassion fatigue. This includes professions such as:

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  • Mental health professionals, people working with trauma or suicide.

  • Nurses, physicians, palliative care and hospice workers, and other healthcare providers.

  • Social workers, child protective services, social services.

  • Teachers, education administrators

  • Librarians.

  • Journalists.

  • Animal welfare workers and veterinarians.

  • Social justice advocates.

  • First responders (such as firefighters, police officers, EMTs), critical care personnel, disaster responders.

  • Attorneys working with domestic violence and/or victims of trauma, or others with regular exposure to trauma or abuse.

Doing this type of work can be even more exhausting during stressful times (like now!) when caring professionals are also processing global events themselves, as they do their important work.

Caregivers, such as family members of older adults or people with chronic health conditions, may also experience compassion fatigue. This can include anyone who spends a lot of time caring for the needs of others.

People who are highly empathic may be more likely to experience compassion fatigue. These are the people who tend to care a lot about others and wear their hearts on their sleeves.

It has even been said that events in the media can lead to widespread compassion fatigue. Lately, with many global stressors happening all at once, we are bombarded by images of tragedy and suffering in the news. Caring deeply about the state of the world can feel exhausting sometimes, as if the woes of world are too heavy to bear. You may have noticed a form of this if you’ve ever become emotionally numb in response to a tragic news story that “should” elicit strong feelings, or felt hopeless about the state of the world.

What’s the Difference Between Burnout and Compassion Fatigue?

People sometimes wonder if burnout and compassion fatigue are the same thing. Both involve feeling exhausted, and both can happen in meaningful yet stressful roles. I think of burnout and compassion fatigue as related and often overlapping, but slightly different.

Burnout is dissatisfaction in a stressful role, like work. It is characterized by exhaustion, cynicism/detachment, and feeling ineffective. If often results from too much work demand without enough resources or support. Burnout can make it hard to stay engaged, and can result in feeling depleted, cynical, and low in energy. Burnout can lead to a general feeling that one’s work is meaningless or insignificant.

Compassion Fatigue is the emotional impact of extending empathy to those who are suffering. It can look like depersonalization/reduced empathy, numbness, irritability, insomnia, fatigue, feeling overwhelmed, distraction, dreading work, etc. It is often experienced by individuals who are in regular contact with trauma or suffering.

Similarly, Vicarious Traumatization and Secondary Traumatic Stress can also occur when working with traumatized individuals. Vicarious Traumatization is the cognitive, emotional, social, and behavioral changes that can occur from repeated exposure to people who have been traumatized. For instance, difficulty with trust or believing the world is unsafe. Secondary Traumatic Stress is when hearing about trauma leads to PTSD symptoms, such as intrusive images, avoidance, and hypervigilance.

What can you do if you have Compassion Fatigue?

First and foremost, is very important to know the signs of compassion fatigue, and watch for high levels of distress. Most therapists (and other caring professionals) experience Compassion Fatigue at times. Haven’t we all felt worn out from carrying an emotional load now and then? It’s not always a big problem, but can be if it gets in the way of doing effective work or starts to take a high personal toll.

If you think you might be experiencing Compassion Fatigue, remember that you must care for yourself (in whatever way you need) to keep doing your important work of caring for others. Check out some of the resources below, and be sure to reach out for support.

Resources

Check out my Tips for Transforming Burnout and Tips for Coping with Pandemic Stress, to see if there are any helpful ideas that might help you recharge.

I was a panelist on a live Twitter chat on Therapist Burnout: Fear, Fatigue, & Finding Balance When Helping Suicidal People. You can read the whole conversation here: https://wakelet.com/wake/zwKjMD1bdN3RdWQLtX8nE

Podcast episode with Susan David (and my co-host Jill Stoddard) on Helping the Helpers: https://www.offtheclockpsych.com/podcast/helping-ourselves

VA Resource on working with trauma: https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/care/toolkits/provider/workingWithTraumaSurvivors.asp

APA Article on COVID-19 and Compassion Fatigue for Therapists: https://www.apa.org/topics/covid-19/compassion-fatigue

Book Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky

 

In Memory:

This post is dedicated to my dear friend and colleague Leann Harris, who passed away unexpectedly last month. Leann was generous, smart, passionate, and funny. She loved books, her dogs, and Star Wars. She had a unique skillset that merged coaching, technology, branding, and contextual behavioral science. I learned so much from her! The last time we talked, Leann gave me some feedback and ideas for this blog.

Leann was truly a helper of helpers. I am grateful for the time I spent with her, and I miss her.