Recognizing the distress of the burnout victim isn't always easy, even for the medical community. Even though the interviewed women suffered from physical aches and pains and had low spirits, their numerous visits to the doctor's office always ended with the same verdict: "go home, you're fine!" Such a diagnosis is, of course, not very reassuring for those who feel like they're standing on the brink of an abyss.

Susan is a 30-year-old social worker. Even though her training made her familiar with burnout, she didn't recognize the symptoms when they appeared in her own case. "I saw three doctors in the same weekend. When one of them told me I was suffering from burnout, I was petrified. My first reaction was to say, 'It can't be, he's wrong!' Once I got over the initial shock, I was glad to know that someone was finally going to take care of me."

Patricia and Joan had similar diagnoses from their family doctors. Even now, 35-year-old Joan is grateful to her doctor. "Five years ago, I went through a major depression and tried to commit suicide. When I was told that I was suffering from burnout, I was relieved. It kept me from going too far."