Physical and Emotional Stress

Physical and Emotional Stress

When animals are traumatized, we are traumatized.

Animal slaves that perform suffer from severe physical and emotional abuse. You may be like many other people who feel their suffering when you grieve for them.

If you are like the many people that weep uncontrollably, stress out, get depressed, vomit, grieve, can't sleep at night and/or experience physical outrage or even if you are a guy and just get a little tear in your eye, you are, in effect, suffering from the animals' abuse. And you are not alone.

In addition, some of us feel guilty going about our daily lives. It is sometimes difficult to laugh when we know that while we are laughing animals are suffering in circuses, laboratories, factory farms, in cruel people's homes and other situations.

It is stressful just knowing that it is legal to continue this abuse in the United States.

If you experience these stressful emotions for these animals after reading stories like this (www.circuses.com/anwhosuffold.html or www.aapn.org/circus2.html), you should express it in your letters. And paraphrase what really upsets you from these stories.

Compassion Fatigue

Compassion Fatigue is the natural consequence of stress resulting from caring for and helping traumatized or suffering people or animals (Figley, 1993). Long-recognized as an epidemic among emergency care workers and rescue personnel, compassion fatigue among animal care workers has only come to the forefront in the last few years. Compassion fatigue is classified as secondary traumatic stress disorder. Irritability, sleeplessness, emotional withdrawal, anxiety, isolation, and feelings of helplessness and inadequacy are among the reported symptoms.