Anyone who’s been in a position of helping a loved one or friend through illness or even death knows how demanding and draining an experience that can be. While your instinct is to be giving and compassionate, at a certain point the well runs dry- and you may find yourself unable to provide more and to feel physically or emotionally depleted as a result. That’s not abnormal or reason to feel guilty. What that is, in fact, is “compassion fatigue.”

There’ve been plenty of articles on the concept of compassion fatigue among physicians and other health care providers. But there’s been less recognition that this malady can also affect “informal” caregivers, i.e., the family members and friends who are often on the front lines of helping loved ones through illness and decline. As we know, it takes a village- and members of the village may eventually become exhausted and traumatized from the help they provide. For some examples and insights about compassion fatigue among friends and family members, take a load off your feet and read Steven Petrow’s recent piece in The Washington Post. And whether you’re a professional or a rookie, for a good source of info about this phenomenon and how to cope, find out more from The Compassion Fatigue Project.

Finally, if you’re a caregiver, one way to avoid compassion fatigue is by regularly providing some “self-care” for yourself. For a basic primer on this concept, schedule some “me” time and read more here. And find more valuable resources to help you in your caregiving role by taking a look at the agebuzz Caregiver Helpful Resources.