Help for the Helpers: Addressing burn out, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma

As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has spent a career working with clients navigating complex trauma, I am no stranger to the experiences of burn out, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma. As therapists, doctors, nurses, first responders, and other helping professionals, we work to support people through some of the most difficult situations and experiences of their lives. While we may not experience the trauma directly, the many ways we show up to support others can have its own impact on our minds and bodies.

Often used interchangeably, vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and burn out are different issues. Burn out is often used as an overarching term describing feelings of emotional exhaustion, loss of satisfaction in work, and reduced ability to cope with work stressors. This can happen regardless of your field of work. It is often the result of unsustainable workloads, poor work-life balance, or unhealthy organizational culture.  Because burn out is related to our work environment, we may see improvement when we take time off, focus on work-life balance, and develop reasonable expectations of ourselves. If these strategies fail, we may need to find work at an organization that better aligns with our personal values and prioritizes a healthy organizational culture.

While burn out is related to our work environment, compassion fatigue is related to the type of work we do. For those of us in helping professions, the constant need to engage from a place of empathy and understanding can take a toll. According to the National Institutes of Health (2020), compassion fatigue is a decline in our ability to feel sympathy and empathy, thereby reducing our capacity to act from a place of compassion. As a result, we may find ourselves unable to hold emotional space for others. You may notice feelings of frustration with patients and clients, or unable to listen to the struggles of friends and family. Some who have experienced compassion fatigue describe it as trying to “pour from an empty cup”.

To address compassion fatigue prioritizing self-care is encouraged. We must focus on finding ways to regularly refill our cup. Unfortunately, many of the self-care strategies we have learned can feel like one more thing to do when we are already overwhelmed. I suggest adding simple self-care activities to things you are already doing. Do you have a long commute to and from work? Try listening to a great book to pass the time and enjoy the mental escape into a story. Do you typically work through lunch, taking bites while catching up on administrative work? Set aside time, a couple times a week, to unplug. Twice a week commit to eat lunch with a colleague, take some quite time alone, or take a few minutes to engage in something creative. Small changes throughout the day can create a big impact.  

Vicarious trauma is the emotional residue, secondary stress, and trauma-like symptoms that manifest because of indirect exposure to trauma. When work includes regular exposure to traumatic events and stories, like those in helping professions, you may experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) like symptoms as a result. Excessive worry, nightmares, intrusive thoughts, inability to concentrate, and depressed mood are a few symptoms reported by first responders, doctors, nurses, social workers, and therapists after ongoing exposure to the trauma of others. Occasionally, the symptoms become so debilitating, these helpers leave their careers behind, instead choosing a job that is less mentally taxing. However, there are other options. In addition to engaging in the strategies listed above like self-care, exercising healthy boundaries, and having a supportive work culture, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy has shown positive results in the treatment of vicarious trauma.

Developed in the 1980s by Dr. Francine Shapiro, EMDR is an evidence-based treatment, utilizing bilateral stimulation to help facilitate the integration and processing of traumatic memories. EMDR trained practitioners can help reduce the emotional charge associated with traumatic memories often resulting in significant reductions of PTSD and PTSD-like symptoms.

If you would like to learn more about EMDR Therapy or are interested in exploring the benefits of EMDR Therapy to address vicarious trauma, please reach out to buhspok.com for a free 30-minute consultation.