Also called professional exhaustion, burnout first appeared in the 1970s. This pathology is characterized by a state of intense fatigue, overwork and chronic stress. Directly linked to the world of work, it is often accompanied by insomnia and irritability. The people most prone to burnout are the most conscientious and rigorous, because they throw themselves into work. If the objectives to be achieved are high, the individual loses his footing and can no longer differentiate between private and professional life:holidays and weekends are no longer relaxing, work is omnipresent. Some people use the term burnout to refer to a small phase of depression, overwork or boredom in their job. But true burnout is characterized by a crisis. The individual literally cracks! This pathology is very different from depression, the latter being one of its manifestations.
Today, many people suffer from depression or a phase of depression. Man or woman, young or old, no one escapes it. This complex phenomenon can be different for each individual, but it most often manifests itself in a strong feeling of sadness. This feeling can be accompanied by crying, loss of pleasure and boredom. Fatigue, problems concentrating and sleeping are all indicators of latent depression. But the real question is whether these difficulties last over time and whether they are intense. Anyone can get tired. In winter, after the holidays for example, many people feel spleen. But do not be alarmed and see a burn-out everywhere. If, on the other hand, the depression lasts over time, it is important to talk to your doctor about it.
Burn-out or professional exhaustion is necessarily linked to the workplace, unlike depression, which can affect all strata of life. It is possible to have a burnout without experiencing a phase of depression. Similarly, it is possible to be depressed without this malaise being related to work. Moreover, a truly depressed person will be in the same state at work or at home. But burnout and depression are still related. The feeling of failure that accompanies depression is often mentioned in people who have suffered from burnout. Because even if the person leaves his job, it is possible that the depressive feeling lingers. However, it is important to distinguish between burnout and depression in order to properly target the treatment and achieve a successful healing phase.
