Empathy burnout syndrome

This phenomenon appears a lot in health professionals, who are very exposed to people with problems.

Empathy is a quality that is necessary in health professionals, especially psychologists, but it can become a double-edged sword.This quality is defined as the ability of a health professional to be empathetic, especially psychologists, but it can become a double-edged sword.

This quality is defined as the ability of a person to "put themselves in the shoes" of another, to understand them better and to give them the most appropriate advice for their situation. It is important for psychologists to have empathy; however, since it is a double-edged sword, applying it in excess has repercussions for the intervener. In this article we will discuss just such a consequence, called empathy burnout syndromeas well as its effects.

What is empathy burnout?

In recent years, the term burnout has been increasingly used to refer to the fact that a person is already "burned out" by so much work and stress. It is a physical, mental and emotional exhaustion.. It means that it is time to take a break and relax. This syndrome applies to anyone who has a job or is a student, since they have a daily workload and are under stress.

Something similar happens in the health professions, especially with those professionals who are in constant contact with patients who are or have suffered highly stressful experiences. It is known as empathy burnout syndrome or compassion fatigue, a term proposed by psychologist Charles Figley within Psychotraumatology.. It is a consequence of the emotional residue of dealing with people who have or are going through trauma.

Symptoms

The symptoms of this syndrome are divided into 3 groups.

1. Reexperiencing

An unresolved traumatic experience associated with the patient's conflict may arise. Rumination of the thought about an event and flashbacks appear..

2. Avoidance and affective blunting

Stress can accumulate session after session if you do not have the required emotional intelligence or the patient situations with which you have to deal are very strong, this can cause emotional saturation, irritability, and frustration. Avoidance of certain places, situations or people that remind you of the traumatic event. It can lead to isolation or neglect of interpersonal relationships.

In the case of psychologists in charge of providing Psychological First Aid, this is due to the high exposure to risk factors during their work.

3. Hyperarousal or hyperarousal

Feelings of fatigue, anxiety, constant feelings of guilt or shame.. Sleeping problems, difficulty concentrating, panic and extreme excitement over small stimuli may also occur.

Recommendations for managing this emotional crisis

The syndrome can appear progressively or it can be sudden, like a bomb that only depends on time running out to explode. Therefore, it is important to learn to recognize the signs and symptoms to be able to know when to take the decision to take a break and implement self-care guidelines.. It is extremely important, in order to provide therapy or deal with patients, that the interveners have good mental health.

Some recommendations for the self-care of the interveners are:

• Psychoeducational training for the development of resilience and tools to deal with the added stress of daily exposure to risk factors.
• Have relaxation or meditation techniques.
• To carry out leisure activities completely disconnected from work.
• Know how to ask for support as soon as you notice unusual symptoms.
• Know the situations that trigger high levels of stress and lead to vulnerability.
• Do not overload yourself with work or with cases that they know they will not be able to handle effectively.

As health professionals it is essential to recognize and accept that psychological support and a break from daily activities is also needed from time to time. The problem is that many times we have a "double agenda", it is easy to identify abnormal symptoms in any patient but it is not so when it comes to oneself. This is why it is necessary to promote self-knowledge and the implementation of preventive self-care measures.