Managing Your Own Trauma
and stress after seeing another person's traumatic event is one of the most crucial aspects of providing aid to a trauma victim. The trauma suffered by those who aid others is commonly referred to by the words secondary traumatic stress or compassion fatigue.
We have a whole course on compassion and pity that you need to see, but for now, let's just go over the highlights.
Knowing your own score and your own risks is an important first step.
Since we have previously taken the examination, you should be acquainted with your own rating.
Compassion fatigue and secondary trauma are two concerns that must be addressed in a trauma-informed context.
Patients who are already traumatized may be put in even more danger for you and your colleagues if these difficulties and other concerns regarding institutional procedures are not addressed.
As a normal byproduct of providing aid to traumatized people, compassion weariness may develop.
Often, this is the result of the helper's own feelings of empathy after seeing clients who have experienced traumatic events.
The ability to put oneself in another person's shoes is what we call empathy.
Imagining oneself in the other person's position is what this means.
This is an admirable quality, particularly in the helping professions like medicine and social work where it may make a world of difference.
However, we risk compassion fatigue if we fail to set healthy boundaries, prioritize our own safety, and practice self-care.
Although I was sensitive to others' emotional and physical pain, I neglected to take care of myself.
After a while, I started showing the traditional symptoms of compassion fatigue.
It threatened to be the end of my career, but I took some basic measures to prevent that from happening.
Being aware of the phenomenon known as "compassion fatigue" is crucial.
Indeed, that is the case.
It's a lot easier to deal with if you're already aware of its existence.
The following are some of the most common symptoms of compassion fatigue.
This is your power.
lack of interest or curiosity; a sense of being swamped; a lack of motivation; tiredness.
Disinterest in previously enjoyed activities and the development of unwanted, preoccupied thoughts, most often about one's place of employment, are symptoms of burnout.