Combating compassion fatigue Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Combating compassion fatigue - Assignment Example This eventually takes compassion and attention away from victims to the caregiver himself. Essentially, fatigue sets in for the provision of care; thereby jeopardizing the need to give compassion to victims. The cause of depression in caregivers that results in compassion fatigue could best be associated with excessive work that is deprived of rest (Ellard, Barlow and Mian, 2005). Anger Quick temperedness and erupted outburst of anger that is so sudden and uncharacteristic of a caregiver must be seen as a major sign that compassion fatigue is setting into the work and activity of the caregiver. As a care giver, come of the core duties that will generally be expected is the need to give compassion and solace to a heart that is deeply troubled and as such filled with so much inner anger (Day and Livingstone, 2003). When there is anger on the side of the caregiver then, this basic responsibility becomes jeopardized and compromised because it cannot be executed evenly. Once a caregiver b egins to be angry at the least provocation, the tendency is that the victim who decides care would even be angered at and so the level of compassion will be derailed. Such acts of anger are mostly caused by emotional factors that have to do with issues faced in the personal lives of caregivers (Forsythe and Compas, 1987). Absent mindedness Victims who go to the caregiver go to them with a thought that the caregiver is going to be an expert and a professional who is going to bare all the troubles that the victim brings on board. For this reason, it is always going to be expected that the victim would demand for constant attention from the caregiver. For this reason, caregivers who begin to have signs of absent mindedness when attending to victims and other people who are close to them must be aware of the possibility of compassion fatigue setting in. clearly, the caregiver would be absent minded because he or she has had a reduced degree of importance to the issue or case of the vict im and this is what compassion fatigue is all about (Albino et al., 2003). Taking too much work than a caregiver can genuinely deliver is a major cause of absent mindedness; especially when tiredness sets in. Sluggishness In the everyday delivery of their duties, caregivers are expected to be very sharp at what they do. Such acts of sharpness install a lot of confidence in victims. It also increases the trust that they have in caregivers. For this reason, any acts of laziness and sluggishness should be watched critically and be seen as a possible cause of the onset of compassion fatigue. Indeed, if there is no strength to carry out one’s duties and so the person begins to show signs of sluggishness at work, there is no way that person will be expected to deliver the same level or amount of compassion that he or she delivered to victims. Sluggishness is a direct reflection of tiredness and so tiredness and lack of rest could cause it. Stress Psychologists and other social comm entators have attributed stress to be a very emotional and psychological problem that comes with a tired mind. The mind as an organ in the body has its own roles and functions that it plays. Though it is known that the mind controls most activities and functions of the body, the mind also has its own limitations (Cortoni and Marshall, 2001). The mind cannot for instance be expected to be omniscient, knowing all things and doing everything at every