| This one is for all those folks who are in what is | | | | Overwork or avoidance of work.o A sense of |
| called "the helping professions." Although I am sure | | | | futility about your work. "It doesn't really |
| I will leave someone out, and my apologies in | | | | matter."o Anxiety and depression.o A feeling of |
| advance, this list includes teachers, doctors, | | | | weariness about what you do. |
| nurses, guidance counselors, therapists, | | | | What you can do about it |
| psychologists speech pathologists, and emergency | | | | Here's a partial list, from Figley and myself, on |
| personnel. | | | | what to do about this special kind of stress.o Be |
| This category simply includes any profession in | | | | gentle with yourself and take good care of |
| which caring for others is part of the job. | | | | yourself.o Remind yourself about, and talk about, |
| Whiloe all jobss can be stressful at times, there is | | | | your successes. This can help provide the proper |
| a special kind of stress that affects those in the | | | | perspective.o Re-evaluate your expectations and |
| helping professions. Simply stated, there is an | | | | signs of success.o Remind yourself why you |
| emotional cost to caring. There is a certain | | | | chose this profession in the first place. Recall the |
| weariness that all of us struggle with from time | | | | passion and commitment it took to get where |
| to time. | | | | you are now.o Set proper limits to separate |
| The feeling I'm talking about was once called | | | | home and work issues.o Exercise regularly.o |
| burnout. In recent years, Charles Figley, director | | | | Consider the possibility of getting out. As |
| of the Psychosocial Stress Research and | | | | someone once said, "If it's hurting you, it can't |
| Development Program at Florida State University, | | | | possibly be helping someone else." If you can't get |
| has coined the term "compassion fatigue." | | | | past the hurt, it may be time to move on.o |
| This concept seems to capture more clearly what | | | | Spend time with supportive people.o As much as |
| people in the helping professions can sometimes | | | | possible, vary and expand what you do. |
| experience. | | | | I guess the bottom line is that while you are |
| According to Figley, "Compassion stress is the | | | | taking care of others, it's crucial to remember to |
| discomfort and preoccupation with clients or | | | | take care of yourself. |
| customers who are stricken bysuffering or | | | | And I'll close with this story: A man is walking on |
| misfortune. And `compassion fatigue,' a form of | | | | the beach one day and notices thousands of |
| burnout, is the inability to function effectively as a | | | | starfish being washed ashore. Against |
| result of being overwhelmed by compassion | | | | overwhelming odds, he begins throwing them |
| stress." | | | | back in. |
| Or as one colleague aptly put it, "I've got the | | | | A stranger walks up and says, "Why are you |
| fatigue; I just don't have the compassion right | | | | doing this? You'll never get all these back in the |
| now." | | | | water; you're wasting your time. What does it |
| Signs and symptoms of compassion fatigueo | | | | matter anyway?" |
| Preoccupation with work. You just can't stop | | | | The man picks up another starfish, throws it back |
| thinking or talking about it.o Sleep difficulties.o | | | | into the water and replies, "It matters to this one. |