Regarding
Burnout, Compassion Fatigue and Wellness
Trainings, Workshops, and A Therapist Facilitated Support Group for Activists, Social Service
Folk, Educators, etc. in Olympia, WA
Resources, etc. |
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The
Four Stages of Burnout by Mark
Gorkin,
MSW,
LICSW, "The Stress Doc"™ |
"Years ago, a magicaI moment whirled
me in a mystical web. I was consumed by the path of
"academic flashdancing." I succumbed to the "burnout
tango." Now let me not just walk the talk, but
deromance the dance: "Burnout is the gradual process
by which a person, in response to prolonged stress
and physical, mental and emotional strain, detaches
from work and other meaningful relationships. The
result is lowered productivity, cynicism,
confusion...a feeling of being drained, having
nothing more to give." Whether at work or school (or
even in a marriage), to prevent it you must get it.
To provide a framework both for understanding and,
hopefully, inoculating against future burnout, let's
begin with "The Stress Doc's Vital Lesson of the
Four 'R's":
"If no matter what you say or what
you do, Results, Rewards, Recognition and Relief are
not forthcoming, and you can't mean "no" or won't
let go...trouble awaits. The groundwork is being
laid for apathy, callousness and despair.
"Have I captured your attention? Let's examine
some of the progressive signs of being caught up
in this erosive spiral." |

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Dealing With or Preventing Burnout in Activist Work
by Neil Wollman - from Activist Trauma Support
(UK based)
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"... hints focus on actions
or mental attitudes you can cultivate to prevent or
deal with burnout (whose symptoms include
irritability, feelings of
hopelessness/helplessness/cynicism, non-enjoyment of
activities enjoyed in the past, difficulty in making
decisions, inability to stay focussed, and fatigue
or other physical effects). There are, of course,
various societal and organizational factors that
will impact strongly on whether burnout will
develop, be it particular world crises or a
workplace culture that discourages taking days off
after high stress periods. Though you may be far
removed, physically, from a world crisis, you can
potentially help create a work environment more
conducive to positive mental health."
Also from Activist Trauma Support:
No
Borders: Thoughts on guilt, shame & trauma
(pdf
file)
Includes:
Coping
techniques and personal borders
and:
What to do if you
think your colleagues are burning-out
or cracking up.
"Many of the people
who have been involved in No Borders work appear
to be suffering from a complex mixture of guilt,
shame and "low level accumulative" trauma. On
top of this, some are also in a state of denial
about their own symptoms, and if they do
recognise any symptoms they do not think they
should be ''allowed'' to have them. This is all
very similar to activists' experiences in
Palestine and other conflict zones."
and see:
Other Documents from Activist Trauma Support |
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Compassion Fatigue, Physician Burnout and
Your Emotional Bank Account
by Dike
Drummond MD, TheHappyMD.com |
"For anyone in the helping
professions, Compassion Fatigue is a common
occurrence. Here is the origin of compassion
fatigue, its relationship to physician burnout and
what you can do when you recognize it in yourself." |

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Preventing Burnout -
Signs, Symptoms, Causes, and Coping Strategies
by Melinda Smith, M.A.,
Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., and Robert Segal, M.A. -
Helpguide.org |
"Burnout may be the result of unrelenting stress, but
it isn't the same as too much stress. Stress, by and
large, involves too much: too many pressures that
demand too much of you physically and
psychologically. Stressed people can still imagine,
though, that if they can just get everything under
control, they'll feel better.
"Burnout, on the
other hand, is about not enough. Being burned out
means feeling empty, devoid of motivation, and
beyond caring. People experiencing burnout often
don't see any hope of positive change in their
situations. If excessive stress is like drowning in
responsibilities, burnout is being all dried up. One
other difference between stress and burnout: While
you're usually aware of being under a lot of stress,
you don't always notice burnout when it happens."
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The burnt-out generation: Desperate to hold it
together, they push themselves to the limit at work
AND at home until they explode under the strain
by Tanith Carey,
July 13, 2011 - DailyMail, UK |
" 'Burn-out is a disorder
of hope. It sucks the life out of competent,
hard-working people. You lose motivation and
vitality,' says Dr Borysenko, a Harvard-trained
scientist and psychologist."
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The Art of Surviving
Compassion Fatigue: A Multidimensional Approach
by Rachel Mann, PhD - May 22, 2008 |
"Many of us may have jobs in which we are confronted with these realities on a daily basis. Or we may be dealing with aging parents, with the challenges of illness in ourselves and others, or with the death of loved ones. It is so true, as Gautama Buddha said 2,500 years ago that suffering is common to all. And perhaps more than ever, we are asked to be a witness to it.
"In the face of this much suffering, we may find ourselves feeling burned out, depressed, angry, frustrated, and helpless. Particularly if we are in the role of a helper, friend or family member of those who have been traumatized in the past or are currently dealing with such situations, we may be particularly susceptible to developing a deep feeling of compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue is a term coined by Charles R. Figley, a psychiatrist who has specialized in the naming, diagnosis and cure of Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS). He has defined it as follows:
" 'We can define STS as the natural consequent behaviors and emotions resulting from knowing about a traumatizing event experienced by a significant other–the stress resulting from helping or wanting to help a traumatized or suffering person' " (Figley, 1993).
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