TY - JOUR T1 - Compassion or empathy? A way forward to reduce GP stress and burnout JF - British Journal of General Practice JO - Br J Gen Pract SP - 193 LP - 193 DO - 10.3399/bjgp15X684469 VL - 65 IS - 633 AU - Manohar Thakur Y1 - 2015/04/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/65/633/193.abstract N2 - I have often heard from colleagues and felt myself the sense of psychological exhaustion when dealing with the particularly stressful life problems of our patients. This is part of the ‘burnout’ so often talked about in general practice.It is common experience that listening to the patient with empathy goes a long way towards helping many of them: being the ‘drug doctor’ of Balint. Empathy, according to the Oxford English Dictionary means: ‘... the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.’While this is obviously good for the patient, the person at the giving end of this empathy can find themselves emotionally drained and fatigued. This can be repeated time and again, taking its toll … ER -