Emotional Exhaustion: 8 Questions for Diagnosis and 4 Tips for Healing

Nervous exhaustion is a manifestation of physical and moral fatigue, which is accompanied by loss of motivation, desire to work, and deterioration of the immune system. Often such disorders occur in people who have worked too hard at work without days off or breaks. Frequent stressful situations and mental stress also contribute to nervous exhaustion.

What are the reasons for such a nervous system disorder?

Before treating nervous exhaustion, it is important to determine the primary causes of this disease.

Exhaustion can occur in both men and women, without age restrictions.

These include:

— Increased physical activity for several days, weeks, months; — Lack of quality sleep and proper rest at night, insomnia ; — The presence of external irritants (problems at work, in the family, financial difficulties); — The influence of physiological factors (for example, the presence of a complex disease); — Weakening of the immune system due to a previous illness or infectious lesion of the body.

Emotional burnout - symptoms and treatment

Burnout syndrome is increasing emotional exhaustion, a psychological defense mechanism that manifests itself as complete or partial emotional deafness in response to traumatic factors. Often occurs among doctors, psychologists, teachers and people caring for children or elderly relatives. It may manifest itself as indifference to the increasing demands of the manager, a negative attitude towards “capricious” patients and clients, a feeling of professional unsuitability, etc. [6][7]

A summary of the article is in the video:

It is necessary to distinguish between emotional burnout and overwork. Overfatigue is a physiological state of the body that is a consequence of prolonged vigorous activity without rest and goes away if a person is well rested.

Example: a multi-day forced march of recruits with a break for meals and a short night's sleep. After a few days, fatigue syndrome will develop, but this condition will pass if the soldiers rest well for a day or two. Or another example: during a session, a student decided to learn all the questions for the exam in one day. Overwork occurs, but with good rest the student quickly recovers.

The term “Emotional burnout syndrome” was first introduced in 1974 by psychiatrist H. J. Freudenberg and initially meant increasing emotional exhaustion [17]. In 2001, occupational burnout syndrome was included in the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10).

The phenomenon of emotional burnout has been studied by psychologists such as Maslach, Pelman, Hartman. Christina Maslach very aptly described burnout syndrome as “the smell of burning psychological wiring” [16].

The causes of this syndrome may be:

• increased work load;
• monotonous activity;
• conflicting demands from managers;
• lack of a common goal in the team;
• employee disunity;
• lack of reward;
• inconsistency of wages with the work performed [15].

Inept team management can lead to burnout of entire departments and teams.

Signs of emotional burnout in a team:

• “sameness” of employees;
• general apathy towards what is happening;
• “serving at work” by the whole team;
• frequent smoking breaks and tea drinking;
• employees lack a clear understanding of the organization’s goals;
• high staff turnover;
• inability and unwillingness of the manager and his employees to take responsibility for what is happening and the work performed.

It is important to point out that working conditions, such as long working hours, lack of a well-equipped workplace and a clearly designated lunch break, are often the cause of chronic fatigue syndrome, which is a harbinger of emotional burnout [19].

But even if the working conditions are good and the boss is attentive, a person can still burn out due to personal characteristics. This condition develops in people with a highly developed sense of empathy, prone to sympathy and daydreaming, idealizing their work, obsessed with obsessive ideas, as well as introverts, people with low self-esteem and increased conflict [24].

Professional burnout syndrome is more common among “social” professions (social workers, medical personnel, teachers, psychologists, educators, etc.) and “communication” professions (managers, executives, lawyers, attorneys, investigators, etc.) [15]. Housewives are also quite often susceptible to burnout syndrome, especially if their spouse or close relatives do not help care for children and do not take on some of the household chores. The reason for burnout is that a woman is forced to do monotonous work every day, her work is unnoticed and is not properly appreciated.

According to research, 74% of surveyed psychologists and psychiatrists are susceptible to burnout syndrome, and burnout is more common among employees of public clinics [9]. Most likely, this indicates low pay, high requirements and responsibility when working in these institutions. Another study, which was conducted in the Republic of Belarus, indicates that 80% of psychiatrists, psychotherapists and narcologists have symptoms of emotional burnout, and almost 8% show signs leading to psychosomatic diseases [11].

Burnout is also common among psychologists. This is due to the fact that people often come to the profession in order to understand themselves and solve their personal problems. Quite often among psychologists there are bright introverts, and their professional qualities, such as empathy, altruism and dedication, “help” to quickly get into the burnout zone [11].

How to determine such a condition

Symptoms of nervous system exhaustion are quite easy to detect at any stage. Characteristic is a decrease in energy reserves, as a result of which a person feels tired even after a short rest. Additional signs of nervous exhaustion: poor quality of sleep, headaches, body aches, increased body temperature or blood pressure, increased irritability, aggressiveness, sensitivity to external factors.

Disruption of the nervous system is typical for people who work in a busy schedule, on a rotational basis, or among managers of large companies (under the influence of constant responsibility and stress). Young mothers and people with diseases of the immune system are also susceptible to the influence of external irritants.

Treatment of nervous system exhaustion

The main goal of treatment is to eliminate the cause that provoked the development of nervous exhaustion.

At Dr. Minutko’s Clinic, they use an integrated approach to treat this disorder. Therapy and rehabilitation include:

• Psychotherapy;
• Non-drug treatment methods (biofeedback, light treatment, etc.);
• Pharmacological therapy for severe cases. The drug is selected individually in each specific case. When prescribing the drug, the monotherapy method is used, which ensures the safety of use;
• Special programs to improve the general condition of the patient.

Treatment of the patient is carried out on an outpatient basis, the first consultation is carried out by a qualified psychiatrist, who draws up a diagnostic and treatment plan, prescribes the necessary tests and examinations.

Sign up for a consultation with us - we are ready to provide you with effective assistance. +7 (966)330-11-66 Exhaustion of the nervous system, symptoms and treatment. Exhaustion of the nervous system is curable!

How to overcome nervous irritation

Effective restoration of the body is possible only under the supervision of qualified doctors. The Korsakov Psychiatric Center is one of the modern institutions where the infrastructure has been developed to provide proper care and treatment in Moscow for this type of disorder, addiction and psychological illness.

A qualified psychiatrist prescribes treatment after diagnosis and guarantees positive dynamics in the recovery process.

We also recommend reading the article about low-grade schizophrenia.

How to prevent burnout syndrome

Personal strategies to prevent burnout:

1. Change your schedule: - reduce the number of hours you spend at work; - Take breaks every day. In addition to lunch, you can also have a couple of short ones; - make sure there is no over-processing. This will help overcome the syndrome.

2. Develop coping skills:

- lower your own expectations; — rethink employee behavior; — define new personal goals.

3. Use social resources:

- ask for support from your colleagues; - use the support of your friends and family.

4. Form a measured lifestyle:

— reduce the level of emotional stress (sports, hot showers, massages, etc.); — remember that there is life outside of work. This will help avoid emotional exhaustion.

5. Improve your health:

- regularly engage in sports; — sleep enough time; - choose healthy food.

6. Learn to analyze yourself:

- examine your own desires and motives; - lower your expectations, change your standards; - manage your condition.

7. Learn to say “no”:

- choose your desires.

Coach for three years

Olga Ryabinina, personality development expert, 46 years old.

Office experience: 7 years

What did you do before leaving the office: manager in the marketing service of a federal television channel

I can’t say that I terribly disliked my job, but at some point I began to realize that I was in the wrong place. It’s no secret that the responsibilities of a marketer do not have much of a creative component, but there are much more monotonous tasks that need to be performed day after day, and this is alien to my nature. But I was in no hurry to leave for several reasons. Firstly, I was supported by a good team. Secondly, a stable salary. Thirdly, interesting business trips. Plus loans that had to be paid off. And the main reason is fear and lack of understanding of which direction to move next, when the office and the schedule developed over the years will be a thing of the past! I couldn’t make the decision to quit for about 5 years. When a person puts off some important step for a long time, life itself often “throws” him out of his usual circumstances. Some people call it the “magic kick-off.”

Olga Ryabinina. Photo: From personal archive

In my case, it also partially happened. More precisely, everything coincided: the company began restructuring, but I did not move to another department, but simply quit. After signing the application, I felt great joy. Even the thought that I might have to tighten my belt for a while, as people say, did not frighten me. I was very tired (not physically, but mentally), so I gave myself the opportunity to rest, be in silence, and practically stopped going on social networks. I solved my financial issues with the help of freelancing; former colleagues, friends and acquaintances often suggested various projects. For a long time they tried to persuade me to return, but I patiently explained to everyone that there would be no turning back, and slowly began to realize my inner desires. The first thing is something that has long been in parallel with my previous work: helping people deal with internal problems and become happier. Only now I have directed my main attention to this, searching and discovering ways, learning and acting. At the same time, I gave lectures on how to find your purpose. It was during that period that I tried myself in theatrical activities: I acted as an actress, and a play was also staged based on my play.

Perhaps for some, my achievements over these three years are trifles. But for me personally this is a colossal breakthrough. I am sure that I chose the right, and most importantly, incredibly interesting path, even if I—relatively—had to start everything from scratch. Why "conditionally"? Because in fact, you don’t start from scratch, but simply continue your path in a new way. If you want to radically change your life, think in this way, otherwise the thought “I have to start everything from scratch” may simply “crush” you and your aspirations.

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Of course, each situation is individual. Some people need to quit one day and abruptly break off their relationship with a job they don’t like; for others, this path is not suitable. How to figure it out? If every morning you experience extreme stress at the mere thought of having to go to the office, you suffer from insomnia, or have other health problems, it is better to put an end to it. But in any case, next you will have to work with your inner “I”. How you do this, whether with a coach, alone or in a circle of like-minded people, does not matter. The main thing is that there is no escape from this.

Reasons for the development of CMEA

As mentioned above, emotional burnout develops due to excessive workload and fatigue. But there are other reasons:

• the need to repeat monotonous actions;
• low labor incentives;
• undeserved criticism from the outside;
• unclear tasks, unattainable goals;
• feeling of uselessness.

This condition is most often encountered by people who have a number of qualities:

• maximalism;
• responsibility;
• daydreaming;
• tendency to idealize.

Those at risk are those who abuse alcoholic drinks and energy drinks, as well as those who care for seriously ill relatives for a long period of time.

It is noteworthy that housewives can also develop SEV. They are oppressed by monotony and a feeling of uselessness. A good example is young mothers on maternity leave.

Treatment of cerebrospinal gravis

Since it is almost impossible to completely eliminate the immediate cause of cerebrovascular accident, one should strive to minimize the consequences of the brain catastrophe that has occurred by increasing the stability of nerve cells and replenishing their energy reserves.

For this purpose:

• nootropics and neuroprotectors (encephabol, noofen, actovegin);
• vascular (vinpocetine, sermion);
• vitamin complexes (milgamma, complivit).

Depending on the presence of certain manifestations, symptomatic therapy is prescribed - analgesics, sedatives, psychostimulants, antiemetics. But no medications will help if a person does not eliminate the factors that cause exacerbation of cerebrasthenic syndrome.

To prevent these factors it is necessary:

• lead a healthy lifestyle;
• take breaks while working;
• a full night's sleep;
• quitting smoking, alcohol, strong tea and coffee;
• take walks in the fresh air more often;
• alternate mental work with physical work.

Development of burnout

Moral burnout develops gradually and at first seems like banal fatigue. However, psychologists advise seeking help as early as possible.

There are several stages of emotional burnout. It all starts out quite innocently. A person wants to assert himself and stand out from others. Afterwards he becomes uninterested in what is happening around him. Suddenly the desire to communicate, play sports, and take care of your appearance disappears.

At the next level of exhaustion, conflicts with colleagues, relatives, and friends appear. He doesn’t want to resolve them, so the conflicts drag on. Then any reaction to controversial situations disappears.

Ultimately, burnout causes you to lose interest in life. A person lives by inertia, without thinking about the future.

It is noteworthy that burnout syndrome is difficult to diagnose. The “sick” person goes to work and even communicates as usual. He attributes his bad mood and communication problems to fatigue. Only those closest to him will notice his inner emptiness. The main thing is that this does not happen in the last stages of burnout.

Million on yoga

Svetlana Bogomolova, yoga instructor, 32 years old

Office experience: 10 years

What did you do before leaving the office: risk manager at the Moscow Exchange

Before becoming a teacher, I worked in the banking industry for many years. My career was going uphill - having moved from my native Kostroma to the capital, I was immediately able to get a job at the Moscow Exchange as a risk manager. Office not far from the Kremlin, interesting functionality, good salary. What more could you ask for? But, since at that time I had no friends or personal life in the new city, and I needed to do something in the evenings, I signed up for yoga. I remember the first time I came to class in a bad mood and with a lot of problems. But I left the hall in a completely different state: calm and joyful. Unnoticed, I got involved and began to practice yoga regularly, going to classes at 7 in the morning before work. At a time when most people were just waking up, I was already standing in asanas.

Svetlana Bogomolova. Photo: From personal archive

I have always really enjoyed studying. For this reason, after moving to Moscow, I received a second degree, and after three years of yoga classes, I decided to train as a teacher. These were intensive courses that lasted two weeks. From 5 am to 10 pm we meditated, did yoga, and studied theory. Surprisingly, in just 14 days I learned to do much more with my body than in the previous 3 years! It was there that I realized that I wanted to teach and that I could do it.

I assembled my first group from colleagues from the Moscow Exchange: I rented a hall on Tverskaya and studied with them there at lunchtime for a nominal fee. Then I was just gaining experience and looked at the sequence of asanas on a piece of paper, because they gave a lot of information at the training.

One day I decided to go to a new yoga studio just for myself. Its owner immediately noticed me and asked where I had worked out before. I said that I was a teacher and was now looking for a job. As a result, he invited me to take a course in apnea yoga, since his studio specializes in it, and to work for him. That's how we started collaborating. At that time, I had no life, but one continuous job: in the morning - office, at lunch - yoga with colleagues, then - office again, in the evening - yoga again. I lived in this rhythm for about a year. Gradually, thoughts began to appear in my head that it would be nice to completely concentrate only on teaching. But, frankly speaking, I was not ready to give up my position at the stock exchange. Plus, I had a mortgage! Perhaps I would not have decided to make changes at all, but it so happened that some laws in the banking sector changed, and the functionality that I performed before was no longer needed. Everything came together: I was tired of working from morning to evening, I wanted to enjoy what I was doing, and at the same time changes began in the company. In the end I left. Fortunately, upon dismissal, by agreement of the parties, I was awarded several salaries.

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At first, I naturally earned about three times less from yoga alone than on the stock exchange. It’s good that by that time I had already moved into my own apartment and I only had to pay the mortgage. But even a payment of 50 thousand a month was then significant, so I had to go to the bank and restructure the debt. I won't lie, it was a little scary. For the first two months, I even tried to return to the office, went to interviews with different companies, although I understood that I no longer wanted to deal with finances and work from call to call. And, oddly enough, they didn’t take me.

When I fully engaged myself in yoga and started having individual lessons, my salary increased. There were months when I received 150 thousand. And this is not the limit. I know a teacher who earns about a million a month, since one lesson costs 10 thousand rubles. Today I have adjusted my class schedule to suit my lifestyle: when I need more money, I take on more clients. But at the same time, I don’t disappear in the office every day, I have time for my family and for myself.

I am convinced that if a person does his own business, what he loves, he will be successful and in demand. It doesn't matter who you are, a bank employee or a plumber. Do you want to be a manicurist or yoga teacher? Go towards your goal. Don’t sit still waiting for a miracle, take steps towards your dream, because our lives are too short, and we spend at least 8 hours a day at a job we don’t like!

Away from the office. How to properly organize the process when working from home Read more

How to deal with burnout

• Decide if you are ready to find a new job. Weekends may not be enough. Vacation will be beneficial. You can go to the sea or to the countryside. The main thing is to exclude work issues and tasks. At all. It's time to admit to yourself that there is a lot more interesting things in life besides work. And overcome the syndrome.
• Divide a sheet of paper in half. Write down in the right column everything about the work you have now. To the left - about the one you dream about. The differences between them are the causes of burnout. It is important to change them.
• Limit the number of daily contacts if your work involves people. If this doesn't help, transfer to another department.
• Do yoga or go stretching.
• Take a relaxing massage course.
• Sign up for dancing or swimming.
• Meditate, do breathing exercises. They will help you cope.
• If you cannot overcome the problem yourself, seek help from a psychologist.

How to find out CMEA

As can be seen from the symptoms described, EBS or emotional burnout syndrome is easily confused with other psychosomatic disorders. Four main distinctive features will help you avoid this:

1. The “patient” is so exhausted morally that he does not feel pleasure from anything. He is in constant stress and experiences only negative emotions. As a result, work and relationships with others suffer.
2. The desire to develop in the profession disappears. It seems to a person that no one appreciates his work, so he can work at half capacity. Burnout can happen in other areas of life as well. For example, many people don’t see the point in taking care of themselves. “It won’t get better anyway,” they say.
3. Psycho-emotional exhaustion will not disappear even after proper rest. Returning to work, the person will be just as unhappy, tired and joyless.
4. Psychological burnout is based on anger, irritability and malice. This is its main difference from depression. It seems to a person that he is doing everything well, but for some reason those around him are opposed.

At first, this condition does not cause alarm. However, over time, it increasingly changes not only a person, but also his attitude towards life. He may lose his job because he cannot cope with his responsibilities. Also, such people are often turned away by loved ones who can no longer tolerate constant negativity.

Severe depression causes

Severe depression usually occurs for two reasons: psychological and physiological.

For psychological reasons, depression can develop as a result of stress or any traumatic situation. This could be the death of a loved one or relative, physical or moral violence, a terrible disaster in which a person became a participant, and many others. Usually, after two months, the depressive state can go away, but without proper help it drags on and severe depression can develop.

A number of seemingly insignificant unpleasant life situations present in a person’s life for quite a long time can become a source of constant stress. Lack of material resources; work that doesn't bring you joy; forced living with unpleasant people; deterioration in the quality of life due to any chronic disease - all this can be attributed to a constant stressful situation.

Severe depression can develop due to frustration - a condition in which a person constantly feels that his desires are impossible to fulfill.

An existential crisis can simultaneously act as both a cause and a manifestation of depression. It is expressed in the loss of life goals, a feeling of the meaninglessness of existence, and an imbalance of harmony.

The physiological causes of depression have completely different roots. Alcohol and drug use, menopause, cerebrovascular accidents, severe fatigue, chronic diseases, lack of proper nutrition - this is just a small list of physiological disorders that can lead to severe depression. An important fact is that depression rarely develops for any one reason; often several factors lead to it. And successful treatment is only possible if all the causes of this mental disorder are taken into account.

Home care for people with dementia

Caring for older people with dementia is based on the constant presence of a caregiver next to the patient. Considering that a loved one is losing most life skills, the support of a caregiver is required throughout the day in all activities.

Care for mild dementia

The patient is helped to perform morning hygiene procedures, get dressed, and get himself in order. Food is prepared for him and he is fed 5 times a day. Correlate diet and medication schedule. Physiological functions are monitored. If the elderly person does not maintain control of the toilet, a diaper is put on him and changed when he is full.

If motor skills are preserved, the ward is taken for a walk. Fresh air stimulates the functioning of the whole body, filling the lungs with oxygen.

It is advisable to conduct classes on the development of cognitive abilities in the first half of the day. At this time, the brain is more active. The materials used for classes are:

• Crosswords;
• Board games;
• collections of exercises.

Physical exercise is also beneficial for the patient. It is recommended to do gymnastics in the morning, breathing exercises, and accustom the ward to Nordic walking.

Treatment of the disease should be under the supervision of a physician. Periodically, a psychiatrist is called to the patient’s home so that the doctor can assess the elderly person’s condition and make timely adjustments to the treatment regimen.

Care for severe dementia

When a patient with dementia loses the ability to move, it is necessary to care for him as for a bedridden patient. Much attention during care is paid to preventing the occurrence of bedsores. The patient's position is regularly changed: they are turned over on the right and left side, on the back, placing the limbs comfortably. They massage those places where the patient has been lying for a long time, avoiding tissue atrophy. The bedding is changed frequently, even if there are small areas of soiling.

For an elderly person, choose comfortable clothes without rough seams made from natural cotton. The lower part of the kit must be securely fastened so that the patient cannot tear off the diapers on his own. In an unconscious state, the patient can stain himself and the bed with the contents, scratch his skin, and cause an infection.

You may also be interested in the article: Proper care for bedridden patients

Food for an elderly person with dementia should be of a liquid consistency: problems arise with chewing and swallowing food. When feeding, the patient is seated, placing pillows under his back. For drinks, closed sippy cups are used. The food is served at a warm temperature. People with senile dementia will not be able to cool it down on their own. And cold dishes cause aversion in a seriously ill person.

How to overcome burnout

How to deal with moral exhaustion syndrome? Treatment directly depends on the form of the “disease”. For example, the following measures will help get rid of a lung:

• reduce the load;
• share responsibility;
• set and achieve realistic goals;
• don’t panic if something goes wrong;
• realistically assess the possibilities.

Also, if possible, you should replace mental stress with physical activity, for example, by playing sports or just taking a walk. If you wish, you can relax in a sanatorium.

How to treat chronic exhaustion?

1. You need to learn to say no. Don't take on extra work or responsibility. Let everyone fulfill their duties.
2. Charge yourself with positive emotions. Walking with friends or going to the theater or museum will help here.
3. Tell someone about your problems and together look for the right solution.
4. Build relationships with colleagues.
5. Communicate with self-confident people who are not prone to developing the syndrome.
6. Find a pleasant hobby, do something new.
7. Take short breaks during the working day.
8. If your exhaustion is related to your job, you may need to change your job.

There is another way to fix the situation. You need to write down the reasons for your condition on a piece of paper. It is important to be as honest as possible. After that, think about possible ways to solve problems.

If necessary, psychologists recommend consulting a doctor. He will prescribe medications that will help you calm down and relax, at least for a short period of time.