Do You Have Compassion Fatigue?

Written by Dr. Paul Carlisle

Imagine walking down a wooded path. You come upon a man pinned under a huge boulder. He writhes in pain and cries out to you for help. You find a strong limb and with great effort pry the rock off the man.

This is a picture of burden-bearing, which the apostle Paul encourages in Galatians 6:2. But in this passage, the word burden denotes a “crushing weight.” That’s a warning flare that burden-bearing is fraught with danger and requires extreme caution.

The Power of the Call

Return to the woods for a moment. You are leveraging the boulder and your strength gives way. The huge rock rolls back onto you and the person you’re trying to rescue. Rather than lifting a burden, you, too, are now pinned by its weight.

Clearly, you’re to help those crushed by life’s problems. Yet imbalanced burden-bearing makes Christians vulnerable to a serious condition known as compassion fatigue (CF) — that’s when the pain, hurt, and suffering of others crushes you. It’s the stress of caring too much.

Vicarious Pain

Grief and trauma specialist C. F. Figley points out that caring for traumatized people can exhaust your physical, emotional, and spiritual resources. Frequently, this depletion leaves you in deep emotional pain because you experience the trauma of others vicariously.

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), warning signs of CF can include lingering anger, chronic lateness, a diminished sense of personal accomplishment, exhaustion (physical and emotional), frequent headaches, gastrointestinal complaints, an inability to maintain balance of empathy and objectivity, increased irritability, and less ability to feel joy.

Who are potential CF victims? Anyone who regularly cares for others is suceptible, and trained professionals are especially vulnerable: emergency care workers, counselors, mental health professionals, medical professionals, advocate volunteers, human service workers, and clergy.

According to the American Continuing Education Network, “Professionals who listen to the stories of fear, pain, and suffering of others may feel similar fear, pain, and suffering simply because they care.”

Steps to Recovery

Fortunately, there’s a proven recovery path for those who care too much.

1. Spiritual Strategy. A time for solitude with God is a must to battle CF. Mark 6:31-32 says the disciples by-passed meals to do the demanding work of caring for others. They were worn to a frazzle, so Jesus took them into solitude. Solitude, stillness, and silence are major sources of spiritual replenishment.
Begin with short periods of time; try 30 minutes. In the stillness, open your heart and mind to God. Don’t be surprised when every fiber of your being rebels against being still. Persevere. Listen for His voice. Invite Him to conquer and rule you. Make this practice a regular part of your life.

2. Physical Strategies. Exercise will do wonders for the discouragement and hopelessness brought on by CF. Fitness specialists recommend aerobic exercise three to five times a week for 30 minutes to get those healthy (and hopeful) chemical compounds known as endorphins flowing throughout your brain and body.

Another important physical strategy is adequate rest. Societal pressures to work more have reduced sleep time over the past century by about 20 percent. People are driven to have and to do it all — work, family, sports, hobbies — and there’s little time left for rest.

Begin to set a regular bedtime to glean a minimum of seven hours sleep each night. If that’s not possible, add a 20-minute power nap to your day.

3. Mental Strategy. Remember, mental work is much more exhausting than physical work. Give your mind a break from other people’s problems. Force your mind to focus on the goodness of God, the blessings of God, or the beauty of creation. In Phillipians 4:8, Paul encourages us to think on things that are good, things that deserve praise, that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable.

4. Emotional Strategy. Learn to draw healthy boundaries to avoid relational and emotional overload. Dr. Don Brady, a psychologist who specializes in trauma, is clinical director of Diakanos Counseling Center in Independence, Mo. He continually reminds himself God is Jehovah Rapha, “the God who heals.” He believes this allows him to avoid being over-responsible for others.

Remember, you are called to care; God is called to cure. Rest your cares in the hands of “Jehovah Rapha.” Don’t try to assume His role in caregiving. To stimulate this distinction, pray a prayer similar to this one daily:

Lord, teach me to care for others as You do. Grant me the wisdom to know when I have exhausted my limits and need to replenish. Teach me to entrust those You have called me to care for into Your compassionate and capable hands.

Although symptoms vary, the following red flags may indicate you have CF.
•Lingering anger
•A tendency to cast blame
•Chronic lateness
•Diminished sense of accomplishment
•Exhaustion (physical and emotional)
•Frequent headaches
•Gastrointestinal complaints
•High self-expectations
•Hopelessness
•Hypertension
•Inability to maintain balance of empathy and objectivity
•Increased irritability
•Less ability to feel joy
•Low self-esteem
•Sleep disturbances
•Workaholism

Dr. Paul Carlisle is the professor of pastoral counseling and care at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Liberty, Missouri.