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The warning signs
That was three years ago. Lois was experiencing the symptoms of burnout
without being aware of it. Burnout doesn't come out of the blue; for many
people, it's more like a downward spiral. At first, the burnout candidate is motivated by a compulsive need for
recognition which is expressed by throwing oneself head first into their
work, romantic relationship or in their children's life. This
preoccupation soon takes over. There isn't time to go to the movies, visit
friends, go out with their spouse and the family, or even to simply relax:
it's a total self-sacrifice to achieve their goals. Eventually, the
exhausted person withdraws from their family and friends and even from
themselves. That's where the psychological distress takes its toll. Even though the
person still seems functional for some time, they often behave like
robots. They'll tend to feel alone and rejected, and their self-esteem is
completely shattered. Joan, a young 25-year-old receptionist, just went through a similar
ordeal. She recalls how she kept going from one extreme to the other.
"Whenever I got ten calls in a row, I felt like crying. And I could have
cried in a flash over a little incident like missing the bus by a few
minutes. It was as if I couldn't deal with anymore stress. I used to be a
determined person and I really gave up." People who suffer from burnout also have a hard time making decisions.
The illness makes the subject feel powerless. Unable to understand the
cause of their state, the burnout victim rarely expresses their fears to
loved ones. "I didn't talk about it because I was afraid I was rambling
on," says 42-year-old Paula, who teaches high school. "I didn't want
people to think I was looking for pity. I kept telling myself, 'stop
complaining, you have everything you need to be happy!'" The body is not a co-operative player. People who are mentally
exhausted often have difficulty sleeping and, when they are able to, they
sleep continually without recuperating. Temporary energy gains follow
periods of high weakness. Fatigue attacks the weak points. Therefore, back
or stomach aches, dizziness, nausea, migraines, skin flare-ups, muscular
spasms, premenstrual tension, constipation or diarrhea, as well as high or
low blood pressure may manifest themselves. Breathing sometimes becomes
compressed and the person can either gain or lose weight. And the list
goes on.
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