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Caring with Compassion

Some Symptoms of STS Compared to Compassion Fatigue

Compassion Fatigue occurs when there becomes a chronic accumulation of multiple secondary traumas in addition to burnout.

Secondary Traumatic Stress

  • Helpless
  • Stressed
  • "Drowning," too much
  • Anger or sadness
  • Fear, guilt, minimizing
  • Physical ailments
  • Hypervigilance
  • Inability to embrace complexity
  • Sleep difficulty, exhaustion
  • Avoidance

Compassion Fatigue

  • Hopeless
  • Exhausted and numb
  • "Dried up," not enough
  • Apathy or sadness
  • Bottled up emotions, outbursts
  • Persistent physical ailments
  • Cynical altered world view
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Recurring nightmares, flashbacks
  • Isolation

Reflection

Is there one patient that comes to mind as you review the list of symptoms for Secondary Traumatic Stress?

How about for Compassion Fatigue?
Consider jotting down a word or phrase to remember this, as there will be an opportunity to come back to this later in the course.

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