Compassion Fatigue: You Are at Risk.

We've all been told that to take care of others, we first have to take care of ourselves, yet most of us are terrible at this concept. Our hearts bleed for those who need us; if we aren't careful, the cost of caring may be your health and happiness. As you continue to read, I want you to consider what credits and debits you incur in your self-care account. 

Risk Factors

Compassion fatigue can affect anyone who works directly with individuals experiencing trauma. Those of us in helping professions open our hearts and minds to support others, and in doing so, our brains may begin to experience distress. Some professionals even replay the stories over and over to the point their brain no longer separates the fact that it was not their own experience. And just like any other condition, some of us are more at risk for developing compassion fatigue than others. We need people coming into helping careers bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. We also need to recognize that this inexperience and type of work can easily lead us to burnout and fatigue if we are not conscious of offering and accepting support. Environments in which professionals will deal with many people experiencing trauma, or even a few people experiencing significant trauma, are at a higher risk. And those who have experienced trauma- whether processed or unprocessed- are likely starting our self-care account in the red.

Signs & Symptoms 

As you continue to become trauma-responsive, it is essential for you to know the warning signs and symptoms of compassion fatigue. If you are feeling anxious, plagued with intrusive thoughts, tired, and unfocused, please seek a trusted friend, colleague, or coach to talk to soon. These feelings can become more profound signs of withdrawal, detachment, and hopelessness. 

Early in my career, I found myself consumed with immense feelings of inadequacy, cynicism, and developing a lack of empathy. For three years, I worked with students experiencing trauma while also carrying around years of unprocessed trauma myself. After yet another student with an IEP, a rough family life, low academic skills, and a lot of misplaced anger was placed in my classroom; I was pushed over the edge. Daily, this student and I went round and round. He bit me, locked me in a closet, fashioned scissors into a shank, and threatened self-harm and harm to others. I had no idea how to help, lacked administrative support, and soon, I began to shut down. No matter how much I cared. No matter how hard I worked. No matter how many different strategies I tried. I began to believe that I was not capable of helping this child- and if I couldn't help him, then I was a failure. I was angry, suffering from chronic migraines, and avoiding anything that might cause extra stress. Over that year, I used every sick and personal day I had accumulated. It took nearly the whole summer to regain my drive and confidence. 

Treatment & Prevention

The good news is there are a wide variety of tools and strategies you can arm yourself with to help lessen your risk of compassion fatigue - or to help improve the symptoms you already have. The first step is assessing your current burnout, stress, or compassion fatigue level. Next, increase your understanding of trauma-responsive practices, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue. As you do this, you will become more experienced in your practice, developing your skills and reducing your risks.  Third, commit to a plan for self-care and resilience building. A plan for self-care should include components from the following six categories:

Reflect: 

What is your current risk level for compassion fatigue?

What do you want to pay attention to within yourself in the coming weeks to become more aware of the possible effect of secondary traumatic stress on your personal and professional life?

What three commitments will you make this week to begin a self-care plan?