{"id":21166,"date":"2020-07-07T09:55:57","date_gmt":"2020-07-07T16:55:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greaternw.org\/news\/?p=21166"},"modified":"2020-07-07T09:58:45","modified_gmt":"2020-07-07T16:58:45","slug":"compassion-fatigue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greaternw.org\/news\/compassion-fatigue\/","title":{"rendered":"Compassion Fatigue"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Rev. Joy Martin<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Imagine my surprise when an accomplished organizational development author and speaker once told me, \u201cYour problem is that you care too much.\u201d I had just told him about the number of problems people were sharing with me and of their feelings of justified anger, hopelessness, pain or lack of purpose. At the time I did not believe I was able to hold and companion one more person so helpless. However, I actually did care about the people I was serving and wanted to walk with them through their struggles to find some light of hope again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I can now label this experience as \u201ccompassion fatigue.\u201d Instead of being open, compassionate and fully present to those I walked with, I was withdrawing into myself and looking outward for causes, instead of inward for solutions. My compassion \u201creserves\u201d were low, while I felt over-burdened with the impacts of trauma I heard about on a regular basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sooner or later anyone who truly cares about reducing the suffering in our world must reach out to listen to and understand the pain, lost hopes, and threats to another\u2019s well-being. There seems to be a tipping point when the hardships and trauma we hear outweigh the amount of compassion we have to share. At these times, we are likely to experience compassion fatigue. It is necessary to develop the skills to recognize this and to respond in ways that serve both ourselves and the ones we are companioning, so that all are restored to a state of wellness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Compassion fatigue is sometimes known as secondary trauma, vicarious trauma or even burn-out. It is a gradual and progressive reduction in an individual\u2019s capacity to extend empathy and compassion to those struggling with some traumatic event.  The result is that we distance ourselves, placing an invisible cloak of detachment and indifference around us in order to preserve our own ability to survive the traumas we experience second-hand. As listeners, observers and witnesses to trauma, we may experience a sense of powerlessness, hopelessness, lack of joy or creativity, and possibly feelings of anger or exhaustion.  All our compassion reserves are \u201cdried up,\u201d leaving nothing to give to ourselves or to others. We may even question our ability to continue in our professional endeavors. At a minimum, we need a \u201ctime out\u201d that may only give us a small boost to finish our day. Even better, we can view this as an opportunity to grow our capacity for compassion and to be refreshed and renewed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a number of things I have learned about myself since I was told that I \u201ccare too much.\u201d Here are some of my highlights:<\/p>\n\n\n\n