Exhausted, they keep working and push their limits. Burn-on sufferers often suffer for years from constant stress with health consequences.
Frankfurt – Professionals who feel burned out often suffer from burnout. They feel exhausted and listless and are usually no longer able to carry out their work. But what about the people who keep working despite being exhausted? The psychotherapist Timo Schiele, together with the specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy Prof. Bert te Wildt, has now defined the term burn-on in their book “Burn On: Always Short Before Burn Out”. It describes a preliminary stage of the burnout syndrome, which can be dangerous for those affected.
The term burnout was coined by the psychotherapist Herbert Freudenberger as early as 1970. Sick people are often overloaded and overwhelmed in their everyday work. They feel increasingly exhausted and eventually “burned out”. Over time, they develop an inner rejection of the work and can no longer do it. The switch to home office also harbors a risk of burnout, since break times are often not observed. But not only the work, also other overwhelming living conditions can be noisy gesundheitsinformation.de lead to burnout.
This is how burnout differs from burn-on syndrome
A long-lasting burn-on phase represents a preliminary stage of burnout, without those affected forcing themselves to develop burnout. In both cases, the patents suffer from permanent states of stress and exhaustion. But in the case of this burn-on syndrome, people don’t burn out, they just keep going. These features are therefore characteristic:
Headaches, tension, functioning at work | Weakness and lack of drive, reduced performance |
Little differentiation from work | aversion to work |
Source: Barmer |
Loud gesundheitsinformation.de Experts are still discussing how exactly burnout can be determined and what symptoms can be used to define it. This makes it very difficult for psychotherapists and psychiatrists to classify the clinical picture, since burnout is not recognized as an independent illness. Rather, it is said to be a factor that negatively affects health and, in some cases, is associated with other psychosomatic illnesses such as anxiety disorders or depression.
This is how burn-on syndrome affects the psyche
But Bert te Wildt defines burn-on as a state of exhaustion and depression that is hidden behind a smile. Those affected are often on the verge of a breakdown, but unlike burnout patients who take sick leave, they just keep going. This leads to long-term suffering, which can also affect private life. So lets out loud Barmer Relationships, friendships or hobbies are neglected due to stress. Those affected often suffer from the following psychosomatic symptoms:
- feeling of never being enough
- Inner emptiness, meaninglessness
- Despair
- joylessness
- Tiredness and inner restlessness at the same time
- sleep disorders
- Source: German Press Agency
This is how burn-on syndrome can be treated
One approach to counteract the constant stress is the 4-day week, which is currently being discussed a lot in the media. But often the cause lies in the inner attitude towards work. It is often according to the Barmer health insurance to meet the sense of achievement, recognition and pressures of today’s work environment. Therefore, the so-called hamster wheel can only be stopped by a long-term change in work attitude. The signs of burn-on are often overlooked, but psychotherapy can help identify patterns and change them.
Otherwise, the constant stress can also have serious physical consequences. After Federal Ministry of Health stress puts the body on constant alert and this can lead to high blood pressure, gastrointestinal problems and a weakened immune system. Shortness of breath, headaches, grinding teeth and skin problems can also be the result. Therefore, those affected should also react to the first signs in the burn-on phase.
Editor’s note
The information given in this article does not replace a visit to a doctor. Only experts can make the right diagnosis and initiate appropriate therapy. The intake of medication or dietary supplements should be discussed with a doctor beforehand.
Proper relaxation has to be learned again first, as well as the differentiation from work. “You have to ask yourself: What am I willing to give, to achieve and what clearly exceeds my limits and then to mark that,” says Bert te Wildt and advises working on this in psychotherapy. In addition, many health insurance companies promote prevention programs for stress assessment through relaxation techniques. (mima)
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