Transcript Compassion Fatigue - Heru Susetyo Nuswanto

Compassion Fatigue:
An Overview
John P. J. Dussich, Ph. D.
Professor of Victimology
California State University, Fresno
The 11th Asian Post Graduate
Course on Victimology and Victim
Services, Jakarta, Indonesia
The 11th Asian Post Graduate
Course on Victimology and Victim
Services, Jakarta, Indonesia
Compassion Fatigue:
Origins
Secondary traumatic stress was first
identified in nurses and doctors in the
1950s, especially associated with those
who worked with severe emergencies.
 Karl Jung called it “psychic infection”
claiming it was contagious and insidious.
 Viktor Frankl, psychiatrist and holocaust
survivor, metaphorically explained it with
these words: “That which is to give
light, must endure burning.”
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The 11th Asian Post Graduate
Course on Victimology and Victim
Services, Jakarta, Indonesia
Compassion Fatigue:
Terms
Carla Joinson first coined the term
compassion fatigue in a 1992 article for
nurses. She said, “the essential product
they deliver is themselves.”
 Patrick Morrisette called this
phenomenon, “The Pain of Helping”
referring it as the psychological injury of
the helping professionals.

The 11th Asian Post Graduate
Course on Victimology and Victim
Services, Jakarta, Indonesia
Compassion Fatigue:
History
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The post Vietnam war era of the 70s and the
development of victim services in the 70s and
80s identified PTSD.
Those who treated this problem themselves
became victims of STSD: “secondary traumatic
stress disorder.” Related but not the same.
The Modern day CF academic guru is Charles
Figley, from FSU, but now at Tulane University,
LA to treat Hurricane Katrina and Rita victims.
The Modern day CF practitioner guru is Patricia
Smith, with the Compassion Fatigue Awareness
Project (CFAP) in Silicon Valley, California.
The 11th Asian Post Graduate
Course on Victimology and Victim
Services, Jakarta, Indonesia
Compassion Fatigue:
Proneness
Those who place the pain and suffering of
others before themselves.
 Those who have unresolved past issues
with trauma.
 Those who come from a place of
emptiness.
 Those who have persistent illnesses.
 Those who use helping others to fill up
their own lives.
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The 11th Asian Post Graduate
Course on Victimology and Victim
Services, Jakarta, Indonesia
Compassion Fatigue:
Dangers
 It
can be a high risk mental health
condition.
 It can cause you to also suffer from
PTSD symptoms.
 It will cause you to suffer subtle
stress, anxiety, and fatigue.
 It can render you dysfunctional in
professional and private activities.
The 11th Asian Post Graduate
Course on Victimology and Victim
Services, Jakarta, Indonesia
Compassion Fatigue:
Early Warnings
 Over
involvement which causes
more stressful conditions.
 Realizing that others take liberties
with your private time and space.
 Recognizing that you have less and
less private time and space.
 Engaging in addictive behaviors:
drugs, sex, alcohol, etc.
 Denial that a problem exists.
The 11th Asian Post Graduate
Course on Victimology and Victim
Services, Jakarta, Indonesia
Compassion Fatigue:
General Healing
 Develop
authentic sustainable health
care that results in good coping.
 Give from a place of abundance.
 Find safe, caring, regular, and
professional opportunities so that
you are debriefed and counseled.
 Discuss with your supervisor and
peers the need to be monitored.
The 11th Asian Post Graduate
Course on Victimology and Victim
Services, Jakarta, Indonesia
Compassion Fatigue:
Specific Healing
Set priorities with your own time.
 Periodically “unplug” or “disengage” from
care giving commitments.
 Decide when to turn off: beepers; home
phones; computers; and cell phones.
 Set clear boundaries in both private and
professional relationships.
 Find CF support groups among your peers.
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The 11th Asian Post Graduate
Course on Victimology and Victim
Services, Jakarta, Indonesia
Compassion Fatigue:
Organizational Support
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Discuss CF issues, and your own problems, with
supervisor.
Get with peers and create a CF peer support
group.
Promote Care-giver Rights: to be respected for
the work you do; adequate pay for your work;
appropriate time off to recover; to receive
organizational help.
Helpful Website: www.compassionfatigue.org
Helpful Books: Compassion Fatigue, C. Figley;
and,
The Pain of Helping: Psychological Injury of
Helping Professionals -P. Morrissette
The 11th Asian Post Graduate
Course on Victimology and Victim
Services, Jakarta, Indonesia
Thank you for your attention
The 11th Asian Post Graduate
Course on Victimology and Victim
Services, Jakarta, Indonesia