Compassion Fatigue- fatigue, emotional distress, or apathy resulting from the constant demands of caring for others or from constant appeals from charities (dictionary.com).
Compassion fatigue was typically applied to nurses and doctors; the over exposure to crisis' made them calloused and unable to react sympathetically. But now compassion fatigue is often found to be used to refer to what most Westerners suffer; because of the Internet, television and mass media we now have full coverage and full access to the needs of the world. We've had so many images of starving African children with swollen bellies and flies in their eyes that it's become ironic rather than motivating; images such as these have become so common to us that they are like white noise and something in us just shuts off.
There is another side of compassion fatigue and that's what you see happen to so many humanitarian workers; they've been working so hard, for so long, with little results that it can turn them cynical and hardened; some pull away entirely.
No matter where you are at, compassion fatigue is nothing to be ashamed of; we've all experienced it on some level and probably will wrestle with it again because it's our natural response to such extensive and constant demands- We weren't made to carry this kind of weight on our own strength. Without the daily filling of Holy Spirit, without God being your source, you will surely burn out. We weren't made to do this on our own, however, God may not call the equipped but He equips those He calls and you are called to love mercy, act justly, and walk humbly.
Ask God to show you areas of your life where compassion fatigue may have been draining you and ask Him how to overcome it.
If you'd like to read more about overcoming compassion fatigue click here: Overcoming Compassion Fatigue
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