How do you cope with burnout while documenting forced disappearances?

[Mark.G]

I’ve been volunteering with a group documenting cases of forced disappearance, and the sheer scale of it is overwhelming. I’m starting to feel like just recording names and dates isn’t enough when families wait decades for any truth. How do others working on this cope with the feeling that the work is never done?

[EllaW]

I volunteer too, and I try to take it one case at a time. When we finally speak a name aloud at a community meeting, the room breathes. That tiny moment makes the scale feel a little less crushing, even if the list keeps growing.

[GeorgeA]

Sometimes I wonder if what we call progress is just moving three steps forward and two steps back. The problem might be the system, not the disappearances themselves.

[WilliamKJ]

I set a tiny weekly goal to verify one lead or contact a family member for an update. Some weeks we miss, others we find a new angle. It helps to count something, even if it isn’t perfect.

[EricH]

I get overwhelmed and I skip days. Then a family member texts me a photo, and suddenly I remember why we started this.

[Ryan_M]

What if the real problem isn’t the disappearances but the gap between what families want and what our registry can deliver?

[Avery_T]

I drifted into a side project, started writing letters with a colleague to families about what we can and can't share. It slowed me down, but it kept my hands busy on something concrete.

[Riley.M]

Some days I sleep badly, other days I have a small win like a family recognizing a name on our list. It’s not closure, but it is a thread.