Combating Compassion Fatigue

If you are a loved one of a service member or veteran and are providing them with any level of care, whether that be emotional support, logistical support, or anything in between, guess what? You're at risk for developing compassion fatigue. And you don't have to identify as a caregiver to have compassion fatigue. So what is compassion fatigue? Compassion fatigue is often referred to as the negative cost of caring, and can manifest as emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and decreased empathy (to name a few), and can ultimately affect your well-being and your ability to care for yourself, and others in your life.

So what do you do about it? For this EmpowerEd seminar, we are excited to welcome Holly Doggett, who, in addition to being a VSN Peer Leader, serves as the Executive Director of the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) in Wilmington, NC. Holly is also a veteran caregiver and will lead a discussion on what it means to be a caregiver, how it impacts relationships, how to advocate for your veteran, and most importantly for YOURSELF to prevent and combat compassion fatigue.

This seminar will help to address the following questions:

What does it mean to be a caregiver?
What are the barriers to seeing ourselves as caregivers?
How does your role impact relationships? Spouse/partner vs. parent vs child vs. sibling
How do you set limits/boundaries with family members and your spouse/partner?
How can you to be an advocate in treatment settings?
How do you battle compassion fatigue?

There will be a peer support complement event on Thursday, May 16 at 12 pm CT with Holly to discuss futher the educational content from this presenation and to support eachother as caregivers. Register HERE.

The EmpowerEd trainings/seminars are open to the wider military-affiliated community and are offered Free of charge. Encouraged participants includeemailed the spouse or partner of an active duty service member or post-service veteran, a caregiver or divorced spouse from a veteran or active duty service member, or an active duty service member or veteran.

Once registered, you will be emailed a Zoom invite to join via computer, tablet, or phone. You will also be able to access the Zoom information by viewing the event's Online Event Page. The Online Event Page can be accessed by clicking the "View the event" button in your order confirmation email, OR by selecting the "Access this event" button on the right-hand side of this page. Please find a quiet, distraction-free place to attend the session. If no one attends the session after 15 minutes the leader has the option to cancel the meeting.

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