Article below is cited
from Percensys CORE Learning, Mental Health Service blog, May 19, 2016. (*Permission
for blog sharing obtained from Percensys CORE Learning blog, for this purpose
only.)
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Many workers in “helping” professions
experience compassion fatigue. It is not something to take lightly or to feel
guilty about. Greater awareness and development of effective coping techniques
can significantly reduce the impact of compassion fatigue.
Compassion fatigue among mental
health professionals occurs when caring for and working with individuals in
emotional distress and/or dire environmental conditions takes its toll on the
professional. The effects are often described as a loss of empathy, decreased
effectiveness at work, loss of interest in career as well as physical and
emotional exhaustion. These symptoms can even extend outside of the work
environment to impact social and personal life. Some professionals may
experience compassion fatigue so profoundly that it can evolve into depression
or other stress, trauma or anxiety related issues.
Two of the most important strategies
professionals can use to combat compassion fatigue is to be aware and engage in
self-care. Many professionals slowly develop symptoms of compassion fatigue and
eventually become overwhelmed without realizing how it has happened. Awareness
means being able to acknowledge and explore thoughts and emotions like
prolonged sadness, increased irritability, difficulty empathizing and periods
of apathy. Professional should be aware of physical symptoms that may also
occur. These may include a weakened immune system, insomnia, stomach problems,
etc. Professionals often brush these symptoms off as minor or simply “part of
the job,” but it is important to recognize and work through these issues to
prevent compassion fatigue. If a professional is suddenly feeling apathetic to
his work and is no longer compassionate toward his clients he should explore
what might be causing this. Is he overwhelmed by his caseload? Did an
experience with a client bring up memories or emotions related to his personal
life that he has struggled to deal with? In addition to acknowledging feelings,
being aware of triggers that may cause the professional to feel negative
emotions is important. Maybe a professional has difficulty talking with a child
about abuse because he is still working through personal issues related to past
experiences.
Self-care is an important coping
strategy that professionals should use to manage or prevent compassion fatigue.
Mental health professionals are often so selfless that they forget to take care
of themselves. Drawing a hardline between work and personal life can be an
effective way of reducing burnout. If a professional spends too much time
worrying about work related issues his personal life and health are destined to
suffer. After all that mental health professionals do to help others they
should not feel guilty about taking time to care for themselves. Effective
self-care techniques include taking time focus on relaxing hobbies like
reading, getting a massage, going for a walk, working out, golfing, gardening,
etc. In addition to keeping work and personal life separate, professionals
should strive to engage in one non-work related hobby per day.
Self-care also means being open with
supervisors about symptoms of compassion fatigue that may be impacting the
professional’s overall life. Instead of feeling shame the professional should
feel comfortable expressing his concerns to co-workers and supervisors.
Creating an organizational atmosphere that welcomes openness and discussion of
the common issues related to compassion fatigue allows professionals to
effectively address the problems they are experiencing. Engaging in self-care
may also mean taking vacation days (many mental health professionals forget
what these are) or even simply taking some personal mental health days.
Organizations that openly address compassion fatigue by working with their
professionals to develop coping and self-management strategies prove to be more
effective in retaining staff and delivering services. Percensys CORE Learning blog
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