Sandy had been working as a social worker for 8 years and, despite the challenges, had always found ways to manage her stress and feel satisfied with her work. Recently, however, Sandy found herself changing. Friends and family commented that she wasn’t herself, that she looked tired and rundown and that she wasn’t smiling or laughing anymore. Sandy herself noticed she no longer enjoyed her work, questioned the purpose of her efforts and became increasingly isolated and emotionally detached from those around her. After speaking to her family doctor and being referred to a mental health professional, Sandy became aware that the long hours and the stressful nature of her work had started to take a serious toll on her wellbeing. Sandy’s experience is one which is all too common for people working in the helping professions and is a good example of what can be termed ‘compassion fatigue’.

Below are some examples of the type of work which could lead to compassion fatigue:

• working with people who have experienced trauma
• working in dangerous or high stress environments
• working with people experiencing grief or serious illness
• being abused or at risk of abuse or harm whilst working
• attending accident or crime scenes
• dealing with suicidal clients
• having to view graphic evidence or read trauma reports

Professions most likely to be at risk of compassion fatigue include members of the police force, ambulance workers, doctors, nurses, mental health professionals, care workers, social workers, charity workers and so on. Carrying out such work whilst also experiencing excessive demands, working long hours, managing a heavy caseload or working with limited resources further increases the risk of compassion fatigue.

Compassion fatigue is not just about feeling burnt out, however, although burnout is one aspect of compassion fatigue. When you work with traumatised or distressed individuals, empathy and emotional energy are essential in order to connect and respond effectively to the person you’re supporting. Over time, this can take its toll, particularly if someone else’s experience reminds you of your own or if, as is often the case, you’re unable to ‘save’ someone from their suffering. Compassion fatigue can also involve secondary or vicarious trauma, as prolonged exposure to trauma and suffering leads to the ‘helper’ also feeling the impact of trauma.

So, what signs should you look out for if you suspect you may be experiencing compassion fatigue?

• Physical symptoms such as headaches, digestive issues, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, bad/disturbing dreams.
• Anxiety – you may start to view the world as more dangerous, worry about you and your loved ones safety and become overly vigilant.
• Difficulty concentrating or being productive.
• Mood swings – you may be more irritable or quick to anger, or experience frequent or sudden changes in mood.
• Reliance on substances such as alcohol or drugs to calm down or ‘feel better’.
• Social isolation or detachment – feeling emotionally disconnected from others or numb, avoiding socialising and generally withdrawing.
• Depression – becoming cynical, negative and experiencing feelings of hopelessness.
• Emotional detachment – lacking empathy, feeling you no longer care about what you’re doing, feeling disillusioned and questioning why you’re carrying out such work.

If you’ve recognised any of the above symptoms in yourself, it’s important to know that there are things you can do to prevent the worsening of symptoms and start to feel better. Here are a few suggestions:

• Seek support – Reach out to someone you trust and/or get professional support to speak about what you’re going through.
• Find or create community support, such as a support group in the workplace, peer supervision, etc. Knowing you’re not alone, hearing others’ experiences and feeling the support of your peers is a powerful way to protect yourself from the risk of compassion fatigue.
• Create boundaries related to your working hours and workload.
• Make peace with what’s in your control and what isn’t. As difficult as it is, pain and suffering are part of the human experience and there are limitations on what you can do to alleviate others’ suffering.
• Take time for self-reflection – have you developed an exaggerated sense of responsibility, finding yourself working harder than those you’re supporting to alleviate their suffering? Do you find yourself needing to be needed? If you answered ‘yes’ to either of those questions, speaking to a psychotherapist or counsellor may be useful, allowing you to understand where this is coming from and finding a healthy balance in how you can support others.
• Practice self-compassion – be kind and patient with yourself, reminding yourself that you’re doing the best you can in the circumstances.
• Ensure you’re taking care of yourself. This means eating healthily, taking regular breaks, making time for rest and adequate sleep, exercising regularly, seeing a doctor and so on.
• Finding some balance between your personal and professional life, ensuring you make time to go out, see family and friends and do things you enjoy.

Carrying out work in which you are helping and supporting others can be highly satisfying and rewarding, and invaluable to the community in which you work. Remember, however, that you cannot pour from an empty cup and you need to be well in order to carry out your work effectively. Taking care of your wellbeing is essential if you want to continue to perform such work and thrive both personally and professionally.