Mental Health: People who’ve had burnout share how they overcame burnout

“I took work and college very seriously, and I had that desire to give 100% to everything,” says Pedro Medeiros, 36, a bioinformatist.

In 2017, he was studying his second degree, in pharmacy, at USP (University of São Paulo), working in an industry in the ABC Paulista region and living in the east side of São Paulo. Pedro says that he traveled about 100 km a day on public transport and suffered too much sleep deprivation to cope with all his commitments.

“I was already in therapy and one of the main issues I had with my psychologist was about a feeling of exhaustion that accompanied me all the time, even when I wasn’t working”, he recalls.

The bioinformatist was already undergoing treatment for an anxiety disorder, but he saw the situation worsen at that time. “The work environment ended up taking on a great emotional charge for me. I began to acquire a certain repulsion for it”, he admits.

Another symptom that Pedro had is called “brain fog”, or brain fog, in Portuguese, which is difficulty concentrating and a feeling of mental confusion.

With all these occurrences and the reports he made during therapy sessions, Pedro received a diagnosis of burnout from his psychologist.

The syndrome is characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization — when the individual begins to act coldly in the professional environment — and low fulfillment at work.

On January 1 of this year, burnout gained a more detailed description in the ICD-11 (International Classification of Diseases) by the WHO (World Health Organization). With the change, the syndrome becomes established as an occupational phenomenon.

Psychiatrist and neuroscientist José Fernandes Vilas, author of the book “When Success Becomes Burnout”, explains that this condition is common in people who are extremely dedicated to work.

“When our heart is at work, we can’t see the pitfalls. The person surrenders without measures until he can’t take it anymore. And for some employers, a person passionate about the profession, full of dreams, is a full plate for abuse” , points out Vilas.

It was also the extreme dedication to work that led veterinarian Loren D’Aprile to receive the diagnosis of burnout.

Since she was still a graduate student, says Loren, she has questioned teaching and research practices in relation to animals. Also during this period she was already rescuing animals in vulnerable situations.

After graduating, he went to do a residency in veterinary medicine for the collective at UFPR (Federal University of Paraná), where he worked with animals victims of abuse and who had accumulators.

In addition to the great emotional load that her job demanded, Loren worked about 12 hours a day and put her personal life aside.

“I felt responsible for these animals. I cut my hair very short so I wouldn’t waste time on it, I stopped doing physical activity, ate when I could, slept less and gained weight. I felt very tired all the time, but I didn’t stop”, he reports.

It was then that the vet started researching her symptoms, realized she was experiencing burnout and sought out a psychiatrist.

“Burnout mainly affects service professionals or caregivers, such as health and education professionals, but there are also studies in categories such as police officers, social workers, prison officers and drivers. In other words, it does not choose social class”, reveals Bruno Chapadeiro , psychologist and adjunct professor in work and organizational psychology at UFF (Universidade Federal Fluminense).

When working for many hours, either out of love for the job or out of financial need, the professional can reach a frame of exhaustion and feel the need to step away. That’s what happened to Peter.

“I resigned. I was very clear with my manager at the time, that she was a person I had total openness to. I said that I felt miserable working and that I was not satisfied with my performance, and that at some point I would no longer be able to deliver what they were asking me”, says the bioinformatist.

Psychiatrist José Fernandes Vilas highlights that having a sincere conversation with the bosses is very important in this situation. “At first, it may sound like exposing your intimacy. However, it will serve as a warning sign for the entrepreneur and for HR that your company may be a trigger for illness”, he says.

“In burnout, illness occurs due to poor management of chronic stress at work, both due to the extreme dedication of the employee and the exposure to stress caused by the company. Thus, when there is dialogue, interests are equal”, observes Vilas.

The doctor reinforces that caution must be exercised before resigning so that there is no regret later.

“First, treatment should be sought. Only after a clinical improvement is it indicated to decide on his future in the company”, he concludes.

In addition to quitting his job, Pedro locked up college and took about a year to rest. “It was only after a relatively long time that I started to feel the mental fog dissipating and that my reasoning was returning”, he confesses.

He continued his treatment with the psychologist, finished his second degree, started a master’s degree and re-entered the job market. Currently, he works from home and no longer has to travel long distances.

Loren, after starting treatment with a psychiatrist, finished his residency and returned to São Paulo to pursue a master’s degree. She resumed activities that she enjoyed but that she had put aside because of her dedication to animals. She returned to the gym and eating better, regulated her sleep and began to practice mindfulness.

Today she lives in Bom Jesus, Piauí, and works as a technical advisor and volunteer coordinator for the National Forum for Animal Protection and Defense. The veterinarian continues to work with animals in a situation of abuse, but always tries to find a balance between professional and personal life so as not to fall back into a situation of exhaustion.

“Once the storm of burnout passes and you learn where the trigger of illness is, you can see situations more clearly”, highlights psychiatrist José Fernandes Vilas.

The doctor emphasizes the importance of looking for a psychologist to understand from what point the patient exceeded the limits at work, define strategies and, if necessary, consult with a psychiatrist to verify if there is a need to use medication.

“During this period of restructuring, it is important to invest time with the family, practice physical activities, regulate sleep and completely disconnect from the company. that will touch on the subject of illness or will bring information about the work and end up triggering kittens”, he warns.

“Understand that this period is to resignify the way you should perform your function, and not be used as masochism to feel worse.”

Follow the Mental Health blog on twitteron Instagram and Facebook. ​