Diagnosis Burnout, what now?

The burnout syndrome or the diagnosis of burnout is considered to be the number 1 national disease. This sounds sloppy and does not do justice to the suffering of those affected.

It is a phenomenon that is invisible and often incomprehensible to outsiders.

For Burnoutbetroffene represent with advanced process already simplest everyday tasks such as personal hygiene, housekeeping and other obligations sheer insurmountable hurdles.

People with burnout can spend many hours, days and weeks doing nothing. They justify this condition with being burnt out.

To outsiders who are not fully informed about burnout and its consequences, the typical signs of burnout syndrome give the impression that the person concerned is simply lazy.

For he sleeps a lot, lies down frequently and rests – seemingly – constantly.

However, this assessment is completely wrong and prejudices contribute to the aggravation of the already fatal situation of burnout sufferers.

Recognizing burnout & The problem with the burnout diagnosis

Burnout is not a recognized disease. Although burnout syndrome is not questioned by orthodox medicine.

However, sometimes there is no ICD-10 classification, which makes diagnosis and therapy difficult.

Examining physicians are forced to bill health insurers for an alternative disease code.

This is why patients diagnosed with burnout are often officially diagnosed with depression, which also leads to a lack of targeted therapy.

Patients are regularly treated with psychotropic drugs for depression, although leading scientists agree that treatment with anti-depressants can be helpful for depression as a side effect or consequence of the changed life situation, but cannot treat burnout itself.

An adequate burnout therapy usually fails to materialize.

About this serious problem with Burnout reports the Internet portal Burnout syndrome assistance.eu in detail.

As a person affected or a family member, you will find a lot more information and tips there.

What is burnout and how does it affect those affected??

Burnout is a serious state of exhaustion resulting from the fact that the person concerned has performed at the highest level over a long period of time and has not enjoyed sufficient physical and/or mental rest.

As a result, all energy reserves have been used up – and even worse: the ability to rest adequately has been lost.

First of all, a sense of duty, a high level of responsibility, pressure to perform and the self-demand to do justice to everything and everyone at all times prevent people from simply shifting down a gear and saying no more often.

Consideration for oneself and the observance of extended breaks take second place to all other tasks.

Warning signals from body and mind are not perceived

Even physical and mental warning signals are ignored when the symptoms of burnout first become apparent:

• Exhaustion,
• Fatigue,
• Listlessness,
• depressive moods,
• Excessive demands,
• frequent sickness,
• sleep disturbances etc..

These are warning signals that the body sends out to force the organism to rest.

But instead of paying attention to these warning signals, the very last reserves of energy are mobilized in order to continue to fulfill all tasks as usual.

This creates a fatal vicious circle, because the brain generates many other symptoms, which are also ignored.

The Burnout-Syndrome continues its course, which can reach in 12 steps up to serious physical illnesses, depressions and suicidal tendencies.

diagnosis Burnout – often by chance

As already mentioned, depression can be a consequence of the burnout syndrome.

The life circumstances of those affected change dramatically and lead to enormous self-doubt, constant excessive demands, fatigue and the inability to perform everyday tasks, causing the greatest dissatisfaction and depression.

The burnout is therefore often accompanied by social and financial problems. It is not uncommon for conflicts to arise within the family and partnership.

At the workplace, conflicts also increasingly arise when work is left undone or can no longer be done properly.

Affected people often face the accusation of being lazy. Although this is anything but justified.

As a relative or work colleague, you have to take a close look and remember how the affected person was before: reliable, extremely dedicated, perfectionist, and hardworking. Performance and change of character through burnout are in stark contrast to this.

To impute laziness and to reproach the person concerned is unjustified and wrong.

Instead, understanding, support and offers of help are the right way to help.

Diagnosis Burnout, from kitchen table diagnosis to diagnosis

The diagnosis of burnout is often raised by the social environment. For example, when friends, family members or work colleagues inquire on the Internet about the reasons for the increasingly noticeable symptoms.

Kitchen-table diagnostics” are no substitute for a reliable diagnosis by a specialist, but they can point the way to the right diagnosis.

Once the assumption has been made that it could be burnout syndrome, further steps for diagnosis and therapy can be initiated in a targeted manner.

Outsiders can be helpful in seeking a discussion with the family doctor, psychotherapist or psychiatrist and in making sure that the next best diagnosis is not simply used for billing reasons.

It is important to keep in mind that burnout is neither a physical nor a psychological disease, at least for the time being, which makes it difficult for medical professionals to initiate a targeted therapy.

It is true that existing symptoms and complaints must be treated by a specialist.

The symptoms of burnout can be both physical and psychological. Ultimately, however, it is a matter of a deep state of exhaustion.

The main focus of burnout therapy should therefore be on sufficient recovery measures that help to gradually replenish depleted energy reserves and better manage resource consumption in the future.

This is a long and arduous process that must be supported by the social environment.

This clarifies also this extensive councellor in the pharmacist Umschau.

Burnout therapy: A long and arduous path with many detours

Because burnout is not yet recognized as a disease, therapy is immensely difficult.

Due to the diffuse symptoms, it is not clear where burnout patients are really in good hands and where they can get effective professional support.

Patients are prescribed anti-depressants and talking therapies. The health insurance companies bear the costs for this.

Meanwhile, many doctors are reluctant to write long sick notes and to prescribe spa stays lasting several weeks or even several months.

However straight long Auszeiten, much rest and little pressure are the therapeutic measures, which – accompanied with a comprehensive change of the everyday life organization – at all from the Burnout can lead.

A short time out from everyday life or a restful vacation is not enough!

Even a longer-lasting rehab measure can only conditionally, but unfortunately often not sustainably provide for recovery. Patients are then recommended, for example, an outpatient cure in a day clinic following a stay in a health resort.

The daily journey to the day clinic as well as the perception of appointments and applications alone is difficult, because burnout patients lack any drive and appointments are accompanied by a high internal pressure, so that an outpatient therapy can lead to an internal blockade and aggravate the burnout symptoms again.

Long-term treatment is usually necessary

In the long term, the only way out of burnout is to avoid stress and to consistently ensure sufficient recovery phases.

Psychotherapy, evt. Taking anti-depressants (if the burnout is actually accompanied by depression) and relieving the burden of everyday life also support the recovery process in the case of burnout syndrome.

Medical experts also see employers as having a duty to create appropriate working conditions at the workplace for affected employees and to pay more attention to burnout prevention.