This Social Work study found that: o 40 percent thought about their work with traumatized clients without intending to o 22 percent reported feeling detached from others o 26 percent felt emotionally numb o 28 percent had a sense of foreshortened future o 27 percent reported irritability o 28 percent reported concentration difficulties Recently, Cheryl Beck, DNSc, CNM, FAAN at the University of Connecticut’s School of Nursing conducted a systematic review of papers about secondary traumatic stress in nurses. Empathy is a great thing for the caring person and for others when it is experienced consciously. Compassion fatigue develops over time – taking weeks, sometimes years to surface. Then my sister had a heart attack and as I listened to her situation and the experience while she is still in the hospital, I answered her questions and finally hung up the phone, I realized I felt nothing. Lack of interest in things enjoyed previously. Phone (703) 684.7722 Compassion fatigue is also known as vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, second hand shock and secondary stress reaction. Lawyers in certain practice areas, such as criminal, family or juvenile law may be especially susceptible to compassion fatigue, as they are regularly exposed to human-induced trauma, and are called on to empathetically listen to victimsâ stories, read reports and descriptions of traumatic events, view crime or accident scenes, and view graphic evidence of traumatic victimization. And he added, “The coping skills you have developed so well and that have made you able to function so highly are no longer serving you. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. I actually have see too much criticism of people who just have compassion, shed tears over a lost of a client, and feel sad for more than a nanosecond. If left unattended, compassion fatigue will continue to be a public health crisis with far-reaching consequences. Compassion Fatigue: The Stress of Caring Too Much [DVD]. A sense of disillusionment, worthlessness, hopelessness, and resentment with work. This means that we pledge to work against individual racism, interpersonal racism, and institutional racism in all their forms. Some of the symptoms of compassion fatigue are: When caregivers become aware that they are prone to compassion fatigue or are already exhibiting these symptoms, this realization can lead to thoughts about past trauma, pain, and suffering in their own lives. Applying Social Justice Principles in Social Work with Children, Careers That Make a Difference: Social Work. Animal rescuers are increasingly being recognized with suffering from Compassion Fatigue/STSD. It became hard to ignore how essential it was to reduce stigmas and provide treatment, while also addressing the underlying causes of the stress and isolation. Working to develop and maintain healthy interpersonal relationships will also increase your resilience. They can take a walk, ride a bike, talk about non-work or other subjects that they personally are interested in or enjoy.