Editor’s note:This article was written by Mel Carver of Recovery.org. Compassion fatigue is a serious concern with our health care professionals – particularly in a time where the health system is strained as it is now. This article is offered for your information only. There are many options for treating any condition, and while sound healing has been effective for some, there is no universal solution. This is not an endorsement of Recovery.org, but I do find the information on their site interesting, and as such, I am happy to share this with you.
Compassion fatigue is a very serious condition, and one that affects many more individuals than you might think. The condition was first coined and discovered amongst nurses working in stressful environments where they regularly experienced hopeless situations, such as in Emergency Rooms or on cancer wards. However it also affects a wide range of people, such as social workers and youth workers, and even individuals who are responsible for caring for those with chronic or terminal illnesses.
The main symptom of compassion fatigue is experiencing feelings of helplessness and hopelessness in the face of what can seem like an impossible situation. This can then trigger the other symptoms of compassion fatigue, which can affect both your mental and physical health. The mental aspects of the condition can include: low self-esteem, feelings of anger, depression, blaming, and even turning to the abuse of drugs, alcohol, and food. Meanwhile the physical manifestations of the illness tend to include headaches and gastrointestinal problems.
Getting the Treatment and the Help that You Need
If you suspect that you are suffering from compassion fatigue then the very worst thing you can do is nothing at all: without treatment and care, you will soon find that your condition worsens and if you are working in a caring profession, such as nursing or social work, this could have hugely detrimental effects not only on your personal life but also on your professional life and on the lives of those clients and patients that depend on you.
However, the good news is that as soon as you have acknowledged that you are suffering from compassion fatigue, you will soon find that you already have many of the tools you need to overcome the condition in your armory. One of the most important things you can do to control your compassion fatigue symptoms is learn what the triggers of the condition are for you, and slightly change your routine in order to avoid those triggers. It’s also important to ensure that you get enough rest and recuperation, so that you are not constantly placed in situations where you are expected to show endless amounts of compassion in difficult situations: taking time for yourself will not only improve your health, it will also mean that you are happier and better equipped to deal with your patients and clients when you do return to work. You need to acknowledge that your reaction to the situations you find yourself in is unhealthy, and work to find a way in which you react differently. Several suffers of compassion fatigue struggling to allow themselves to relax and unwind have reported that our wellness program was massively beneficial in helping them to overcome their condition and remain in the professions and vocations that they love.
Of course, if you are suffering from compassion fatigue, no one expects you to battle the condition alone: many individuals with the condition find talking over their situation with a therapist massively beneficial. A good therapist will also be able to help you work out what your symptom triggers are and help you to find the best tools possible to deal with them. They will also work with you to realize that your reacts are exaggerated and that it is not your responsibility to take on the problems of others: something that many sufferers of compassion fatigue struggle to process.
Overcoming compassion fatigue won’t be easy: like any mental health problem, it will take time and commitment to both acknowledge that you have a problem and then work to overcome it. However with determination and the right kind of support you can turn your life around, learn how to be happy and live for yourself again, and live a life free from compassion fatigue. This will be beneficial not only for your personal life but, in the case of many compassion fatigue suffers, for your career as well.