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The Why Factor: Compassion Fatigue

Compassion fatigue

01/10/2018 GMT

Compassion Fatigue

BBC World Service - The Why Factor, Compassion Fatigue

Why do we get overwhelmed by caring about other people?

Why do we get overwhelmed, switch off or even get burnout from the demands made on us by the world and people we care for?

We hear about disasters and bad things happening in the world around the clock. Thanks to our TVs and smartphones we are bombarded 24/7. And charities use those same platforms to appeal to us for donations almost as frequently. 

Those whose job it is to care – doctors, nurses, mothers even – face even more relentless demands on their compassion. Until one day some feel they cannot go on anymore. 

We are all vulnerable to compassion fatigue – whether we are unable to deal with more bad news, or to care for our patients and children. But why do we get it? Why do we stop caring? And what is the impact on society when people just switch off and tune out?

Photo: Overwhelmed by the demands made on us. Credit: Getty Creative Images

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