Advocacy fatigue

Advocacy fatigue describes the deep, cumulative exhaustion experienced by those—most often parents or disabled people—who must constantly fight for support, access, or justice in systems that resist change. It reflects the toll of being required to document harm, repeat personal stories, and remain composed in the face of dismissal or delay.
This fatigue is not weakness or failure; it is evidence of a system that demands too much. When families are forced to become case managers, legal experts, and public relations strategists just to protect their children, burnout becomes inevitable—and politically revealing.