Survival Fatigue
When survival becomes a way of life, the cost begins to build quietly.
Burnout.
Compassion fatigue.
Delayed crashes.
Exhaustion that lingers beneath functioning.
I stay with invisible labour and the grief that can sit beneath strength.
I am learning that rest, pacing, and community care are not luxuries.
They are part of how I keep going, gently and sustainably.
Themes Within This Chapter
States of Exhaustion
Burnout, freeze, compassion fatigue – tired beyond words.
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Living on High Alert
When the body remains braced, even in calm moments.
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Performing Survival
Continuing to function while something inside feels frayed.
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Invisible Weight
Labour and responsibility that quietly accumulate.
Often unnoticed until the body begins to struggle.
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Erosion of Self
The slow fading of joy, curiosity, and ease.
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Pathways to Resistance
Rest, pacing, and collective care as gentler ways forward.
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