Whether you are a supervisor or worker, you may not be the best judge of your own stress as you become intensely involved in the disaster work. A buddy system, where coworkers agree to keep an eye on each other’s stress reactions, can be very important.44
| Free-floating anger or misplaced anger | Irritability or excessive crying |
| Substance abuse | Chronic tardiness |
| Helplessness | Cynicism, apathy |
| Professional Isolation | Confusion |
| Hyper-arousal | Avoidance or emotional “numbing” |
| Anxiety | Depression |
| Physical and emotional exhaustion | Headaches |
| Diminished joy, sadness | Diminished sense of personal accomplishment |
| Insomnia, sleep disturbances | Workaholism |
| Hypertension | Gastrointestinal complaints & back pains |
Compassion Satisfaction/Fatigue Self-Test for Helpers - Adopted by B. Stamm and included in a chapter in C. R. Figley (Ed.) (in press), Treating Compassion Fatigue. Philadelphia: Brunner/Mazel.
Counselor Compassion Fatigue Scale – assessment tool offered in Counselor® Magazine
Case Studies: Posttraumatic stress and burnout
Click on the following links for:
Self Care
Information on Burnout and Compassion Fatigue
Definitions
Case Studies
Trauma
Self Care and Life Style Balance
Specific Steps
