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What is compassion fatigue? · Wellbeing Solutions - Ask A Counsellor

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  SPEAKER_00: What is compassion fatigue?
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_00: When you spend a lot of time caring for or supporting somebody else, it's natural to be affected by what they're going through.
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  SPEAKER_00: Over time, however, continually responding to another person's distress can begin to take an emotional toll.
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  SPEAKER_00: This is sometimes described as compassion fatigue.
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  SPEAKER_00: Compassion fatigue can affect professional carers and people working in helping roles, but it can also happen when you're caring for a partner, child, relative, or friend.
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  SPEAKER_00: You might think of it as your emotional resources becoming depleted.
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  SPEAKER_00: You've spent so much time noticing somebody else's needs, responding to difficulties, and trying to remain compassionate that you find you have much less emotional capacity left.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's important to understand that this doesn't mean you've stopped caring.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, compassion fatigue can sometimes develop precisely because you care deeply and have been giving a great deal of yourself for a prolonged period.
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  SPEAKER_00: You might begin to feel emotionally numb or detached.
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  SPEAKER_00: Things that once prompted an emotional response may barely register.
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  SPEAKER_00: Alternatively, you might become unusually irritable, impatient, or overwhelmed by relatively small demands.
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  SPEAKER_00: Compassion fatigue can also affect how you see yourself.
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  SPEAKER_00: If you're accustomed to being patient and supportive, noticing that you're becoming frustrated or emotionally distant can lead to guilt and questions such as what's wrong with me, or why can't I be more understanding?
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  SPEAKER_00: Try to view those changes as information rather than personal failures.
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  SPEAKER_00: They may be telling you that your own emotional needs have been neglected for too long.
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  SPEAKER_00: Compassion isn't an unlimited resource.
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  SPEAKER_00: We all need opportunities to rest, receive support, and step away from other people's needs.
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  SPEAKER_00: Recognizing compassion fatigue gives you an opportunity to consider what you need to.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: Not because you care any less about the other person, but because carers need care as well.