What Pet Welfare Workers Should Know About Compassion Fatigue
Writtten by Carrie Raap, LCSW
What Is Compassion Fatigue?
"Compassion fatigue" is a term used to describe the physical, emotional, and psychological impact of helping others—often through experiences of stress or trauma. For instance, picture yourself reading a story in the news of something awful happening, and imagine the feelings you'd experience of tremendous sadness, disbelief and outrage. Long-term exposure to those feelings can have a considerable effect on one's mental health
Common Symptoms
Common symptoms of compassion fatigue include the following:
Feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, or powerlessness
A focus on the suffering of others and feelings of anger towards the events or people causing the suffering
A sense of detachment or decreased pleasure in activities
Feelings of irritability, anger, sadness, or numbness
Here is an online measurement tool you can take to determine if you’re suffering from Compassion Fatigue. It’s called the Professional Quality of Life Scale. If you work with animals simply substitute the term “people” with “animal” when you take the assessment.
Keep in mind that many of the symptoms of Compassion Fatigue can also be symptoms of depression. If you’re experiencing these symptoms and are wondering if you may have depression, contact a therapist who can help.
Why Are Pet Welfare Workers Susceptible to Compassion Fatigue?
Individuals who work in the pet welfare industry face "terrible stories" regularly—not in the news, but in their everyday lives. Veterinarians, vet techs, trainers, groomers, shelter/rescue workers, and shelter/rescue volunteers enjoy rewarding careers, but they also experience considerable grief and heartbreak along the way.
They care for animals who have been run over by cars, half-starved after roaming the streets, and beaten or neglected by their owners. And this occurs every week—sometimes every day. If you work in any of the fields above, you may have experienced compassion fatigue yourself.
Common Causes
Common causes of compassion fatigue among animal welfare workers include frequent exposure to the following in the pets they care for:
Illness
Death
Injury
Abuse
Neglect
Rachel Naomi Remen is a bestselling author and Clinical Professor of Family and Community Medicine at UCSF School of Medicine. She writes, “The expectation that we can be immersed in suffering and loss daily and not be touched by it is as unrealistic as expecting to be able to walk through water and not get wet.”
How Do You Treat Compassion Fatigue?
The three primary ways to address and prevent compassion fatigue are to work on 1) Life balance, 2) Boundaries, and 3) Self care. The sections below discuss how these help and what steps you can take.
Life Balance
When you work in the pet welfare industry, there is always another animal that needs help, so it’s easy to let your work take over. However, if you don’t maintain balance in all aspects of life, you will quickly burn out and be unable to help even one needy animal.To maintain balance, be sure you take time to unwind from the emotional ups and downs of your job. Spend time with family and friends. Get some sun. Read books, watch television, and participate in other enjoyable activities. Then you can return to work refreshed and relaxed. .
Boundaries
To maintain the balance you want in your life, you need to learn to set boundaries. Think of boundaries as fences around each area of your life that prevent other aspects from intruding. For example, if you are in the middle of family game night, and your boss or a client calls to request that you respond to an "emergency," learn to say no. Just as commercial truck drivers must take mandatory rest breaks every few hours to prevent driver fatigue, you need to prioritize other areas of life occasionally. A good way to start setting boundaries is to schedule weekly romantic date nights with your partner, game nights with the kids, and lunch dates with good friends. If other opportunities threaten to intrude, practice defending your boundaries.
Self Care
Self care doesn’t only mean getting a massage or going on a spa weekend, although pampering yourself can't hurt. At its core, self care means basic care, such as the following:
Are you getting enough rest?
Eating healthfully?
Exercising?
Self compassion is also a type of self care. This means giving yourself permission to do these things. You deserve to have balance and boundaries in your life. You deserve to take care of yourself. It isn’t selfish. It's a necessity when you devote your life to helping animals.
Anne Lamott is an American novelist, humorist, and public speaker. She writes, “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”
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If you are an animal welfare worker who needs help establishing life balance, setting boundaries, or practicing self care, contact Carrie Raap at R+ Therapy in Tucson, AZ. Carrie is an online therapist with more than 20 years experience. Her therapeutic specialties include compassion fatigue, relationships, depression, and anxiety. She has numerous credentials, including a Master's Degree in Social Work (MSW) and a license in clinical social work (LCSW). She is KPA-certified as a professional dog trainer and uses animal-assisted therapy to help clients. Learn more about compassion fatigue by watching her free webinar on the subject, or contact her for a free introductory consultation. For self care take her online course on Changes that Stick. If you’re a rescue worker/volunteer join her free support group.