Research: Peer Support Saves Lives.
Compassion fatigue (STS), empathic fatigue, moral injury, and vicarious trauma are shared team experiences. Cited as a workplace risk for helping and protecting professionals, data shows that it’s not a matter of “if” we will be impacted, but “when and how much.”
There are limited opportunities for helping and protecting professionals to learn about and discuss these factors openly as a team, despite it being a shared human experience. We provide these services.
One Person vs. a Whole World. Save Yourself First.
Understanding the distinction between "infinite vs. finite" is essential if you work in a field that involves helping and protecting others.
When working in environments where staff is exposed to human suffering, professionals may cycle through a variety of responses throughout the week, including fight, flight, freeze, or fawn.
In situations where one is faced with a greater need, than they have the ability to service due to a lack of resources, time, or capacity, the body may react by entering into a prolonged state of perceived threat for days or even weeks.
Don’t Fall into the "Hierarchy of Pain" Trap!
There is a phenomenon in helping professions that I began referring to as the “hierarchy of pain.” This psychological coping mechanism involves measuring our own pain and suffering in relation to our clients, students, patients, or community members. It's different from the medical definition of pain levels. We often deem ourselves to have it better than others and therefore believe we have no right to complain.
It’s a form of self-neglect that is common among helping and protecting professionals.
The "hierarchy of pain" can be deceptive because this inner voice dismisses our own pain as insignificant and not worthy of tending to our needs (hence our habit of skipping self-care).
Self-Care, Won’t Fix Trauma.
Employee mental health is a growing concern that cannot be ignored. Offering comprehensive training on compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, empathic fatigue, and moral injury is an effective way to support those working in the helping and protecting professions.
Helping and protecting professionals are wired differently.
Significant numbers of individuals working in professions that involve helping and protecting others have made their career choice because of their personal experiences. People often naturally desire to assist others who are in situations they have experienced before, whether they are aware of it or not. One of the biggest challenges for individuals is when they feel unable to help someone in need, due to systemic gaps, or becoming overwhelmed by the infinite need for services. This causes an increase in traumatic stress symptoms.