12 Signs You Are Experiencing Caregiver Compassion Fatigue
Edmonton Respite Care | November 28, 2018
Everything Edmonton Caregivers Need to Know About Experiencing Compassion Fatigue
Caregiver Compassion Fatigue | When family or friends must care for a loved one, symptoms of chronic stress are likely to appear. The caregiver can suffer emotionally and physically from the loving care they’re providing to someone else. This common problem called compassion fatigue is a term given to caregivers who might be helping someone injured, ill, or traumatized. Caregivers usually have the best intentions as they’re trying to help, but someone who is elderly, ill, or incapacitated can be an overwhelming burden on one’s mental, physical, and emotional abilities.
Compassion fatigue is considered similar to burnout, but compassion fatigue is more unpredictable in its onset. Burnout usually takes a longer time to emerge whereas symptoms of compassion fatigue can arrive suddenly. Burnout can be so severe that someone experiencing it will even find it necessary to leave a job, or even an occupation entirely. With compassion fatigue, someone can typically be treated much more easily, but there are specific things one must do for self-care while providing care for a loved one.
It’s mandatory to rejuvenate between caregiving shifts. Compassion fatigue may create intense emotional pain and physical fatigue, so caregivers need to watch for symptoms and then learn the tools to manage the stress healthily. If you’re providing care for a parent, friend, or loved one, ask for assistance before things get too hard on you.
Learn the Common Symptoms of Caregiver Compassion Fatigue:
- Feelings of inequity toward the caregiver relationship
- Loss of meaning in caregiving
- Withdrawal, isolation, or feelings of being disconnected
- Apathy or a lower threshold for compassion or empathy
- Problems arising in other relationships
- Difficulty sleeping
- Weight loss
- Destructive behaviours or substance abuse
- Unexplained headaches
- Anger, irritability, anxiety
- Chronic exhaustion (emotional and/or physical
- Feelings of dread, impending disaster, or guilt
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