Caregiving, whilst incredibly rewarding and fulfilling, can at times be extremely emotionally demanding.
When it becomes too much, caregivers can experience physical and emotional exhaustion and a weakened sense of empathy for the suffering of others.
What is Compassion Fatigue?
The term compassion fatigue was first introduced by Charles Figley in the 1980s to describe the physical, emotional, and psychological impact of helping other people who are suffering from the consequences of traumatic events.
In 2002, Figley expanded upon this definition, describing compassion fatigue as “the costs of caring, empathy, and emotional investment in helping the suffering”.
As care professionals, we are at particular risk of suffering from compassion fatigue. After all, the very nature of our role involves having empathy for and being deeply compassionate towards the trauma experienced by the children and young people in our care.
Spotting the Signs of Compassion Fatigue
Knowing the common signs that one might be experiencing compassion fatigue means that we are able to self-monitor and take appropriate steps to manage it.
Sometimes, it can be difficult to recognise the signs in ourselves, so it is also important that we look out for these signs in each other and support one another accordingly.
Some common signs that someone might be experiencing compassion fatigue include:
- Exhaustion: feeling physically and/or emotionally fatigued.
- Reduced feelings of empathy/ finding it more difficult than usual to empathise with children and young people.
- Feelings of irritability, anger or anxiety.
Diminished sense of fulfilment. - Difficulty sleeping, insomnia and/or sleep disturbances (such as nightmares).
- Changes in appetite.
- Physical pain or discomfort, e.g. headaches or nausea.
- Feeling helpless or powerless to help.
- Neglecting self-care.
- Difficulty concentrating and making decisions.
- Being emotionally ‘switched off’/ detached or feeling numb.
- Reduced tolerance or stress and/or feeling overwhelmed.
‘Blocked Care’
One key indicator that we might be experiencing compassion fatigue is a reduced capacity to sustain caring and empathic feelings towards the children and young people we support and look after. This is also known as ‘blocked care’.
When we emotionally connect with children and young people, happy hormones are released. We want to be around them; we experience joy, fulfilment, and a sense of achievement.
However, caring for young people who have difficulty trusting can also be incredibly challenging at times.
We can often make attempts to connect with a young person who repeatedly pushes us away.
As a result, less happy hormones are released, and we might feel like anything we do isn’t good enough. Over time, this can lead to prolonged stress.
This can present particular challenges when supporting children and young people because it can impact how we feel and behave towards those we care for.
We can become emotionally detached and disengaged from the children and young people we look after, which can be perceived as us being uncaring.
This can lead to our children and young people experiencing feelings of rejection or abandonment – creating a negative spiral of disrupted attachment.
Other Negative Side Effects or Consequences of Compassion Fatigue
- The effects of compassion fatigue extend far beyond the individual and the young person they care for. It can impact personal and professional relationships, work performance, and overall well-being.
- Compassion fatigue can lead to difficulty concentrating, exhaustion, irritability and/or sleep disturbances, all of which can lead to difficulties functioning effectively at work. This may lead to increased mistakes or oversight on critical tasks or situations.
- Compassion fatigue can create distance in one’s personal relationships, which can increase feelings of isolation.
- Prolonged compassion fatigue can have a negative long-term impact on one’s psychological well-being. It can contribute to depression, anxiety and other mental health issues.
- Compassion fatigue can lead to a decline in one’s physical health and may manifest in a number of ways, including gastrointestinal issues, pain, or weakened immune functioning.
How to Get Help
Addressing compassion fatigue is essential for maintaining both mental and physical well-being. The following steps can help:
1. Recognise and Acknowledge:
Recognising, acknowledging and validating that you are experiencing signs of compassion fatigue is an important first step.
2. Utilise Specialist Psychological Support:
Working with professionals who understand and can effectively support compassion fatigue can help to validate your experience and provide useful strategies to cope that are carefully tailored to your unique experience.
At Meadows Psychology Service, we recognise that carers undertake a difficult and emotionally demanding role. We provide a range of specialist, psychologically informed services for carers of children and young people who work across a range of settings.
We also have a range of in-depth training courses and additional resources on a range of topics including compassion fatigue and self-care for carers.
3. Prioritise Self Care:
Just like our young people need nurture and care, we need to ensure we are caring for ourselves and accessing support from others when needed, too.
A safe space (e.g., in supervision, psychological consultation or 1:1 support with a therapist) to speak freely about what we are experiencing and how we feel can help us to regulate ourselves and help us to build a compassion understanding of a child’s defensive behaviours.
There is often a myth that self-care is easy, and that it comes naturally to us. However, self-care is something which requires conscious effort, self-awareness and a good level of insight into our own needs.
It is about finding and making time for the activities, routines, practices, and connections which help us to achieve and maintain optimal wellbeing, in addition to that which provides us with safety and containment in times of stress and uncertainty.
4. Prioritise Compassion:
If we experience challenging behaviour, it is understandable that we can struggle to empathise with our young people.
However, it is really important that we are still caring towards them, so that they do not feel rejected, as this can reinforce their negative beliefs about themselves.
When we experience challenging behaviour, we can struggle to use empathy, but we can use compassion!
Compassion involves consciously thinking about the young person’s story and why they are presenting in the way they are. Making sense of the young person’s behaviour in this way can help us to regulate ourselves.
5. Prioritise Practising and Developing Self-Compassion:
Quite often, we can be critical towards ourselves. Practising self-compassion can help us to honour our human experience without judgement.
It is the little voice that says, “it is understandable that I feel exhausted” and “I should rest, I’ve had a tough week”.
When we develop self-compassion, we see just how vital self-care is in our day to day lives. We are more likely to develop a routine which allows us to keep replenishing our emotional cup, because we believe it is important in order for us to be our best and most fulfilled selves.
An exercise for practising self-compassion:
A. Put someone you care deeply about in your position (a friend, sibling, spouse, or even a pet!) and ask yourself: How would I speak to them if they were in this situation? What would I expect from them? What would I say to them?
B. Then, come back to yourself and ask: Can I have the same compassion for myself that I just had for them?
C. If you are finding it difficult to have the same compassion for yourself that you did for your chosen person, be curious about why – what makes your human experience undeserving of the same level of compassion?
D. Practice giving yourself the same compassion you give to others every day.
6. Seek Peer Support:
Seeking support from other carers who understand the emotional challenges of your role and sharing experiences can help validate your experiences and alleviate feelings of isolation.
7. Mindfulness and Stress Management Techniques:
Techniques such as medication, deep breathing or mindfulness exercises can help to mange stress levels and promote emotional resilience.
It is important that we practice these skills regularly, even when we feel well, in order for them to be most effective in times of distress.
Below is a really simple exercise that may be helpful for those who are new to mindfulness:
A. Set aside some time. You don’t need any special equipment to access your mindfulness skills — just time and space.
B. Observe the present moment as it is. The goal is to pay attention to the present moment without judgment.
C. Let your judgments roll by. When you notice judgments arise, make a mental note of them and then let them pass.
D. Return to observing the present moment. Our minds often get carried away in thought. That is ok. Just acknowledge it has wandered and bring it gently back to the present moment.
Don’t judge yourself for whatever thoughts crop up. Just practice recognising when your mind has wandered off and gently bring it back.
Conclusion
Compassion fatigue is an important issue that can significantly impact anyone in a caring role.
Compassion fatigue not only impacts the individual, but it can also have a significant impact on the young person/people they are for, as well as others around them.
It is important that carers understand and recognise the signs that they or someone they know might be experiencing compassion fatigue.
By actively seeking help and employing self-care strategies, we can mitigate the effects of compassion fatigue.If you would like further information, support, training or resources from our specialist psychology team, please do not hesitate to contact Meadows Psychology Service today.
