Each day as we read accounts of our American troops fighting, dying, and getting hurt in the current wars so far away, my heart goes out to them and their families. But my heart also goes out to the physicians, nurses, and technicians who will be working with these war fighters. It was with them in mind that I offer this brief article on compassion fatigue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We helpers are professional commiserators. We share in life’s sadness and stressors; we must understand when no one else might; metaphorically, at least, we stand between our clients and the cruelties they face daily. This brief article is about the price we pay as commiserators. The price is worth it, of course. Most of us love our job and our life work. But perhaps some perspective offered here may insure that the price is not so high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Thanks for the work you do,” Bob said from behind me. He had been the one in the back of the room who couldn’t sit still. I figure he was a first responder, probably fire fighter or in some type of rescue service. They often come to my workshops on compassion fatigue. There is often a mixture of service providers to the traumatized. Many of them are traumatized themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bob’s eyes were sad. His shoulders drooped, matching his self confidence and mood. He had avoided my eyes at the morning break. Another clue he was not a helper. I was wrong on all counts. He was a helper not a first responder. He was very sad, however. I was right about that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bob was a 30 year veteran of clinical psychology and a frequent volunteer with the Red Cross, including the September 11th deployment to Washington, DC. His family had urged him to take this workshop. He later said in front of the group (he had volunteered to talk about his story) that he had not been the same since 9\/11. But his work even before that was a source of pain and rarely inspiration and joy. He learned during the workshop that it was not so much the two weeks working non-stop in New York at the Red Cross Family Support Center, but the cumulating of painful experiences he had dealt with throughout his career – particularly the children. I will get back to Bob shortly. First some background about trauma and compassion fatigue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n