This separates us from our own feelings and tends to make us treat the victim more rudely. Be aware of your problem areas and when a call of that type is handled, take special care of yourself and be conscious of your reaction to it. Develop support systems consisting of both co-workers and non emergency services workers. Give co-workers permission to not hear your problems when they don't have the psychological energy to deal with it. They are susceptible to the same pressures.
Stress is the biological link between stressor and symptom.
Cumulative stress or burnout is stress resulting from repeated exposure to stressful situations. It takes a long time to develop. As stress increases so does performance. At the optimal stress level, performance has reached it's maximum level. Should stress levels remain excessive, health will begin to erode as well.