Burnout is a complex clinical picture and burnout treatment is correspondingly complex. Those affected feel, among other things, exhausted, burned out, disctreatment ouraged, depressed, listless and suffer from sleep disorders. The syndrome has multiple effects on the state of health and consequently on the professional and private life of patients.
This makes it all the more urgent that patients receive appropriate and timely treatment. In the following, we will introduce you to what can be done against burnout and how you can help yourself to some extent.1. Diagnosis of burnout
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The problem with burnout is that many symptoms overlap with those of depression. In this respect, a correct diagnosis should first be made before burnout treatment can be initiated. The family doctor is best to refer you to a psychiatrist, psychologist or psychotherapist who can clarify whether the criteria of depression, burnout or another illness are more likely to be met.
It is characteristic of burnout that the complaints are often closely related to the professional activity of the person concerned: excessive demands, work overload, own unfavorable performance patterns, lack of appreciation and too little consideration often enter into an unholy alliance.
Ideally, you log your complaints so that the therapist can get as accurate a picture as possible. Sometimes different clinical pictures mix, for example, due to permanent overload, an anxiety disorder can be one of the consequences. 2.Sick leave – The first step to recovery
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It is essential that burnout patients first distance themselves from the situation that made them ill. Often, therefore, at the beginning of the recovery process, the burnout sick leave, because otherwise those affected have poor chances to escape the burnout spiral. Sick leave refers to a longer sick leave, because no burnout can be treated within a few days.
It may also be advantageous if patients temporarily remove themselves completely from their familiar environment, for example by spending several weeks in a clinic specializing in burnout treatment. The change of location can also help to gain internal distance: The new environment can provide fresh impulses, new social contacts are made and there is the chance to track down personal problems and behavioral patterns over the course of several weeks as part of intensive therapy.3. Three pillars of burnout treatment: psychotherapy, exercise and relaxation, medication
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Psychotherapy is indispensable for burnout treatment. In most cases, it is not only social and workplace-related problems that those affected have to deal with, but also certain patterns that are based on the personality of the individual. Above all, too high expectations of oneself, wrong performance patterns, inability to conflict and too great striving for harmony should be mentioned. Burnout sufferers not only very often want to do everything themselves and everything perfectly (and even more perfect than perfect!), but they often also have difficulties to differentiate themselves and sometimes say “no”. These are topics that are taken up in psychotherapy. Here it is important to consider which psychotherapeutic school is most suitable for you personally.
Sitting in front of the computer until late in the evening, poring over files into the night and/or no real boundary between private and professional life: Those affected by burnout have often forgotten how to actively move in a targeted manner and thus reduce stress and do something for their health. There is supposedly no time for sport and exercise, but it is much more complex to treat diseases that have (also) arisen due to lack of exercise. It is very important that the body is reactivated, because sport, for example, not only has very positive influences on our brain metabolism (for example, the mood and the ability to concentrate), but also helps to reduce stress hormones, whereby the external movement can release the inner rigidity in the long run.
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Often burnout sufferers are only focused on their work and their obligations and do not even notice that they are always thinking about the same topics and are completely stuck. Sport can release this inner imprisonment. In addition, exercise sets many other physiological processes in the body in motion, so that the person becomes more resilient both mentally and physically. Of course, if you haven’t moved for a long time, you should start with small steps. It can be helpful to take a half-hour or one-hour walk in the fresh air every day, walk faster over time and then slowly increase to Nordic walking or other sports. This is also an important element of burnout treatment.
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Together with the psychiatrist or psychotherapist, it should also be considered whether drug therapy with antidepressants is indicated. This can be a temporary solution until other measures work better, and is especially worth considering if other symptoms such as anxiety, sleep disturbances or panic attacks occur. However, it may be worth trying to try herbal remedies (for example, to promote sleep) first. Although antidepressants work in two-thirds of all cases, they also have side effects as chemical interventions in the organism. In this respect, they are only the second choice for burnout treatment. 4.Self-help tips
Enclosed you will find a few tips on how you can help yourself a bit:
- Eat a healthy diet and ensure an adequate intake of vitamins, trace elements and omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids protect the brain, heart and nerves.
- Play a sport of your choice.
- Maintain contacts with friends and family.
- Try to avoid nicotine, alcohol, caffeine and medication to calm you down or reduce your consumption.
- Go regularly to nature, for example to the forest, to the sea, to the mountains, etc.
- Incorporate targeted relaxation exercises and breaks. Breathing techniques can help here, muscle relaxation according to Jacobsen and the like.
- Make sure you get regular and adequate sleep and regular recovery periods.
- Do something in your free time with friends or like-minded people.
- Cultivate hobbies that you have neglected or get new ones.
- Try to communicate your worries and fears to at least one person you trust. This can be a friend, a pastor or someone else.
- Question whether you are not asking too much of yourself, and whether you are constantly overtaxing yourself. The inner performance patterns have a big influence on us.
- Read good books that deal with your problem (for example, by Anthony Richards, “Burnout. Why we lose our strength”).
- Perhaps in the medium term a change of job or a professional reorientation should be considered.
- Pay attention to burnout prevention