Here is the link for the original article, written by Tracy Wharton, M.Ed., MFT. According to the article,
"Secondary trauma syndrome (STS) is the reaction to dealing with other people’s situations ... Burnout is related to the job environments in which we work, and the stresses attached to those jobs and requirements, like paperwork or poor supervision or support. When burnout and STS are both present, an individual is said to be experiencing compassion fatigue (CF)."
In other words, secondary trauma is the stress one experiences when engaging in emotionally upsetting situations such as helping traumatized survivors. Signs of secondary trauma include withdrawal, sadness, anger, sensitivity to violence, psychosomatic illness, intrusive imagery, sleep difficulties, and detachment. Burnout is the emotional, mental, and physical feeling of disillusionment, helplessness, and exhaustion caused by long-term, overwhelming stress. When you are feeling burned out, it is difficult to find the energy to care about your work and your personal life. You may feel like there is no point to what you are doing, because it won't be appreciated or make any difference. Signs of burnout include cynicism, chronic fatigue, anxiety, irritability, depersonalization of clients, negative self concept, low productivity, substance abuse, withdrawal, psychosomatic illness, difficulty sleeping, difficulty concentrating, deterioration of interpersonal relationships, and loss of concern and feelings for clients.
Everyone who engages empathically with suffering or traumatized individuals are at risk for secondary trauma, burnout, and/or compassion fatigue. As Wharton states in her article, "About 48% of the total social work workforce in the United States experiences high levels of personal distress as a result of their work (Strozier & Evans, 1998)." This is because one who empathizes with another is effectively allowing themselves to internalize another's pain in order to fully understand what they are going through. Furthermore, people who choose to help others in this capacity tend to have their own histories of pain, trauma, and abuse, which poses an additional risk for compassion fatigue. This information implies that caregivers may be especially vulnerable, due to the possibility of retraumatization, or poor boundaries in wanting to go the extra mile in giving others the help they wish they had received themselves. The best way to combat this vulnerability is by prevention. Recognizing the signs of burnout, secondary trauma, and compassion fatigue is critical to giving quality care to others, as well as taking care of yourself. When you are in the helping profession or simply enjoy being emotionally supportive of others, self-care is always the number one priority. Think of the airplane oxygen mask rule. Before you can help someone else, you need to take take care of yourself first. If you think this is selfish, remember that if you neglect to fulfill your personal needs, you cannot continue to give care to others for too long, and hence, you may burn out from your role as a caregiver.
One important aspect of trauma that was not mentioned in the article is the antithesis of compassion fatigue, self-care. Self-care is the practice of activities and beliefs that contribute to one's health and overall well-being. Self-care is both the preventative measure and necessary treatment of compassion fatigue. Best of all, self-care can take the form of any healthy and pleasurable activity imaginable. Examples of self-care practices include, and are not limited to, eating healthily, exercising, meditating, exploring your spirituality, dancing, taking vacations, making art, taking "you" time, spending time with friends, going on dates, re-watching favorite movies, and reading. As you start to work with survivors of trauma, self-care must become a habit integrated into your daily lifestyle. The more straining your work becomes, the more self-care you must practice.
In addition to self-care, some preventative steps to lower your risk for compassion fatigue include:
"Secondary trauma syndrome (STS) is the reaction to dealing with other people’s situations ... Burnout is related to the job environments in which we work, and the stresses attached to those jobs and requirements, like paperwork or poor supervision or support. When burnout and STS are both present, an individual is said to be experiencing compassion fatigue (CF)."
In other words, secondary trauma is the stress one experiences when engaging in emotionally upsetting situations such as helping traumatized survivors. Signs of secondary trauma include withdrawal, sadness, anger, sensitivity to violence, psychosomatic illness, intrusive imagery, sleep difficulties, and detachment. Burnout is the emotional, mental, and physical feeling of disillusionment, helplessness, and exhaustion caused by long-term, overwhelming stress. When you are feeling burned out, it is difficult to find the energy to care about your work and your personal life. You may feel like there is no point to what you are doing, because it won't be appreciated or make any difference. Signs of burnout include cynicism, chronic fatigue, anxiety, irritability, depersonalization of clients, negative self concept, low productivity, substance abuse, withdrawal, psychosomatic illness, difficulty sleeping, difficulty concentrating, deterioration of interpersonal relationships, and loss of concern and feelings for clients.
Everyone who engages empathically with suffering or traumatized individuals are at risk for secondary trauma, burnout, and/or compassion fatigue. As Wharton states in her article, "About 48% of the total social work workforce in the United States experiences high levels of personal distress as a result of their work (Strozier & Evans, 1998)." This is because one who empathizes with another is effectively allowing themselves to internalize another's pain in order to fully understand what they are going through. Furthermore, people who choose to help others in this capacity tend to have their own histories of pain, trauma, and abuse, which poses an additional risk for compassion fatigue. This information implies that caregivers may be especially vulnerable, due to the possibility of retraumatization, or poor boundaries in wanting to go the extra mile in giving others the help they wish they had received themselves. The best way to combat this vulnerability is by prevention. Recognizing the signs of burnout, secondary trauma, and compassion fatigue is critical to giving quality care to others, as well as taking care of yourself. When you are in the helping profession or simply enjoy being emotionally supportive of others, self-care is always the number one priority. Think of the airplane oxygen mask rule. Before you can help someone else, you need to take take care of yourself first. If you think this is selfish, remember that if you neglect to fulfill your personal needs, you cannot continue to give care to others for too long, and hence, you may burn out from your role as a caregiver.
One important aspect of trauma that was not mentioned in the article is the antithesis of compassion fatigue, self-care. Self-care is the practice of activities and beliefs that contribute to one's health and overall well-being. Self-care is both the preventative measure and necessary treatment of compassion fatigue. Best of all, self-care can take the form of any healthy and pleasurable activity imaginable. Examples of self-care practices include, and are not limited to, eating healthily, exercising, meditating, exploring your spirituality, dancing, taking vacations, making art, taking "you" time, spending time with friends, going on dates, re-watching favorite movies, and reading. As you start to work with survivors of trauma, self-care must become a habit integrated into your daily lifestyle. The more straining your work becomes, the more self-care you must practice.
In addition to self-care, some preventative steps to lower your risk for compassion fatigue include:
- Accepting help from others, whether it's distributing your work load or talking to a therapist
- Knowing and setting reasonable boundaries and limits with clients/loved ones
- Take a "mental health day" or a break when needed
- Speak with your supervisor, peers, and support system
- Be assertive with your needs, feelings, and limits
- Be realistic about what you can really accomplish with the resources that you have
- Stay organized and manage your time wisely