Compassion Fatigue and Caregiver Burnout

What do you think of when you hear the expression “compassion fatigue”?

You might perhaps think about someone getting jaded, or exhausted by trying to support so many different causes, the endless horrors of social media, or tired from looking after someone and neglecting themselves. People sometimes casually use the expression in that way.

We might even rail against what it’s suggesting. Surely if we’re decent people, empathy and compassion have no limits?

All of these are worth talking about, but the problems I’ve mentioned are more commonly associated with burnout, which I’ll get to in a moment.

So what is compassion fatigue then? Well strictly speaking it’s when someone experiences secondary or vicarious trauma from supporting someone else in crisis. For example a healthcare profession like a counsellor working with a client to process traumatic events can be vulnerable to trauma from sharing the clients feelings and distress. A client may be talking about a sexual assault, the sudden death of a loved one, or perhaps describing being at the scene of an accident. We might have multiple clients like this every day, and you can imagine that potentially building up.

To help support counsellors, who often work in isolation, professional bodies require that we have regular Supervision with a highly experienced counsellor to ensure that we’re ok and we’re not experiencing any issues from whatever clients have brought to us. The BACP, which I’m an accredited member of myself, requires we meet with our Supervisor every month. We may also have additional peer supervision on top of that depending on where we work. All of this is incredibly important and a vital part of how we look after ourselves so that we can best support people who come to us needing help.

What about people who look after others who don’t have that support?

This is where I’m going to bring in caregiver burnout. In particular I’m thinking of people outside of our professional healthcare system who are looking after or supporting other family members. Perhaps we’re providing care for an elderly parent who can no longer look after themselves, or a child with special health needs. Providing care for someone else takes a lot out of someone, both physically and mentally. Caregiver burnout is when there’s been little or no relief and the demands of caring for someone have become overwhelming. We might become hopeless, anxious, have problems sleeping, and have physical issues and pains. Thousands of people in the UK alone might find themselves in this position and be suffering invisibly as the support they give is taken for granted by the rest of society.

It’s just as important that caregivers look after their mental health and value themselves too. As a counsellor, what kind of things might I suggest would help? Setting healthy emotional boundaries can be very useful. It’s not about closing ourselves off as much as it is understanding where the line is, what is best for us, and when we might need to reach out for help. I always go back to what I call basic maintenance too. (Like putting petrol in a car). We need to make sure that we’re getting enough rest, we’re eating enough of the right kind of food (even if it might feel easier to put it off), and that we are taking time for ourselves.

Connection is vitally important too. Human beings need other human beings. We’re social animals and we need to spend time with friends. Regular catch-ups can help keep us going and provide an opportunity. Specialist charities can also help provide meet-ups to help connect with other caregivers, and provide valuable respite.

While healthcare professionals often have systems built into how they work to help look after their mental health, many caregivers in our communities are working invisibly and essentially on their own. It’s important that we as a society value the work that they do and support them. I’ve given some suggestions here, and ultimately I’d like to see much more done at a government level. What else might you be able to do today? Do you know someone who is supporting a loved one right now? Why not reach out and check in on them?

If you’re having a problem with your mental health and would like to discuss it with me, you can get in touch with me via the submission form on the website or drop me a message directly at mckellarCBT@gmail.com