Burnout Therapist

The pressure to always be more, to be better and faster: who doesn’t suffer from that? Maybe you always ask the maximum of yourself: that you do your work well, exercise regularly, eat healthily, make time for your partner and children, and have a social life as well. Sometimes this works out fine, but sometimes it doesn’t. Especially when external circumstances throw a spanner in the works.

If something drastic happens in your private life, or a crisis arises at work, you can become overworked or even sit at home with burnout. And you’re really not the only one. Besides anxiety disorders and depression, burnout is one of the three most common causes of long-term absenteeism. Do you suspect that you are overworked or suffering from burnout? A therapist can give you the tools to get back on your feet.

Difference between overworked and burnout

Overworked

The terms ‘overworked’ and ‘burnout’ are often used interchangeably and also overlap a bit. Being overworked is often the preliminary stage of being burned out. Often, a situation from the near past is the cause of overstressing. The healing process is, therefore, faster than with burnout.

Burnout

In burnout, you have ignored your limits for an extended period of time. This persistent state of being overworked and exposed to stress causes burnout. Stress is a natural reaction to threatening situations. Your body is, therefore, in a continuous state of alert, looking for ways to resolve the threatening situation. This requires a lot of energy. Because of this prolonged (emotional) overburdening a disturbed energy balance occurs. This gives you the feeling of being burnt out.

Someone with burnout does not necessarily have to have a psychological disorder. However, in a severe burnout, it is possible that you also develop an anxiety or mood disorder (such as depression). Therefore, severe burnout does often involve mental disorders.

Symptoms of burnout

You can recognize burnout by the following symptoms:

• Reduced physical functioning or even complete physical exhaustion: you are always tired and simple tasks take too much energy.
• Insomnia: you worry a lot and therefore sleep poorly, making it difficult to get out of bed in the morning. This contributes to physical exhaustion.
• Increased sensitivity and emotional moods: you have a short fuse or can burst into tears.
• Reduced performance at work: you are indifferent towards your work or unable to work at all.
• Reduced social functioning: contact with others requires too much energy.
• Decreased resistance: you are sick more often and suffer from headaches and neck pain.
• Changed appetite: you have more or less need to eat.
• Changed libido: you have more or less desire for sex.
• Indifference: you can no longer enjoy positive things.

Causes of burnout

Burnout is often work-related because most of us spend most of our time at work and experience the most stress there. But of course, this does not have to be the case. You can also experience too much stress in your private life.

Anyone can get burnout

Whether you work a lot or a little, anyone can get burnout. It does depend on the way you deal with stress. If you are a perfectionist, or like to have control over everything, you probably experience stress quickly. Also, certain professions have relatively more work pressure. For example, burnouts are common among people who work in education, healthcare or business services. Also, more women than men suffer from burnout.