What is compassion fatigue?

People who work in a caring profession or provide care for a loved one can end up feeling both physically and emotionally exhausted. This is called compassion fatigue, and people who suffer from it can feel they have reached a point of emotional and physical exhaustion combined with a reduction in empathy, hope and compassion. They can also feel that they are becoming numb to the pain and suffering of other people or even feeling resentful towards the people they are trying to help.

The Symptoms of Compassion Fatigue

Compassion fatigue can have many symptoms like insomnia, fatigue and a weakened immune system, or it may make people feel irritable, anxious or depressed. Mentally, compassion fatigue can lead to concentration difficulties, a reduction in productivity and a sense of hopelessness

If you work in a caring profession, compassion fatigue can also lead to people feeling like they are giving a reduced quality of care and this could lead to an increased number of medical errors. In your personal life, it may cause you to withdraw from loved ones or experience a sense of disconnection and sadness about your life.

Prevention and Management

If you can recognise the signs of compassion fatigue, it can help you to start to manage it. Self-care plays an important role in preventing and recovering from compassion fatigue and it includes things like setting boundaries between your work and personal life, taking regular exercise and getting support from colleagues, friends or mental health professionals.

Businesses and organisations also have a responsibility to help if their staff are suffering from compassion fatigue. They should provide resources and support, promote a culture of self-care, offer training on resilience and encourage staff to use stress management techniques. There are also trauma informed practice training courses available from specialist training providers such as tidaltraining.co.uk/mental-health-training-courses/trauma-informed-practice-training.

Compassion fatigue is a serious condition that should not be ignored. If its impact is understood, people who work in caring roles can maintain their well-being and continue providing compassionate care without sacrificing their own mental and emotional health.

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