Unfortunately, none of these solve anything and a dangerous cycle can soon spiral into full-fledged addiction. There are a number of signs and symptoms to watch for if you’re concerned that you may be suffering from burnout:
- Weakened immunity and frequent minor illnesses such as colds, headaches, allergies or skin irritations
- Difficulty with decision-making (even in people who are usually very decisive)
- Feelings of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion
- Loss of interest in normally enjoyable activities, including sexuality
- Feelings of dissatisfaction, disillusionment and boredom, or a sense that life has lost meaning and purpose
- Intense emotions, including depressive thoughts, anxiety and panic
- Loss of self-confidence and self-esteem
- Anger and irritability, infrequent bursts of anger
There is no set timetable for burnout. Some people are able to tolerate relatively high levels of stress for extended periods, while others experience burnout fairly quickly. However, boredom often affects perfectionistic, highly functioning people who set very high self-expectations.
If you are normally a highly motivated, responsible and energetic, it may be difficult to admit that there is a problem. However, it’s critical to seek help as soon as possible because although you may have accomplished great things, you aren’t superhuman and you can’t do everything. With the help of a skilled therapist, you can learn techniques to target and manage sources of stress that have stolen the feelings of reward, accomplishment and joy from your life. When burnout is accompanied by addiction to drugs or alcohol, high quality drug and alcohol addiction treatment are the places to turn to.
Biochemical restoration of depleted body cells and restoring adrenal function is vital and a thorough medical checkup with a holistic physician is highly recommended and should always be part of the treatment of burnout at any stage of severity and duration.
