How are burnout and depression different?
Are They Different ?
You walk into work and there's the same characters, doing the same thing they do every day at this time. One might be looking in her phone, touching up her makeup, checking her hair. The guys are around the time clock waiting to punch in talking about cars or what they plan for the weekend. You can say it by heart, everyday the same routine or walk in the cafe and it's about what was on TV last night. But this time its as if you were on the outside looking in, its all to familiar except you don't feel as your a part of the crowd as you usually do. Your moving around but there seems to be no direction as you take your place in the usual spot.
Life Burnout is often caused by huge, life-changing events but it can also be caused by a lack of sleep, working long hours without a break. There seems to be a sense of imbalance in your same everyday routine .
“Burnout” you've heard about it everywhere lately more and more people are missing work due to burnout. But is this set of symptoms a clearly-defined illness?
How is burnout different from depression?
The term “burnout” has been described as the consequences of those who sacrifice themselves for others. Nowadays It seems it can affect anyone, from stressed-out white collars and celebrities to overworked employees and homemakers.
Surprisingly, there is no clear definition of what burnout really is. As a result, it’s not clear what burnout is exactly and how it can be diagnosed. This also makes it impossible to say how common it is. Health insurance companies say that up to nine million people are affected. Nobody really knows for sure There are no reliable scientific data about how many people are affected .
Is burnout a medical condition?
A stressful lifestyle can put people under extreme pressure, to the point that they feel exhausted, empty, burned out, and unable to cope. Stress at work can also cause physical and mental symptoms. Possible causes include feeling
permanently overworked
Under-challenged
being under time pressure
having conflicts with coworkers.
Extreme commitment that results in people neglecting their own needs may also be at the root of it. Problems caused by stress at work are a common reason for taking sick leave which in turn shortens staff which now everyone else has to pick up the pace. . But sometimes changes in the working environment and more concrete support in everyday life can already help with things like problems at the workplace or the stress of caring for ill relatives. Which i know we love them more than life itself but the strain seems unbearable at times. But Hold on
Could it be Exhaustion? Exhaustion is a normal reaction to stress, and not a sign of disease. So does burnout describe a set of symptoms that is more than a "normal" reaction to stress?
How is it different from other mental health problems?
There is no such medical diagnosis as “burnout.” This is unlike having depression for example, which is a widely accepted and well-studied condition. That is not the case with burnout. Some experts think that other conditions are behind being “burned out” – such as depression or an anxiety disorder. Physical illnesses may also cause burnout-like symptoms. Being diagnosed with “burnout” too soon might then mean that the real problems aren't identified and treated correctly.
What are the signs and symptoms of burnout?
Burnout is considered to have a wide range of symptoms. There is no general agreement about which of those are part of burnout and which are not. But all definitions given so far share the idea that the symptoms are thought to be caused by work-related or other kinds of stress but thats not always the case , is it?
There are three main areas of symptoms that are considered to be signs of burnout:
Exhaustion: feel drained emotionally exhausted, unable to cope, tired and down do not have enough energy. Physical symptoms include things like pain and stomach or bowel problems.
Alienation from (work-related) activities: People who have burnout find their jobs increasingly stressful and frustrating. They may start being critical about their working conditions and their fellow co workers . At the same time, they may increasingly distance themselves emotionally, and start feeling numb about their work.
Reduced performance: Burnout mainly affects everyday tasks at work, at home or when caring for family members.
How is burnout diagnosed?
There are no well-studied methods with which to diagnose burnout. There are various questionnaires for self-assessment. But because there is no generally accepted definition of burnout, it isn’t clear whether questionnaires can actually “measure” burnout and distinguish it from other illnesses.
Online questionnaires on the risk of burnout are not suitable for determining whether someone has burnout or whether the symptoms are caused by something else.
Some of the same symptoms of mental and psychosomatic illnessees are said to be the same as a result of burnout. You come home and tell your wife the Dr said your psychosomatic she wont hesitate telling you that she could have told ya that and saved alot of money.
So it is important to consider other possible causes together with a doctor, and not to conclude you have burnout straight away. Because then you might risk starting treatments that don’t help.
What is the difference between burnout and depression?
Certain symptoms that are considered to be typical for burnout also occur in depression. These include
extreme exhaustion, feeling down, and reduced performance.
Because the symptoms are similar, some people may be diagnosed with burnout although they really have depression. So people should be very careful not to (self-) diagnose burnout too quickly. This could lead to unsuitable treatment. For instance, someone with depression might be advised to take a longer vacation or time off work. People who are “only” exhausted because of work can recover if they follow that advice. But if people with depression do so, it might actually make things worse. The kind of help they need is very different, such as psychological treatment or medication.
Some characteristics of burnout are very specific, though. For instance, in burnout most of the problems are work-related. In depression, negative thoughts and feelings aren’t only about work, but about all areas of life. Other typical symptoms of depression include
low self-esteem,
hopelessness and
suicidal tendencies.
These are not regarded as typical symptoms of burnout. So people with burnout don’t always have depression. But burnout may increase the risk of someone getting depression. The first thing to remember is that once you are suffering from burnout, the nature of the condition means that it is very hard to do anything about it.
Part of the problem is that you are too tired to care about anything.
You are therefore really going to struggle to make the necessary changes
Lesson #1 Prevention is better than cure
Learn to recognize early on when you’re suffering from stress, and when that stress is starting to get a bit too much for you, and get yourself out of the situation.
Ask people you trust or coworkers to say something if they notice a change in your behavior. Some people snap and get irritable; others go quiet. Work out your tendency, make sure that you notice when it happens, and then do something about it.
Lesson #2 It’s up to you
Evidence suggests that the most stressful situations are those in which you feel that you are not in control. The answer to that is to try to take control of your own life, at least in small ways.
For example, try to work out what situations make you stressed or write them down like we talked about in "Stress Triggers and What They Mean To You" and avoid them.It might be best not to take a job where those situations will make up the bulk of your working day. If you do end up in a job like that, and you start to find it very stressful, see if you can negotiate your way to an alternative.
If you can’t, you may need to look for another job.
Nobody else is going to do this for you because nobody else knows what it is that is making you stressed.
Lesson #3 Try to develop a good work-life balance
One very good way to avoid stress is to have a good work-life balance. If you take positive steps to spend less time at work, and more time with your family, or on personal interests, you most certainly will see you become less stressed.
Finally, if you do think that you, or someone you know, may be suffering from burnout, it’s important to reach out to others and seek help.
It may feel like nothing is ever going to improve, but asking for help is the first step to getting it. You shouldn't feel embarrassed or ashamed to talk to your doctor and/or manager about how you feel.
Don’t feel helpless, ask for help.
And while there is no doubt that there are individuals who are much more prone to burnout than others, even the most capable will eventually begin to struggle.
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