Title: Compassion Fatigue, Vicarious Trauma and Burnout - what's the difference? - Char Richard
Headings: Compassion Fatigue, Vicarious Trauma and Burnout – what’s the difference?
Compassion Fatigue, Vicarious Trauma and Burnout – what’s the difference?
Content: Sometimes CF is misdiagnosed as depression. Compassion Fatigue is developed because of the helper’s strong ability to care for their clients in the first place. It is the most caring individuals who are most likely to develop CF. The best helping professionals are able to connect with their clients because of their strong ability to empathize with them. It is this gift of empathy that can also lead them to develop CF. By learning about CF and developing ways to manage it, these helpers can continue to do the work they love, and are good at, while still being able to thrive personally. Simply leaving one helping job and moving into another will not reduce one’s CF. Vicarious Trauma: When a person is continuously exposed to other people’s traumatic experiences through witnessing and/or hearing others’ stories, vicarious trauma can be experienced. Vicarious trauma (VT) means that you have not been the direct victim of a trauma, but you have experienced it second hand through your client’s stories and may be experiencing post traumatic stress symptoms similar to the person who experienced it.