Compassion fatigue is the result of excess empathy rather than of a lack of sympathy...the process of continuing putting oneself in the shoes of the suffering and in distress, and feeling their feelings , leads to a secondary traumatic stress ( STS) which leads to the gradual physical and and emotional exhaustion, to the burn out of compassion.

Those suffering from such burnout should not be condemned, they should be understood and helped and taught coping strategies....they should not be regarded as psychopaths.