At the end of my Compassion Fatigue workshops I give participants a feedback form to fill out, you know…….what did they like, what could be better, what is their biggest take away.
On numerous occasions I have received the feedback that being able to differentiate between burnout, vicarious trauma and Compassion Fatigue was quite helpful. Having language for one’s experience fosters awareness and we need awareness in order to create change. Often Compassion Fatigue is confused with Burnout and I think it’s important that Helping Professionals understand the difference….. so here it is!
Compassion Fatigue: Compassion Fatigue (CF) is when someone who regularly hears/witnesses very difficult and traumatic stories begins to lose their ability to feel empathy for their clients, loved ones and co-workers. This deep physical and emotional exhaustion has been described as “having nothing left to give” and “an occupational hazard”. Compassion Fatigue can show as a variety of symptoms presenting either behaviourally, emotionally, relationally, physically and spiritually. Sometimes CF is misdiagnosed as depression.
Compassion Fatigue is developed because of the helper’s strong ability to care for their clients in the first place. It is the most caring individuals who are most likely to develop CF. The best helping professionals are able to connect with their clients because of their strong ability to empathize with them. It is this gift of empathy that can also lead them to develop CF. By learning about CF and developing ways to manage it, these helpers can continue to do the work they love, and are good at, while still being able to thrive personally. Simply leaving one helping job and moving into another will not reduce one’s CF.
Vicarious Trauma: When a person is continuously exposed to other people’s traumatic experiences through witnessing and/or hearing others’ stories, vicarious trauma can be experienced. Vicarious trauma (VT) means that you have not been the direct victim of a trauma, but you have experienced it second hand through your client’s stories and may be experiencing post traumatic stress symptoms similar to the person who experienced it. This can include intrusive imagery (images of trauma popping into your head) dreaming about the traumatic situation or avoiding certain activities and so on.
Ongoing vicarious trauma can result in a shift in the helper’s world view and sense of meaning, for example, someone who may regularly feel safe can begin to doubt their safety if they work with victims of crime and hear numerous stories of crimes and trauma. If a helper has a previous history of trauma (and many have as more than 70% of the population has experienced one or more event significant enough to be traumatic) that is unresolved, then you are more likely to experience VT.
Burnout: Burnout is the extreme end of Compassion Fatigue. Both compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma can lead to burnout. It means that symptoms have been happening on a regular basis for a long time and longer term support will likely be necessary to recover.
In extreme cases, burnout can lead to serious physical and mental illness.
How does knowing the difference help you? Can you relate to the different experiences? I’d love to know. Leave a comment below!
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