Stress at work and its consequences
The first Apple personal computer appeared 20 years ago and carried humanity into a brave new world. A car flies into space, a female android is granted citizenship, social networks help win presidential elections. The most valued personal quality is speed: speed of action, speed of learning, speed of living. Those who fall behind in the marathon end up on the social sidelines. Technology has a particularly strong influence on the labour market and the business environment. The situation is this: success stories are in fashion, work is a cult, and there is no time to rest.
As early as 2000, the Institute and Outpatient Clinic of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany published an article entitled “Burnout syndrome: a disease of modern society?”. Eighteen years later, that title can confidently be written without the question mark. Burnout syndrome is one of the most common mental health disorders among the adult working population of European countries.
What is burnout syndrome and how is it diagnosed?
A person who experiences chronic stress, most often at work, and does not address it will most likely end up developing burnout syndrome.
Symptoms of burnout: exhaustion, apathy, sleep disturbances, depersonalisation, dissatisfaction with oneself and one’s work.
If you find yourself often staying late at work, waking reluctantly in the morning and putting work off until the deadline, while feeling physically tired, take these signals from your body seriously.
Burnout also extends beyond the emotional side of health. The Swiss clinic CALDA reports that burnout syndrome is observed in patients with impaired adrenal function.
Burnout: treat it or endure it?
Like any mental health disorder, burnout syndrome deserves attention. At the very least, burnout noticeably reduces quality of life. A sense of constant physical and mental fatigue traps a person between a string of grey working days and bed. Losing one’s job is one of several unpleasant consequences of burnout. Sleep disturbances and physical exhaustion lead to serious health problems.
How is chronic fatigue syndrome treated?
The first thing to do when you notice symptoms of burnout is to stop and give yourself time to rest.
Seek help from an experienced specialist. A therapist will help you deal with the consequences of burnout and prevent a relapse.
Psychotherapist and psychoanalyst Claudia Elsig, CEO of the CALDA clinic, has for 20 years been helping patients with a variety of mental health disorders regain freedom and control over their own lives.
During treatment for burnout, it is important to learn to protect yourself and set personal boundaries, Dr Elsig believes.
Alongside work on the patient’s psychological state, CALDA pays close attention to the body’s biochemical balance. For burnout, therapy at the clinic is also directed at regenerating the adrenal glands.
By following all your doctor’s recommendations, you will quickly regain your energy and joy in life.
