What Is Compassion Fatigue, Symptoms And How To Prevent It

Compassion fatigue is a anxiety disorder which is characterized by the presence of a high level of stress caused by contact with people who are emotionally suffering. Although this can occur in any situation in everyday life, it is more common in those professions that aim to provide emotional support. For this reason, mental health professionals are the ones most affected by this clinical condition.

To better understand what compassion fatigue is, you need to know when it appears. This condition manifests itself due to tiredness experienced feel sorry for one or more people for an extended period of time.

Compassion fatigue manifests itself in many ways, both physical and psychological. In this section, we will talk about the most common symptoms of compassion fatigue:

• Fear.
• Catastrophic thoughts about a particular topic.
• Lack of physical and mental energy.
• Feeling unwell.
• Anxiety.
• Stress. Discover the types of stress and its symptoms in this article.
• Inability to generate an optimal distance with another person.
• Nervous tension.
• Alert status.
• Excessive sweating.
• Sleep disturbances.

Beyond the description just made, it is important to consider that the presence of any of these symptoms in isolation does not necessarily represent a picture of compassion fatigue. He diagnosis must be made by a professional of mental health since he will be in charge of evaluating the particular characteristics of each patient.

As can be anticipated, compassion fatigue causes some Adverse effects that must be taken into account when treating it. Next, we will talk about the consequences of compassion fatigue:

• Decreased satisfaction in various areas of daily life.
• Constant worries.
• Irritability.
• Difficulty sustaining attention.
• Insomnia.
• Insecurities.

Despite the difficulties caused by compassion fatigue, there are factors that can reduce the negative effects caused by. Next, we’ll show you how to prevent compassion fatigue:

• Psychological therapy: The main tool to counteract the incidence of compassion fatigue is to go to a mental health professional and begin psychological treatment. In this space, we proceed to reflect on personal qualities and establish goals to improve the quality of life. Among the most important therapies are cognitive behavioral therapy and psychoanalysis. With respect to the first, it can be mentioned that it addresses the thoughts, emotions and behaviors that prevent creating an optimal and necessary distance from the pain of others. On the other hand, psychoanalysis addresses situations from the past that influence attitudes that promote compassion fatigue.
• Building social ties: A favorable environment decreases compassion fatigue. Within the established social group, it is possible to reduce the levels of stress caused by work, in which one is exposed to the suffering of others.
• Sort priorities: In global terms, caring for people in vulnerable situations causes fatigue that can sometimes be excessive. For some people, this can result in them putting others first and forgetting about themselves. Reflecting on it and reassessing yourself is a fundamental aspect of preventing compassion fatigue.

This article is merely informative, at PsychologyFor we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

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