I was talking to a friend last night who was talking about burnout in the medical field. He was telling me about a conference that he went to for physicians but was more interested in the burnout seminars than the medical seminars. My friend said that the speaker made a lot of sense about burnout but he had never heard of it before and he has been in the medical field for 15 years.
Compassion fatigue (aka Burnout) is defined by Dr. Charles Figley as “a state experienced by those helping people or animals in distress; it is an extreme state of tension and preoccupation with the suffering of those being helped to the degree that it can create a secondary traumatic stress for the helper.” People who are exhibiting compassion fatigue will display a wide range of signs which includes destructive behaviors, apathy, isolation, and substance use to manage the stress.
As someone who has been in the helping field for over 20 years, I have suffered from compassion fatigue. In one severe bout of compassion fatigue, I was exhibiting all the signs above but I didn’t know what to call it or how to handle it. I would drink to self medicate the anxiety and emptiness. I loved the people I worked with but I could not muster the compassion to care for their well-being. My director, who was 4 states away, began to micromanage every little thing. I was to the point that I had nothing left to give to anyone. My primary care physician put me out on short term disability to recuperate and build myself back up. It was a long road, a very long road. I had to learn to take care of myself and do things that renewed my soul every day. This does not spa days every day (even though that would be just fine with me) but the small things that would bring me moments of peace and contentment. Oddly enough the things that bring me peace and contentment are cleaning, painting (walls or canvas), sculpting clay, cooking, singing along with music… etc. If you noticed I said peace and contentment not happiness. Peace and contentment breed happiness over time but it all starts with peace and contentment.
Avoiding compassion fatigue is hard in the helping fields but if you take time to find the simple things that bring you peace and contentment, it is possible to avoid it. Every day do something that brings peace to your heart. Implement self-care practices which can be something as simple as a hot bath or sitting on a porch drinking a cup of coffee watching the sunrise. Take time to figure out what simple acts bring you the peace and contentment you need and deserve. If you need help or you are fighting compassion fatigue, ask for help. Live your best life now!
Yours in the journey,
Amanda
My Balanced Life Coaching 