How to recognise Burnout Part 3: Stages 9-12.
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How to recognise Burnout Part 3: Stages 9-12.
The final stages of burnout are really tough as you start to become more ill, physically and emotionally. You will feel run down and your motivation will disappear.
In stage 9 of burnout, you will feel disconnected from your body, your feelings, others around you and your environment. This feeling of depersonalisation is bewildering and heavy. You feel empty and your motivation for anything has disappeared. Everything is a huge effort.
Stages 10 -11 prior to full stage 12 burnout are awful. You feel empty and hollow. You feel useless as a doctor, parent, friend, partner.
To ease these tough feelings, you numb by whatever way you choose. Alcohol, other substances, scrolling on social media, gaming, or eating more or eating less. Anything that works for you to escape feeling the intense discomfort that comes from feeling empty.
You feel depressed. Your mood is permanently low, and you neglect your needs even more. You feel hopeless, lost and completely exhausted. Burnout becomes the norm with chronic fatigue.
You may try to continue to push on through despite all of this, even though your body is screaming at you to stop, rest and take time off.
Sometimes it takes to getting near to breaking point before you realise and acknowledge you need support and help.
Herbert Freudenberger describes burnout as the 12th stage of a series of 12 progressive stages. He defines burnout as:
1. Emotional exhaustion- the fatigue that comes from caring too much for too long. This is often the prominent symptom of full burnout for female doctors.
2. A decreased sense of accomplishment- an uncomfortable sense of futility, feeling that nothing you do makes a difference.
3. Depersonalisation with a depletion of your empathy, caring and compassion.
Any doctor who has experienced the above symptoms and signs of full stage 12 burnout will know how awful it is. In full burnout, you mentally and physically collapse. You feel empty and you have nothing left to give to others or yourself.
You fall off the edge of the performance cliff and have to take time off from work. Taking time off at this stage is the only option for you to get better and the best option to ensure your recovery.
You reach rock bottom and unfortunately sometimes it takes getting to this breaking point before you realise it’s NOT ok and you are burnt out.
If this is you, speak to someone at work today, see your GP and take time off. Your needs matter, your physical and mental health matters, and your recovery from burnout matters too.
If you recognise any of these symptoms and signs in a colleague, encourage them to speak to someone at work and their GP, and take time off.