What is compassion fatigue?

• A. Emotional exhaustion that comes from helping others over a long period, leading to symptoms like irritation and withdrawal from social situations.
• B. Increased energy from helping others.
• C. A temporary mood boost after assisting someone.
• D. Physical fatigue from intense workouts.

Answer: (A)

Compassion fatigue is emotional exhaustion that comes from prolonged exposure to others' suffering while in helping or caregiving roles. It builds up over time and shows up as irritability, withdrawal from social interactions, numbness, and a reduced ability to feel empathy. It’s about the emotional toll of repeated exposure, not just being physically tired.

This differs from the other ideas: one is a boost of energy from helping, which is the opposite of fatigue; another is a temporary mood lift after assisting someone, which also doesn’t reflect ongoing emotional depletion; and the last is physical fatigue from exercise, which is about the body, not the emotional impact of constant caregiving. In law enforcement and similar fields, compassion fatigue can affect judgment and interactions with others if not recognized and addressed.