Comments on: How to Prevent Compassion Fade During a Pandemic

By: Shannon

Shannon — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 11:28:37 +0000

Thanks for sharing about this, Lisa. I experience the compassion fade. I remember back when the pandemic began feeling devastated at the numbers coming out of Europe (especially Italy). Then we started losing even more people here, but I felt numb to it. I think, as humans, we just can’t conceptualize the loss of over 200,000 people. My background is in nursing and public health, so I know many individuals who are on the front lines seeing this every day (some have even contracted it and ended up in the hospital). They keep reminding me of just how real it is!

By: Michele Morin

Michele Morin — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 18:25:46 +0000

Like others, I have learned some new vocabulary here, and I always get a brain boost from you, Lisa.

By: Lauren Renee Sparks

Lauren Renee Sparks — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 15:21:21 +0000

I have never heard of compassion fade. This was really helpful!

By: Laurie

Laurie — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 17:37:32 +0000

Thank you for teaching me the difference between compassion fatigue and compassion fade. I had never heard of the latter term before. It is true thaat when I try to picture that lage number of people, it is difficult to feel as much compassion as when I think of one special person. The numbers are just staaggering, even here in this country. Thanks for your guidance on how to fight compassion fade.

By: Jed Jurchenko

Jed Jurchenko — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 13:36:46 +0000

Lisa, the term “compassion fade” imidately caught my attention. You are so right. This pandemic is sticking around and your post is such a great reminder that I am in this for the longhaul.

As a therapist, I often hear the phrase “compassion fatigue,” but for some reason, the slightly different wording of “compassion fade” stood out to me. Thank you for the reminder not to grow weary an to keep reaching out to one person at a time.

Thank you for hosting a great link-up too!

By: Lois Flowers

Lois Flowers — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 01:05:42 +0000

Lisa, I wasn’t familiar with the term “compassion fade,” but it makes perfect sense. Thanks for the guidance about how to combat it. I haven’t had Covid, but like you, it has recently begun to “circle in closer and closer to my friends and family.” Hugs, friend.

By: Marielle

Marielle — Fri, 16 Oct 2020 22:10:31 +0000

I haven’t thought about this in these terms before. Thank you for teaching about this. I have seen the power of focusing on or ministering to the one. I try to keep that perspective in being present with one child, writing to bless just one soul, and praying for others one by one. Thank you also for sharing about Jerralea. Thanks for hosting. Have a great weekend Lisa!

By: Lesley

Lesley — Fri, 16 Oct 2020 21:51:28 +0000

This is an interesting post! It is so important to remember that behind each of the numbers there are people. One thing I really appreciate about the Scottish first minister is that whenever she announces any deaths in her Covid updates, she always offers her condolences to the families and reminds everyone that each person is important. Some media channels can report “only 3 deaths” for example, which is really insensitive to those who are mourning.
Personally I don’t know of many people who have had Covid. A friend’s mum caught it when she was in hospital for something else, but even though she’s in her 80s I’m not sure she even had any symptoms, just a positive test. And I have a friend who had all the symptoms but couldn’t get a test because it was back in April when testing was very limited here. She was ill for about two weeks but made a full recovery.

By: Barbara Harper

Barbara Harper — Fri, 16 Oct 2020 17:40:00 +0000

I had not heard the term, but I understand it. It’s one reason I don’t watch the news. Bad news upon bad news, and then the anchor switches on a smile to talk about something else, or the screen switches to a silly commercial as if none of that awful news is real. It’s overwhelming. Yet when I do hear news, I try to pray for the individuals or at least in a general way that God will work through these crises to draw people to Himself. It does help, too, to remember that no one can help everyone, but most can help someone.

I had not heard about Jerralea–I’ll go over now and check on her. We’ve had one lady in our church test positive, but she had no symptoms (but still quarantined for 2 weeks). But I’ve heard of friends with loved ones who have had it.

By: Donna

Donna — Fri, 16 Oct 2020 17:05:01 +0000

Thank you, Lisa, very timely post. I have heard this before, though working in hospice and palliative medicine, compassion fatigue is more of a threat for a natural empath like me. My problem is sometimes the opposite, I care too much and feel others’ pain too easily. I have already seen the phenomena you address today in my world, people becoming weary with it all.