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WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 25, 2008) - Many servicemembers who
have experienced combat, and their families, are familiar with the
term "combat stress." The effects of combat, however, aren't
limited to those directly connected to the experience.
Stress can affect anyone who cares for those individuals, Dr.
Joseph Bobrow, a clinical psychologist, told representatives of
more than 100 troop-support organizations gathered at the Pentagon
for the third annual America Supports You National Summit here
today.
America Supports You is a Defense Department program connecting
citizens and corporations with military personnel and their
families serving at home and abroad.
"One of the things that we've learned from experience and
research is that 'compassion fatigue,' and the potential for
burning out, is not just limited to psychotherapists," he said.
"Family members who are caring for wounded veterans are at risk.
Veteran service workers, like yourselves, (and) volunteers (are at
risk)."
Bobrow, who also is executive director of the Coming Home
Project, a troop-support organization, said becoming overwhelmed by
the experience of caring for servicemembers and their families is
the nature of that work.
"We can anticipate this happening," he said. "It doesn't
necessarily … mean a psychiatric disorder, just like post-traumatic
stress … is not necessarily a psychiatric disorder.
"In fact, it's the body, mind and soul's way of coping with an
impossible situation," he explained.
Volunteers can easily fall victim to emotions similar to those
that they aim to ease in their charges, he told the support group
members. "The same seed of empathy and compassion that draws us to
the work that we do, if it's taken to an extreme, is the same seed
that could lead us down the slippery slope to burnout," Bobrow
said.
Burnout, or compassion fatigue, can be overcome, but it's better
to avoid it to begin with, he said. Incorporating positive thoughts
and actions into daily life builds resiliency against burnout.
He offered the group several suggestions on how to stave off
compassion fatigue, most notably the need to develop the ability to
recognize when things start to get overwhelming. When that happens,
it's good for individuals to know what refreshes them, he said.
Keeping their attitudes about the work they're doing fresh and
upbeat isn't just healthy for volunteers. It can be one of the best
things for the people they're working with, Bobrow told the
group.
"Our own capacity for peace and joy and well-being … is really,
fundamentally, what we end up giving the next person," he said.
"That's what people pick up from us, so if our batteries have run
out, then we're no longer those agents of compassion."
Bobrow shared his experiences and advice with two groups during
the summit. Army Lt. Gen. Carter F. Ham, operations director for
the Joint Staff, and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates also
addressed the group, as did Allison Barber, deputy assistant
secretary of defense for internal communications and public
liaison, the architect of the America Supports You program.
Breakout sessions from the summit were recorded and will be
available on the America Supports You Web site.
Editor's Note: Military families can also avail
themselves of the Defense Department's America Supports You
program, which highlights home-front groups across the nation that
are providing a variety of services and support to troops and their
families. A listing of these groups and information about their
efforts is available at www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil.
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