Compassion Fatigue
Compassion Fatigue
Garda personnel, especially those on the frontline, routinely encounter critical incidents and may interact with people who have suffered violence, abuse, injuries and even fatalities. Compassion fatigue is sometimes described as "the cost of caring". It develops because you are empathetic to those you are helping. But it can be overwhelming to be exposed to traumatic events and if not addressed, you could begin to feel a numbness or find that you are unable to act decisively and cope with work.
Signs and Symptoms
Compassion fatigue tends to be a gradual process. It can develop due to an accumulation of things. Signs and symptoms may include:
- Feeling emotionally numb and/or drained
- Wanting to isolate from colleagues, family and friends
- Overwhelmed by negative feelings – nothing is going well, nothing will change etc
- Losing compassion towards people
- Feeling irritable and angry on a regular basis, even over small things
- Headaches
- Changes in eating habits
- Low or no energy
- Not sleeping and/or feeling tired most of the time
If you are experiencing these signs and symptoms, please contact one of the support services listed in the advice section below.
Advice
Everyone has periods where they feel overwhelmed but if you notice this has been going on for a while, there are things you can do around self-care and/or contacting the services listed below.
Self-care:
- Try to leave work behind you at the end of the day/shift. Create a routine that signals to your mind and body that work is finished and you can begin to decompress.
- Find some healthy ways to “switch off” both alone and with other people e.g. exercise, a hobby, mindfulness, reading, classes etc
- Create your own support network. Spend time in the company of people you enjoy being around – family, friends and colleagues
- Pay attention to your sleep patterns and try to establish a good sleep routine
- Eat well so that you have enough energy to sustain and nourish you.
Seek help
As an employee of AGS, you can contact the Inspire 24/7 Helpline at any time on 1800 817 433. The service is free and confidential. You do not need to be “in crisis” to use this service, you can speak to someone about any concern – big or small.
You can contact any of the services/supports in An Garda Síochána including:
Employee Assistance Service on 01 6660390 or employeeassistance@garda.ie
Peer Supporters – a full list of peer supporters is available on the portal
Chaplains
Fr. Joe Kennedy and Rev. David Pierpoint have their contact details listed on the portal.