What is burnout?
Burnout is a term used to describe a state of being exhausted, depleted, overwhelmed and unmotivated, usually in the context of work. Burnout is not a clinical diagnosis like major depressive disorder or generalized anxiety disorder. People who experience burnout are often unaware of symptoms until they become so overwhelming, they start to affect functioning or become debilitating. Burnout tends to be quite severe before a person recognizes it and seeks help. This may be because the onset is gradual, and the symptoms are easy to ignore in the beginning stages. Symptoms of burnout include fatigue, dissatisfaction with the work you do, no longer caring about a job that used to be meaningful, and stress responses in the body such as headaches, stomach aches, and changes to appetite or sleep patterns.
What causes burnout?
There is no one cause for burnout, but a typical profile with burnout is a high achieving person who has been living life at a rapid pace, placing high demands of themselves and doing so without addressing the high levels of chronic stress that result from the demanding lifestyle. People with burnout typically have difficulty balancing work with other important parts of life and tend to sacrifice essential elements to their wellness such as the need for nutrition, sleep, rest, play, and meaningful relationships. A person experiencing burnout may or may not have other underlying mental health struggles such as a trauma background, generalized anxiety, or depression, but the presence of other mental health conditions can make burnout more severe.
What does treatment look like?
Treatment for burnout begins with a thorough assessment aimed at identifying thoughts, feelings and behaviors that are keeping a person stuck in a negative feedback loop. For example, as a work deadline approaches a person stays later at the office and misses dinner which frustrates their partner. This creates tension in the relationship. Rather than addressing the issue with their partner, the person avoids the confrontation and instead throws themselves further into their work which further aggravates their partner. This weakens their support system which increases their stress level and makes being home unpleasant. This leads to more avoidance, which further aggravates their spouse, increases stress levels and makes them want to stay away from home and so on and so forth. After identifying where a person is getting stuck, treatment focuses on how to interrupt these types of cycles and establish new patterns of responding to the demands of life.
This can involve learning to tolerate the discomfort of saying no, setting boundaries, repairing relationships, addressing perfectionism and resting. And yes, doing all those things can be extremely uncomfortable. The good news is that once a person recognizes their symptoms and decides to get help, they can ultimately recover from burnout and regain the life satisfaction they once enjoyed.
Sarah Hunter, LCSW 