How Do You Combat “Compassion ” Or “Indirect Trauma” Fatigue?
While trying to help someone going through trauma, there are human costs, associated with “compassion” or “indirect trauma” fatigue. “Compassion” or “indirect trauma fatigue” disorders can be debilitating in many ways such as personal relationships suffering, and a decline in physical, emotional and mental health. When you listen to the psychological trauma of the frightening stories of fear, pain, suffering, and other horrible happenings, you may feel those same things intensely, as though they happened to you. You may see them so visually, and feel them, that you lose your sense of well-being, your sense of self, even lose your equilibrium in life such as it begins to affect everyone around you. It is the cost of emotionally caring about the person who actually lived through the horrifying events. Compassion fatigue is not burnout. Burnout is caused by stress and hassles involved with a job. It can be helped by a change of careers or a vacation while a person destresses. Even a perso
