Topic Tuesday // Staying safe while supporting others // April 18, 7pm AEST

[Former-Member]

What is the difference between burn out and compassion fatigue?

[Former-Member]

Hi @kristin 🙂

[BlueBay]

I think I'm burnt out now. I think I'll go @NikNik. I will read the rest tomorrow. I'm sorry I just can't keep going.

[Phoenix_Rising]

Before we get to that, I thought I would share with you the difference between burn out and compassion fatigue.

Has anyone experienced either? How did you get through it?

I fear that I am the person responsible for burning out others - hence why I am now a recluse. Everybody has now left my world and I recognise that I still really don't understand why.

[NikNik]

The following about Burn out is going to a bit text heavy. It might be worth skimming it, looking at each stage and some of the dot points associated with it, and come back another time to read it in depth. 

Some frameworks suggest that burn out consists of three stages

Stage 1 – Stress Arousal

Stage 2 – Energy Conservation

Stage 3 – Exhaustion

Stage 1 - Stress Arousal

• Irritability
• Anxiety
• Bruxism (grinding teeth at night)
• Insomnia
• Forgetfulness/poor concentration
• Gastro-intestinal disorders
• Headaches

Stress Arousal.

Stress arousal includes physiological and psychological responses. Some of these include persistent irritability, persistent anxiety, periods of high blood pressure, bruxism (the grinding of teeth during sleep), insomnia, and forgetfulness. Additionally, you may have heart palpitations, unusual heart arrhythmia, concentration problems, headaches/stomach problems, and acute gastrointestinal symptoms. With the presence of any two of these, you may be experiencing stage 1 stress arousal.

Stage 2 - Energy Conservation

• Lateness
• Procrastination/turning work in late
• Excessive time off
• Sexual dysfunction
• Fatigue
• Social withdrawal
• Increased substance use

Energy Conservation.

Energy conservation attempts to compensate for stress. If those strategies fail, consequences might include excessive lateness; procrastination; excessive time off; sexual dysfunction (desire, performance); persistent tiredness; social withdrawal from friends and family; increased cynicism; resentment; increased substance use (nicotine, caffeine, alcohol, prescription drugs); excessive apathy; and lack or loss of spirituality. Again, any two of these symptoms may signal you're in stage 2 of the burnout cycle.

Stage 3 - Exhaustion

• Chronic sadness/depression
• Suicidal ideations
• Chronic headaches
• Social isolation

 Exhaustion

The exhaustion stage is where most people finally get a sense that something may be wrong. The symptoms include: chronic sadness or depression, chronic stomach or bowel problems, chronic mental fatigue, chronic physical fatigue, chronic headaches or migraines, the desire to "drop out" of society… the desire to get away from family, friends, and even recurrent suicidal ideation. Like the previous stages any two of these symptoms can indicate stage 3 burnout.

[Shaz51]

 burn out and compassion fatigue.-- not sure @NikNik

But i have experience crying at any time , headaches

aches and pains , very very tired , exhaustion

[BlueBay]

@NikNik that's me exhaustion 😥

[NikNik]

That's an interesting perspective that you bring @Phoenix_Rising Very frustrating that those people in your life didn't have a grasp on their own self care.

As highlighted before - self-care isn't just for us, but it's also for those we want to help and support! It fills our glass to ensure we can continue to be great supporters!

[Former-Member]

I just gobinto 'autopiolet'

[CheerBear]

Burn out for me was an incredibly overwhelming sense of mental and physical exhaustion. I experienced it while I was at uni studying a full-time load, undertaking part time volunteer work and having 100% care of kids. The only way I was able to get through it was by prioritising what I needed to be doing and only doing that. I asked for extensions on my assignments, reached out to my family for help with the kids and spoke with my professional supports through it. I had to really attend to my diet and sleep as well.