What is compassion fatigue?
• A: This term has replaced the more familiar term “burn-out.” It refers to a physical, emotional and spiritual fatigue or exhaustion that takes over a person and causes a decline in his or her ability to experience joy or to feel and care for others. Compassion fatigue is a one-way street, in which individuals are giving out a great deal of energy and compassion to others over a period of time, yet arent able to get enough back to reassure themselves that the world is a hopeful place. Its this constant outputting of compassion and caring over time that can lead to these feelings. • Q: What causes it? • A: Compassion fatigue comes from a variety of sources. Although it often affects those working in care-giving professions – nurses, physicians, mental health workers and clergymen – it can affect people in any kind of situation or setting where theyre doing a great deal of caregiving and expending emotional and physical energy day in and day out. • Q: Who is most at risk of developing c
