In a post on Writers Helping Writers, Becca Puglisi talks about a little discussed emotional state that sadly has become more common these days: compassion fatigue.
Compassion fatigue is defined as exhaustion, emotional withdrawal, apathy, or indifference experienced by those who have been exposed to repeated trauma, tragedy, and appeals for assistance, Puglisi explains. It can be commonly found among workers who are constantly exposed to trauma: nurses, therapists, social workers, animal welfare officers, etc. “The frequent exposure to horrible events inherent in these jobs leads to a necessary psychological withdrawal as these workers try to distance themselves from what they’re seeing,” Puglisi notes. “While a certain level of withdrawal is healthy, serious cases can lead to problems on the job, relationship conflict, and debilitating mental conditions like PTSD.”
This kind of withdrawal became a hot topic during the early days of the COVID-19 epidemic, as nurses and other hospital workers were overwhelmed with patients, many of whom were not likely to survive.
Could this affect your character? You might think not, if your protagonist isn’t a healthcare worker, first responder, or someone else who deals with people in crisis. On the other hand, the constant barrage of suffering we all witness over social media and the 24-hour news machine can make anyone depressed.
Someone suffering with compassion fatigue might experience physical and emotional exhaustion, moodiness, increased apathy, lack of focus, weight loss, insomnia, increased drug or alcohol use, isolation, feelings of hopelessness, loss of interest in life, guilt, and denial.
Is compassion fatigue right for your story? Puglisi suggests some questions to ask and ways to figure out the answers:
- Does It Fit for My Character?
- Have I Done My Research?
- Does It Serve My Story
