Compassion Fatigue Among Physicians

There were many days when I felt physically exhausted and emotionally drained after a full clinical work day. Those days in particular involved taking care of oncology patients who were not doing well. Some had significant adverse effects from chemotherapy. Some had progression of their stage 4 cancer.

The stress of patient care leading to the physical, emotional and spiritual injury may be overwhelming. If you experience something similar, you may have compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue is a tremendous exhaustion physically, emotionally and spiritually. While some experts separate compassion fatigue from burnout, others view compassion fatigue as a form of burnout in the caregiver setting. I favor the latter definition. The important thing is recognizing what compassion fatigue is, if you are experiencing it, and what you can do to recover or prevent from it.

There are some risk factors associated with compassion fatigue. For example, taking care of critically ill patients, emotionally or psychologically ill patients, or advanced oncology patients. Adding that to having a limited appointment time to see each patient, decreased autonomy and the pressure to complete patient charts. Due to these constraints, many physicians feel less connected with their patients, and the previously rewarding doctor-patient relationship is not established.

Time is a challenging entity, and one that plaques many physicians with compassion fatigue. A dominating thought is there is not enough time. When this is the main sentence in your head, you likely will feel flustered, rushed, frustrated, or some negative emotion. You will likely rush to see patients while trying to provide them with more empathy and support. You “forget” to think about yourself or to take care of yourself.

Compassion fatigue comes with different signs and symptoms. You may have significant mood changes, anxiety or depression, or spend more time alone than getting together with your friends (you are probably thinking that there is no time to have any meaningful connection with your friends). You get distracted easily, and you have trouble with concentration. A patient chart is taking you longer than usual to complete.

Besides affecting our overall well-being, compassion fatigue is also having an impact on patient care. There is decreased efficiency, productivity and potentially more errors in clinical medicine.

If you discover that you are suffering from compassion fatigue, you are not alone. It is not your fault. It is normal to experience it. After identifying that you have compassion fatigue, acknowledge it. Accept the fact that you are human, and many people in your shoes would likely experience it similarly. Although this is not a pleasant discovery, and this is not something you wish to have, do not avoid feeling it. Do not use something else, such as recreational drugs, alcohol or overeating to substitute this feeling of compassion fatigue.

Realize that self-care is an important part to prevent or recover from compassion fatigue. The very things that you likely sacrifice doing because you believe there is no time to do are the things you are going to choose to do. Exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, avoid junk food. Eating when you are not hungry may be an attempt for you to fill the void of the emotional exhaustion – avoid it.

Choose to spend time with your family and friends. Establish a deeper connection with them. Cultivate an intimate and encouraging environment.

Practice mindfulness. Meditate. Choose to be present, as opposed to rushing to go to the next step in life.

Have a clear vision of what you want, what your goals are. What values are important to you? Are you living in alignment with your beliefs? Are you setting boundaries to live authentically?

If you think that you need help, it is normal. Having an accountability partner will help you keep things in check, and will ensure you are living according to your values. Counseling may help with recovering from compassion fatigue. Coaching will guide you according to your values and needs.

Knowing is half the battle. You cannot treat what you do not know. Acknowledge, accept, and choose to take steps toward recovery from compassion fatigue. Recharge and renew yourself by practicing self-care and choosing to be present. You will lead a more meaningful life, will be more present for your patients, friends and family. You will become a more favorite version of you.