Dealing With Compassion Fatigue: 4 Stages of Fatigue and How To Manage

• Compassion fatigue is an experience of an individual caring for someone going through a traumatic experience, impacting the caregiver on a physical, emotional, and mental level.
• Compassion fatigue is different from caregiver burnout, which involves large amounts of stress and dissatisfaction not necessarily linked to secondary trauma.
• Compassion fatigue isn’t uncommon—approximately 59% of caregivers experience symptoms of compassion fatigue.

Compassion fatigue is defined as the physical, emotional, and psychological impact of caring for others, particularly through times of stress or trauma. It’s also referred to as secondary traumatic stress or vicarious trauma and most commonly occurs in individuals who have high-pressure careers that deal with the physical and mental health of others, including:

• Psychiatrists
• Psychologists
• edical professionals
• Caregivers for loved ones who have experienced/​are experiencing immense trauma, including life-altering medical conditions/​illness, such as cancer or Alzheimer’s.

Difference Between Caregiver Burnout & Compassion Fatigue

The concept of compassion fatigue and caregiver burnout are sometimes mistaken for each other. However, burnout and compassion fatigue are different. Compassion fatigue is more distinctly linked to those who help and care for victims of traumatic circumstances, while burnout results from stress and overworking themselves (usually in a career/​caretaker role). However, burnout can be a symptom of compassion fatigue.

Compassion fatigue can happen for a few different reasons, such as constant empathy, lack of control, putting off self-care, and having a traumatic history.

• Endless empathy: when caring for a person who has/​is experiencing trauma, empathy is necessary to navigate the process. However, the demand for constant empathy for an individual with little to no relief can result in mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion.
• Lack of control: particularly in circumstances brought on by caregiving, the overwhelming feeling of having no control over a person’s suffering or condition can increase the possibility of compassion fatigue.
• Lack of self-care: Similar to burnout, compassion fatigue can occur when an individual doesn’t care for themselves because they serve as a caregiver—often sacrificing their own needs to help a loved one. Over time, this can result in a decline in mental and physical health and higher levels of stress for the caretaker.
• Traumatic history: If a caretaker has a personal history of related trauma (such as illness or previously experiencing a loved one go through a debilitating medical condition), this could contribute to a higher likelihood of experiencing compassion fatigue.

Compassion fatigue isn’t something that happens overnight. In fact, it’s often broken down into four stages: empathetic ability, empathetic response, compassion stress, and compassion fatigue.

1. Empathetic Ability

Empathetic ability involves the initial realization of an individual becoming aware of another person’s pain. This ability is often what draws people into caregiving roles, including for aging parents or relatives. This stage is often paired with empathetic concern which is defined as the desire to alleviate other’s pain and suffering. However, stage one usually doesn’t show signs of distress or concern.

2. Empathetic Response

An empathic response is an action-oriented stage when a person witnesses or is exposed to a person experiencing pain or trauma. This stage usually involves a person taking tangible steps to help alleviate a person’s physical or emotional pain, which can include stepping into a caregiver role for family members who need it.

3. Compassion Stress

This stage is when an individual may start to become more aware and susceptible to full-fledged compassion fatigue. During this period, they may experience feelings of stress, anxiety, or burnout.

4. Compassion Fatigue

The final stage occurs if compassion stress isn’t effectively managed or is left unchecked. Stage four is more likely to occur if a person is exposed to secondary trauma for an extended period of time, if they don’t have coping mechanisms to deal with compassion stress/​fatigue, or if they have a personal history of trauma.

Signs and Symptoms of Compassion Fatigue

Compassion fatigue signs may vary from person to person, but there are some basic symptoms to look out for, including:

• Physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion
• Struggling to feel empathy
• Feelings of depression, irritability, or frustration
• Chronic exhaustion
• Chronic anxiety, specifically surrounding the well-being of your loved one
• Feeling detached and apathetic
• Feeling emotionally numb
• Feeling helpless
• Placing blame on yourself for not preventing or solving your loved one’s trauma

Finding ways to combat compassion fatigue is essential, for both you and your loved one. It’s important to remember you aren’t alone, and there are ways of overcoming and managing compassion fatigue if you believe you’re experiencing it. Some ways to help manage can include:

• Asking for support: trying to handle everything alone, especially in a caregiver role, can be overwhelming and isolating. Asking for support from other loved ones or finding a support group to connect with can help you navigate your feelings and help ease some of your responsibilities.
• Taking time for self-care: While you may feel a strong obligation to prioritize your loved one’s needs over your own, doing this long-term can only extend your feelings of compassion fatigue. Taking time to rest, caring for your personal needs, and taking breaks from caregiving can go a long way.
• Setting boundaries: This can be difficult in practice, but setting and keeping boundaries for yourself can help ease your compassion fatigue and make it maneagable. Some examples of boundaries you may set can include taking certain amounts of time away, keeping space between your caregiving role and the rest of your life, and taking care of yourself.
• Allowing self-compassion: Alongside other emotions, you may feel guilt or shame for experiencing compassion fatigue at times. However, developing compassion fatigue can happen to anyone. Remembering you are human and can only handle so much is important when navigating through this experience.

It’s not uncommon to feel compassion fatigue, especially if you are in a caregiving role long-term. However, there are some tips to keep in mind that can help lessen the likelihood of experiencing it, including:

• Leaning on support: This can be in the form of asking family members for help, finding and connecting with a caregiver support group, or even talking to a therapist about your feelings. Knowing you have support and a safe place to express your emotions can help alleviate some of your stress.
• Taking care of yourself: Ensuring that all of your needs—physical, mental, and emotional—are consistently met is a great way to avoid compassion fatigue. Staying physically active, getting enough sleep, not repressing your emotions, and sticking to a consistent routine are all ways you can keep yourself in a good place.
• Know when to take breaks: Caregivers in particular can struggle with taking time away or taking breaks from caring for their loved one, but it is an effective and essential way to ensure compassion fatigue doesn’t overtake your life. Setting up other caregiving options, such as relying on other family members or hiring a home health aide, can allow your loved one to be cared for without sacrificing your well-being.

If you feel you are struggling with compassion fatigue, there are resources that can help.

National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR)

The NFCR has resources for those caring for a family member diagnosed with cancer, including tips for caring for certain types of cancers, avoiding caregiver burnout, and finding support groups with others in similar situations.

To learn more, visit this source here.

National Institute on Aging

The National Institute on Aging includes resources aimed at caregivers of older relatives and loved ones. Resources include ways to find support groups, tips on care for aging parents or relatives, and how to share caregiving responsibilities with others.

To learn more, visit this source here.

Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project

The Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project was developed to ​“promote an awareness and understanding of compassion fatigue and its effect on caregivers.” Their website includes resources such as reading materials and lists of organizations to help caregivers receive support compassion fatigue.

To learn more, visit this source here.

What are some signs of compassion fatigue?

Some signs of compassion fatigue include struggling to feel empathy or sympathy, complete emotional and mental exhaustion, and feelings of numbness or being disconnected.

Is compassion fatigue the same as PTSD?

No, the two are different—notably PTSD is often caused by primary trauma, whereas compassion fatigue is caused by secondary trauma.

Is compassion fatigue the same thing as burnout?

Compassion fatigue and burnout have differences. Compassion fatigue is often a result of caring for a person dealing heavily with some form of trauma, whereas burnout is often brought on by overworking themselves (usually for job-oriented reasons). The two can go hand-in-hand and often are comorbid conditions, but they are distinctly different.

Are there long-term effects of compassion fatigue?

Some long-term effects that can arise from prolonged compassion fatigue include increased risk for cardiovascular disease, higher risks for obesity and diabetes, and even potential mental and physical health problems.