The effects of supporting people: burnout and compassion fatigue
Sometimes people refer to compassion fatigue as feeling burnt out or ‘burnout’. The two are slightly different.
Both burnout and compassion fatigue can happen over time. Burnout is normally specific to work cultures and practices whereas compassion fatigue is specific to caring for others who are experiencing trauma or emotionally challenging conditions[31] (often experienced by those within the LGBTI community). Burnout can increase someone’s risk of compassion fatigue and compassion fatigue may include burnout and/or secondary traumatic stress.[32]
Understanding the differences and similarities between compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout can better equip us to take care of ourselves and be at our best to be able to help others should we choose to.[34]
Burnout
Burnout often has three main aspects:
- emotional exhaustion (feeling very tired and worn out)
- depersonalisation or cynicism (feeling numb or jaded)
- feelings of ineffectiveness (feeling useless)
Compassion fatigue
Compassion fatigue is a type of stress that comes from helping others, or from wanting to help others and being unable to. Compassion fatigue can happen quite suddenly.
‘Compassion fatigue is the decreasing ability to help due to being unable to distance ourselves from the emotions, the pain of others.’[35]
Compassion fatigue often affects caregivers, professionals who provide support, or people who work in healing and helping/support professions; but it can also affect those who support others in their day-to-day lives outside of a professional capacity. Within the LGBTI community, we often seek to support one another where support is not available elsewhere. With so many members of our community experiencing poor mental health and wellbeing, and with many of us having poor experiences when accessing services for support, it is easy to see why we turn to each other.
When we speak to others within the community who may be suffering, we tend to take a little bit of that upon ourselves and carry it with us. Carrying too much can damage our mental health, preventing us from being our best selves and being able or willing to support others.
You can get help for compassion fatigue and there are things you can do to help yourself. It helps to talk to others and to learn more about it and how it might be affecting you. It is essential to make sure that you are taking care of yourself as best you can, getting the best sleep you can, eating as well as you can, and exercising or getting out and about if you can.
Common symptoms of compassion fatigue include chronic physical and emotional exhaustion, irritability, feelings of self-contempt, and difficulty sleeping. If you are feeling any of these things, speak to your GP.
The following ‘reality statement’ comes from a book dedicated to compassion fatigue, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress. It is perhaps a good statement to think about when considering our own self-care and the experiences of others, as well as how we can help:
“We all experience stress, but we experience it differently. This is why what works for me may not work for you. In fact, not knowing what that subjective experience of stress is like for you, what I might suggest you need to do to relieve yourself of that stress may be of no help whatsoever or make it worse rather than better”. [36]
Acknowledging this reality is important. It will keep us grounded, empathetic and aware that what we say and do affects others. This statement also highlights that we are all different and experience life, and poor mental health, in unique ways. It reminds us that we should signpost people to organisations with professional experience should we feel out of our depth, or if we feel someone else may be better equipped to help. This should never prevent us from being able to listen and make space for others.
Footnotes
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- Steele, W. (2020) ‘Reducing Compassion Fatigue, Secondary Traumatic Stress and Burnout: A Trauma Sensitive Workbook’. Routledge: New York: xv. (Return to reference [31])
- Steele, W. (2020) ‘Reducing Compassion Fatigue, Secondary Traumatic Stress and Burnout: A Trauma Sensitive Workbook’. Routledge: New York: xv. 8-9 (Return to reference [32])
- Steele, W. (2020) ‘Reducing Compassion Fatigue, Secondary Traumatic Stress and Burnout: A Trauma Sensitive Workbook’. Routledge: New York: xv. 8-9 (Return to reference [33])
- Steele, W. (2020) ‘Reducing Compassion Fatigue, Secondary Traumatic Stress and Burnout: A Trauma Sensitive Workbook’. Routledge: New York: xv. 8-9 (Return to reference [34])
- Steele, W. (2020) ‘Reducing Compassion Fatigue, Secondary Traumatic Stress and Burnout: A Trauma Sensitive Workbook’. Routledge: New York: xv. 8-9 (Return to reference [35])
- Steele, W. (2020) ‘Reducing Compassion Fatigue, Secondary Traumatic Stress and Burnout: A Trauma Sensitive Workbook’. Routledge: New York: xv. 8-9 (Return to reference [36])
