A Self Care Plan to Prevent Compassion Fatigue
A Plan For Self-Care Against Compassion Fatigue
Brian Murrison
University of Kansas
Introduction
Working in the helping field has its many joys and privileges. Seeing a child, whose self esteem is at the bottom, light up when he/she accomplishes a new task, see the growth an alcohol and drug addict has made in treatment, or to see the family, that when they entered the door of your office, was on the verge of separation, but now are communicating and working out their own needs with little assistance from you, their therapist, is some of the most rewarding moments one can experience. However, to believe that life is all about these positive moments and that the battles you join in with others to overcome will not have an impact on you as a person, is wishful thinking at best. Undoubtedly, the day will come when we experience some form negative impact on our own mental health. That is, unless, proper self-care is practiced on an ongoing basis.
Those in the helping field are at a great risk of what has been termed “compassion fatigue.” On a continuum with burnout, compassion fatigue is a step over and both “burnout and compassion fatigue puts both the health care workers and their patients at risk” (Portnoy, 2011, p. 47). What follows is an outline of what compassion fatigue is, along with common signs, symptoms and risk factors. Following that is a self-assessment of personal risk factors and a self-care plan designed to assist in assuring that the risk of compassion fatigue is reduced in my professional career.
Understanding Compassion Fatigue
Compassion fatigue falls on a continuum of experiences associated with burnout and "secondary traumatization"(Figley, 1995). Unfortunately, many people make the assumption that they are the same thing. However burnout, secondary trauma, and compassion fatigue are not exactly the same things. And those that seek to understand the risks associated with each will learn that there are differences.
When an individual
Brian Murrison
University of Kansas
Introduction
Working in the helping field has its many joys and privileges. Seeing a child, whose self esteem is at the bottom, light up when he/she accomplishes a new task, see the growth an alcohol and drug addict has made in treatment, or to see the family, that when they entered the door of your office, was on the verge of separation, but now are communicating and working out their own needs with little assistance from you, their therapist, is some of the most rewarding moments one can experience. However, to believe that life is all about these positive moments and that the battles you join in with others to overcome will not have an impact on you as a person, is wishful thinking at best. Undoubtedly, the day will come when we experience some form negative impact on our own mental health. That is, unless, proper self-care is practiced on an ongoing basis.
Those in the helping field are at a great risk of what has been termed “compassion fatigue.” On a continuum with burnout, compassion fatigue is a step over and both “burnout and compassion fatigue puts both the health care workers and their patients at risk” (Portnoy, 2011, p. 47). What follows is an outline of what compassion fatigue is, along with common signs, symptoms and risk factors. Following that is a self-assessment of personal risk factors and a self-care plan designed to assist in assuring that the risk of compassion fatigue is reduced in my professional career.
Understanding Compassion Fatigue
Compassion fatigue falls on a continuum of experiences associated with burnout and "secondary traumatization"(Figley, 1995). Unfortunately, many people make the assumption that they are the same thing. However burnout, secondary trauma, and compassion fatigue are not exactly the same things. And those that seek to understand the risks associated with each will learn that there are differences.
When an individual
References: Figley, C.R. (Ed.) (1995). Compassion Fatigue: Coping with Secondary Traumatic Stress Disorder in Those Who Treat the Traumatized. An Overview. 1-20. New York: Brunner/Mazel. Panos, A (February, 2007). Promoting resiliency in trauma workers. Poster presented at the 9th World Congress on Stress, Trauma, and Coping, Baltimore, MD. Portnoy, D. (2011). Burnout and compassion fatigue: Watch for the signs. Jorunal of the catholic health association of the united states, 47-50. Retrieved from http://www.compassionfatigue.org/pages/healthprogress.pdf