DID and Compassion Fatigue

DID and Compassion Fatigue


I didn’t even know this was a thing until just recently. My wife recently confronted me, she felt that I was losing compassion toward her and others. Initially, I gave it little thought, but then I started to hear myself say things that lacked compassion.

Compassion Fatigue (CF) is the result of stress caused by caring for traumatized and suffering people. CF is most commonly found in people who are providing elder care, in the nursing profession, working in child-welfare or in people working with trauma patients.

The American Institute of Stress, describes this acute stress (CT) as “vicarious traumatization” because it’s caused by working with those who are suffering from the consequences of a traumatic event.



The symptoms of compassion fatigue can include:

·      Loss of compassion for others
·      Loss of ability to function
·      Increased stress in general
·      Feeling traumatized
·      Irritability
·      A sense of boredom
·      Increased physical symptoms like, sickness, aches, and pains




How do we avoid, or in my case treat Compassion Fatigue?

The key word is “Self-Care”.

By virtue of being a natural caretaker, you may have an inability for self-care. You may, in fact, experience the feeling of guilt at the thought of taking care of yourself. This is why it is imperative, for some of us, to force ourselves to self-care. What this looks like will depend on your wiring. How are your batteries recharged? Is it going off into the woods by yourself and breathing in nature? Is it going out with friends and responsibly blowing off steam? Is it sitting down and journaling, or painting a picture? Is it going to the shooting range and lighting off a few rounds? What is it that recharges your batteries?

Here are a few more tips on self-care:

·       Stay physically active: – even if it’s a 15-minute walk with a friend, do something. It really helps your mind to get your body going. Or go work out for an hour. I love martial arts, which seems to help when I’m doing it.

·       Do something that energizes you: Like I said above, you will need to figure this out. The Meyers-Briggs personality test can help you identify some of this. Are you energized in a group or on your own? Click the link below to take the free test.
                                     https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test

·       Develop a support system: Do you have a friend you can talk to? Sometimes just talking about your daily struggles can help? Consider seeing a counselor.

·       Include something fun in your life every day: Take a break and read a magazine, or watch a television program, craft or build something with your hands, or stroll through an Antique market.

·       Care for your spirit: If you are not a spiritual person, consider connecting with the creator of us all. If you are spiritual, meet with a spiritual leader for guidance.

My dear friend, if you are suffering from Compassion Fatigue, you need to take time out to take care of it. You can’t help others, or care for others if you are falling apart.

Here is a free test I found that you can take to see if you may be experiencing Compassion Fatigue



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