Compassion fatigue is a very common phenomenon. The presence of various problems and difficulties in today’s world can lead to emotional overload. Constant exposure to tragic stories, evil and injustice can be very exhausting and lead to compassion fatigue from others’ suffering. Find out what the characteristics of compassion fatigue are and what symptoms it involves, who it affects most often, and what can be done to guard against it?
Compassion fatigue, when empathy wears us down
Most of us would agree that being empathetic is a noble and desirable trait. Unfortunately, sometimes a person driven by compassion sacrifices all mental resources to help others. She also begins to experience other people’s suffering as strongly as if it were affecting her directly.
Overburdening compassion leads to a condition known as compassion fatigue. Although not yet a popular term in Poland, researchers have been describing this phenomenon for more than thirty years.
Compassion fatigue ( compassion fatigue) refers to a condition in which a person experiencing frequent stressful situations involving the suffering of others experiences a gradual decrease in empathy and emotional withdrawal. Over time, these individuals may find it difficult to establish interpersonal relationships, continue to provide help, and experience symptoms of burnout.
The ability to feel. What is compassion ?
Compassion is an emotional response to the suffering of others, usually associated with a desire to alleviate their pain or stress. Compassion can be described as an emotional response to someone’s suffering. We begin to stand in solidarity with a person or group and lament the state they are in. Seeing that she is experiencing something bad, we tend to look for solutions and take action. We want to bring help and see tangible results.
Compassion is usually motivated by the intention to help, and can be expressed through support, empathetic listening, concern or consolation. Compassion is an important part of interpersonal relationships because it helps build connection and understanding, and it affects the well-being of both the person giving help and the recipient.
However, if the field for action is narrowed (or completely lacking), the anticipated relief does not come. The accumulated layers of good intentions within us cannot find an outlet and be put to proper use. We are then just standing by as observers – witnesses to another’s misery. Such a role is not easy for us to come to terms with. The realization that, despite our willingness, we are not contributing to improving the lot of others can begin to devastate us from the inside.
Emotional empathy vs. cognitive empathy
Emotional empathy and cognitive emp athy are two different but related aspects of the ability to empathize. Both forms are important and complement each other. Full, holistic empathy often requires both an emotional and a cognitive component.
Emotional empathy
Emotional empathy is the ability to feel the emotions that another person is experiencing.
- It involves automatic, often unconscious, “contagion” with the emotions of others.
- It is associated with the activation of so-called mirror neurons in the brain.
- It leads to empathizing with, for example, another person’s sadness, joy or stress.
Pros:
- Helps build deep emotional relationships.
- Strengthens social bonds.
- Motivates people to help others.
Minuses:
- Can lead to emotional exhaustion, especially in hypersensitive people.
- May hinder objective judgment.
Cognitive empathy
Cognitive empathy is the ability to understand another person’s perspective and point of view.
- It requires conscious mental effort.
- It is based on the ability to take the other person’s perspective.
- It involves understanding the thoughts, beliefs and intentions of others.
Pros:
- Helps in effective communication and negotiation.
- Enables better prediction of others’ behavior.
- Supports conflict resolution.
Minuses:
- By itself, it does not guarantee an emotional connection with another person.
- Can be used manipulatively (e.g., by people with psychopathic traits).
First empathizing with others, then indifference. How can one get burned out?
Empathizing with other people or animals can burn us out. At first, we don’t necessarily notice that something bad is happening – we explain it by overwork, weakened health or stress. At some point, however, we realize that our level of empathy drops dramatically, and we feel deeply exhausted and helpless.
How to explain this? Well, on a regular basis, experiencing contact with a tragedy (for example, due to the nature of our work), we sympathize all the time. It can be said that compassion constantly grows in us, but it cannot grow like this indefinitely. After crossing a dangerous level, a “cutoff” occurs. Our psyche can no longer cope with the wave of sympathy flooding in, so it defends itself from further empathizing. Indifference then appears, which is a kind of defensive reaction.
Let us now illustrate with two examples what such compassion exhaustion can look like:
Teresa works as a nurse and has daily contact with patients suffering from terminal illnesses. She knows that often the most valuable thing she can give from herself is a warm word and a smile, but these begin to feel forced. She notices that she is increasingly frustrated by the helplessness that appears whenever she enters a ward.
Aneta is a secretary. When she returns home, she watches news channels broadcasting the latest world news around the clock. Dramatic images of reports from areas of armed conflict later dream at night for her. She wonders if it’s even moral to enjoy life when there is so much evil around. She is increasingly inclined to answer “no.”
Compassion fatigue – symptoms
We already know what compassion fatigue is. But how do we know that it is the one we are dealing with? Below is a list of symptoms most often attributed to it:
- frequent feelings of anger, sadness, grief, fear,
- emotional burnout,
- deterioration of the ability to cope with stress,
- decreased levels of empathy,
- a noticeable change in attitude toward one’s patients (becoming indifferent to their condition, maintaining a greater distance),
- a sense of detachment from what is going on around them,
- feeling constant frustration and helplessness,
- remorse caused by feeling that one could have been more effectively involved in helping them,
- problems concentrating attention and performing daily duties,
- a decrease in self-efficacy and sense of effectiveness,
- isolation from other people, including immediate family, resulting in deterioration of interpersonal relationships,
- lack of feeling pleasure from activities that were previously a source of joy,
- being overwhelmed by the demands placed on oneself to help others,
- reduced ability to make decisions,
- imbalance between work and personal life,
- sleep problems, insomnia, deterioration of sleep quality, nightmares,
- feelings of mental tension, increased irritability,
- decrease in appetite and weight loss,
- abdominal pain, headaches, nausea, muscle tension.
Occupational burnout in professions that help people
It used to be that professional burnout in the “helping professions” was a badge of honor, however, for some time this perspective has begun to change, how can we help others if we feel burned out?
Compassion fatigue and professional burnout are real challenges in the helping professions, which include psychotherapists, counselors, doctors, nurses, physician assistants, social workers, hospice workers and other professionals who are part of the health care and helping professions. It is noted that the main symptoms of occupational stress are exhaustion (defined not only as a consequence of emotional, but also physical and cognitive strain) and lack of commitment to work.
Many people in these professions are so dedicated to their patients and clients, failing to adequately engage in self-care activities that would help minimize stress, calm down and soothe themselves. While helping may seem noble, these professionals often need more emotional support than most professionals in other professions, as they often container the anxiety and other difficult emotions of others.
Secondary trauma
Secondarytraumatic stress syndrome (secondary traumatic stress, secondary PTSD, compassion fatigue) is a phenomenon that involves the appearance of symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in people who have not been directly exposed to a traumatic event, but have been in contact with people who have had such an experience or are suffering from chronic stress. Secondary post-traumatic stress syndrome is common in people who work in professions that require frequent contact with the suffering of others, such as psychotherapists, social workers, doctors, nurses. Findings indicate that professionals working with people who have been directly exposed to trauma may experience symptoms typical of post-traumatic stress disorder, such as avoidance, agitation and intrusions. Secondary trauma can also occur among families of people with chronic illnesses who require ongoing care.
Compassion fatigue vs. depression
When we suffer from the negative symptoms associated with compassion fatigue, we may wonder, is it depression? We end up becoming apathetic and withdrawn from daily activities. We also find it difficult to see meaning in what we do, and everything that not long ago gave us wings now seems worthless. Compassion fatigue and depression are two different emotional states, although some of their symptoms may overlap.
Compassion fatigue is a condition that occurs in people who often become emotionally involved in other people’s problems. This fatigue is the result of prolonged exposure to the stress of working with people who often experience difficult situations. Symptoms of compassion fatigue can include fatigue, apathy, lack of energy, irritability and trouble concentrating.
Depression, on the other hand, is a medical condition characterized by feelings of depression, sadness, hopelessness and lack of interest in life. People with depression may also experience physical symptoms such as fatigue, sleep problems, loss of appetite, and headaches.
Unlike compassion fatigue, depression can have a variety of causes, such as personal problems, traumatic events, hormonal disorders or genetic tendencies.
In the case of compassion fatigue, however, our symptoms have a specific source – empathy burnout. The emotional, cognitive and behavioral sequelae we face are the result of compassion overload. And it is dealing with this overload that becomes crucial in combating our malaise.
Compassion fatigue in psychologists and psychotherapists
Compassion fatigue is a particularly important issue among psychologists, therapists who often work with people experiencing emotional and mental difficulties. In the course of therapy, psychologists are often confronted with the emotional burdens of their patients, and experience the stress of managing their own emotions and boundaries. Prolonged exposure to such situations can lead to the phenomenon of compassion fatigue, which affects a psychologist’s work efficiency and well-being. To prevent this, psychologists need to take care of their own well-being, seek support from colleagues and employ self-help strategies such as regular rest, meditation practices and developing interests outside of work.
Who is particularly susceptible to experiencing compassion fatigue?
When Charles Figley introduced the concept of compassion fatigue in 1992, he referred to it only to a narrow group of helping professions – such as nurses, firefighters and social workers. Over the years, however, the list has been expanded, as it has been noted that those prone to the same negative symptoms are:
- health care workers and uniformed services,
- employees of social welfare centers,
- psychologists, psychotherapists,
- journalists, reporters,
- veterinarians,
- teachers,
Does this mean that only by taking up the jobs listed above is there a chance of being affected by compassion fatigue? It turns out not. We now know that the condition described can be occupational, but it doesn’t have to be at all. After all, it’s common for us to focus on caring for others, even though our careers touch on completely different areas. We take care of aging parents, raise children, care for those with whom we have formed a deep bond. Maybe we visit an ailing neighbor every day, to whom we do the shopping, or maybe we care for a partner, complaining recently of general weakness. So, as you can see, empathy burnout should not be linked only to work. It’s worthwhile for us to be aware that when we give compassion and care to another person, we can also experience overload.
Personality is not irrelevant here. High conscientiousness, high levels of empathy, emotional intelligence and also excessive generosity and perfectionism push us towards the abyss of compassion fatigue. Why? The aforementioned traits translate into the need to strictly control what is going on around us. Encountering a “no-go situation” in this case means the emergence of frustration. We are then more predisposed to stop dealing with the compassion we feel, and should therefore take special care of ourselves.
“Misfortune again!” – compassion fatigue vs. media
The occurrence of compassion fatigue is not always related to the fact that there are specific people in our lives whom we have come to care for. We can become overburdened not only by caring about what happens at work or in the immediate environment. Now we can see even more. With the help of technological developments, we are able to gather detailed data on any subject practically effortlessly. And while this undoubtedly has many advantages, it also carries risks. Including those to psychological well-being.
Never before has information about someone else’s misfortune reached us on such a large scale. Television newscasts, radio stations, online portals, social media. In all these places we come across heartbreaking stories. We have to do practically nothing to get them – just reach for the remote control or make a few clicks. Screaming headlines and drastic photos linger in the memory long after the screen is turned off. That’s how modern media works – because it’s the only way to effectively grab the audience’s attention.
A virtually endless (and ever lengthening) list of tragedies deserves our sympathy. We sympathize with the victims of the earthquakes in Turkey, repressed Afghans, entrepreneurs closing premises due to inflation, homeless animals. The word “Ukraine” also catches our eye – we follow with bated breath how our neighbors are repelling the Russian invasion. With horror, we watch excerpts from conflict sites, crying children and distraught mothers. But we already know that too much emotional involvement comes at a huge psychological cost for us.
How to deal with compassion fatigue?
If you have a lot of empathy and understanding, you may belong to the group of people exposed to this problem. Take care of yourself, after all, it is often said that it is better to prevent in advance than to treat later.
Have compassion… for yourself
In the flurry of events happening around us, we often forget about ourselves. We become preoccupied with the fate of loved ones and despair over the tragedy of distant countries, without looking at how much pain it causes us ourselves. It’s not a bad thing to empathize, but empathy should not hurt us. Recognize your feelings, needs and desires and don’t try to suppress them. While it’s impossible to negate that many bad things happen every day, you don’t have to experience them as strongly as if they affected you personally. You will do more good when you show love and understanding to yourself. Approach yourself with understanding and accept your own limitations. Give yourself the kind of support you would give your best friend.
Focus on yourself. Start focusing on your needs and emotions. Remind yourself that your mental health is important and that you should take care of yourself. Think about what your needs are and how you can take care of them.
A milestone toward feeling better is to understand that you can’t always change things. You don’t have to, and indeed shouldn’t, blame yourself for this. The deepest remorse will not improve the situation, but only make you suffer yourself. You don’t have to become a martyr to your own empathy!
Set limits to your empathy
Limit, in some situations, your empathy. Take a look at the situations in which you often feel empathy flooding in. Set boundaries for yourself to separate yourself from other people’s emotions, especially in situations where you have no control.
Learn to say “no.” Allow yourself to say no when you feel you no longer have the strength or time to help someone else. There is nothing wrong with this, and saying no can be mutually beneficial.
Ask questions before you act to help others, try to understand them better. Ask questions that will help you understand what the other person wants to achieve and what their needs are.
Put yourself in offline mode
In today’s world, we no longer have to work in a particular profession to learn about the injustices and human misfortune being done on a daily basis. We don’t even have to leave the house.
The biggest echo on the Internet is that which arouses sadness, anger and anxiety. Every second there are hundreds of new posts, and among them a huge number of news about conflicts, disasters and tragedies. If you notice that you spend a lot of time checking the latest news, consider how it affects you. Ask yourself questions:
- Does what I read, watch and listen to affect my mood? How does it affect me?
- Do I need all this information? Are there too many of them? What happens if I don’t have them?
You may come to the conclusion that it’s useful to set digital boundaries and reduce the amount of time you spend on social media. Imposing such a restriction will greatly relieve the pressure on your head and minimize the number of new annoyances. You will feel the difference, especially if you previously had unlimited access to them.
Find a moment to relax
Allocate the time you save by limiting online activity to yourself. Even a seemingly minor activity can improve your mood, and turned into a habit will really do a lot. Every day, try to take a few deep breaths and engage in something that relaxes you. Whether it’s taking a walk and communing with greenery, reading a book, crocheting or meditating, it’s sure to work great and improve your overall mood.
Finding time for yourself is a sign of caring for your own needs. It helps you get away from your responsibilities, daily problems and rambling thoughts. It unloads accumulated tension, refreshes your mind and energizes you. So plan your day so as to set aside, at least a few minutes, and you will certainly notice positive results quickly.
Apply for psychological support
You are not always able to deal with what ails you on your own. Sometimes you’ll find that the regular support you receive during therapy sessions is the most effective way to finally take the pressure off. This is especially true if the problem has already grown in strength. Failure to take any steps will not only not improve your condition, but can lead to a number of consequences, such as professional burnout and problems in personal relationships. Deciding on psychotherapy is the first step on the path to recovery and ridding yourself of overwhelm from your daily life. Make an appointment – psychotherapy online.
The psychologist, psychotherapist selects the range of activities so that they are tailored to your individual situation. He will help you go through the process of change and get to your needs. In the therapeutic process, you will learn to recognize when you are shouldering more than you can hold. You learn to cope more and more with your daily difficulties and begin to respond more effectively to the signals sent by your body. You strive to learn to listen to yourself and adjust your actions according to your capabilities. You introduce more appropriate coping techniques, allowing you to find balance. You master ways to use empathy to a healthy extent – one that doesn’t lead to breaking down and experiencing a string of unpleasant symptoms that impede functioning. You learn methods to properly take care of yourself and avoid emotional burnout in the future.
Remember that you can’t help others if you don’t help yourself first. Put your own well-being first and turn to us for the support you deserve.