Caregiver fatigue is a type of exhaustion and burnout experienced as a result of continually caring for and empathizing with traumatized patients. When listening to tales of abuse or horror, or when tending to bodies that have been ravaged by sickness or violence, caregivers feel their patients’ distress. For this reason, caregiver fatigue is also known by the name “secondary traumatic stress.” The symptoms of secondary traumatic stress can resemble those of posttraumatic stress disorder, such as nightmares, emotional numbing, and an exaggerated startle response. Secondary stress may also lead
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