Ever had burnout?

[Pickypolly]

What were your symptoms?
Did you know or did someone have to tell you?
Did you recover?
How did you recover?
Did you change jobs or manage to carry on?

Thanks

Yes
I suffered and carried on for 2.5 years with migraines before one day I woke up but couldn’t get up. It felt like I had concrete for blood. Like whatever made ‘energy’ in my body stopped working.

So it took a long time before I actually burnt out. I think it was a chronic fatigue flare up because when I read accounts that is what it most aligned with.

So, I didn’t know on that day if I would ever recover but I did.
I was signed off work for 8 weeks but I did leave a little while later when it became apparent that I needed a complete change of life.

The pace of my life had to alter dramatically and my expectations of myself.
After I recovered for at least two years I found I was a lot more sensitive to adrenaline even if it is good. Eg I had a mini crash after my 40 birthday party.

I exercise five days a week, I work part time in a great job, I still feel like I miss the speed of life prior to my burn out experience. I think because even though it was awful, too much, I am a bit addicted to the empty adrenaline rush it used to give me.

There is definitely hope but it is important to listen and act on the message your body is telling you.

I gave myself the following ‘prescription’ that I still live by.

Nature - be outside a lot, often in places of natural beauty
Nurture - focus on things I enjoy, kind to myself
Nourishment - eat whole foods, drink water
No- set boundaries for myself

Doris thank you so much for that fascinating description and mantra.

We’re you prescribed any medication by your GP to help you through? Did you take it, did it help?

Looking back the signs I was heading for burn out were when I couldn’t sleep because I was so anxious I’d missed something, couldn’t relax at weekends or evenings unless I’d worked extra, lost weight as I was so anxious my stomach was churning all the time so I didn’t feel hungry, was always exhausted and was always talking about work because I couldn’t think of anything else and I wasn’t enjoying things outside of work in the same way. I knew I wasn’t happy but it was my DH who said he thought I was heading for burn out.
I had to change jobs in the end as trying to change things in my work place wasn’t getting me any where. It helped a lot but I found a month or two later I got very anxious and panicky and tearful over very little things as almost a delayed reaction to all that stress that my body had held. By recognising that and some self care learnt through cbt a few years ago as well as the new job I was able to move on.

Reading the previous post made me remember how much being outside helped in the anxiety aftermath I experienced; some times I felt so trapped I couldn’t breathe but being outside especially in my garden with a cup of tea breathing the fresh air was like a life line.
In my new job I very rarely do extra hours; if it’s really important then I do but I am very boundaried now and will tell my manager I didn’t have time and why if I miss deadlines.

Yes I suffered burnout in my previous work where I was bullied and was given so much responsibility that days, weeks and months wasn't enough to complete them as a human being. I was constantly micromanaged too.

After a while,

I went numb to feelings and emotions at home- not interacting

I had something like IBS where I kept on bloating and needed the toilets frequently for explosive number 2's

My hair started falling out

I had irregular periods where for years it was bang on every 28 days. I started getting 2 periods each cycle!

I was agitated all the time

I couldn't sleep

Couldn't eat

And I no longer enjoyed anything.

I quit in the end and got a new job a year later where I felt alive again.

I don't know if you'd call it full on burn out but I've certainly gone through periods at work, where I feel I can't take any more.

At that stage I will struggle to sleep, am agitated most of the time and have brain fog so find when not working my brain struggles to do even simple tasks.

As I'm a bit older I now recognise the warning signs and have some coping mechanisms. These are making sure I get some daylight and light exercise, taking time out when not working by spending time with friends or watching an engrossing series or film.

I'm going through a bit of a phase at the minute and that's because I have been given too much work and responsibility. I'm now routinely working long hours - fine for a short period, but not ongoing. So in order to try and stave off it getting worse I've been using some of my annual leave - went out for lovely walk and lunch with friend today - but beneficial effect somewhat spoiled by having to log in in the morning and pick up emails a few hours ago. Longer term my strategy is to get another job in the company so I have been looking to see what's available.

It's important to work out if whats being asked of you is reasonable or too much, if too much and you have a reasonable boss then trying to come up with an alternative solution for some of the work before discussing is a good idea.

Hello

Well, I got zero help from my GP. She told me to go do some exercise. Even when I went back five weeks later to say I had to lie down if I walked down the stairs she wouldn’t send me for a blood test.

That is when I knew wholeheartedly I had to take full control of my recovery. I can’t remember the timescale for all this but I went to a completely whole foods diet, drank 2l of water, gave up my beloved coffee (I drink it again now). I took Angus cactus and ashwangdanga to balance hormones. I went to acupuncture. I got my back and neck realigned at the osteopath. I did meditation, now I use an app called Synctuition- but I didn’t know about it then. I went to counselling.

I basically did everything I could do to calm my anxiety and the heightened stress response in my body. even though it might sound mad..before my burnout experience- I didn’t even realise I had anxiety.
I always though if I could just get through then I would rest.

This is really interesting. Those of you who have suffered - it sounds similar to depression/anxiety.

Were attempts made to medicate you?

I think I've come close to burnout but luckily not had that 'crash'. I have just come off antidepressants and recognise some of the symptoms reappearing. Just trying to take stock of lifestyle to avoid going back on meds if I can help it.

What were your symptoms?
Did you know or did someone have to tell you?
Did you recover?
How did you recover?
Did you change jobs or manage to carry on?

Making mistakes. Poor memory. Extreme dread and poor sleep on a Sunday.

It was a conversation with a kind friend who said most people would have seen a doctor and been signed off by now in my shoes.

Yes but I had 4 whole weeks off. The doctor said 2 weeks is sometimes not enough as people start to feel anxious about going back after 1 week.

I switched off from work and focused on me. I spent the first week day tidying and cleaning and sleeping. The second week I cooked nice food and the second/third week I tried new exercise classes at the gym and also went and met nice friends to catch up for coffees and had walks.

I went back to the same job but it had a shelf life. I moved on about 8 months later when I found a new one. I can see now that aspects of it were not working.

Yes, I started to become highly anxious and increasingly poorly. I caught every cough/cold/bug going and in the end had recurrent laryngitis and lost my voice which sent me ENT with an urgent referral to check for cancer. I was early 30s and thought this is ridiculous! Something has to change! I was put on total voice rest and in the had to have 8 weeks off because even then work were giving me new tasks including face to face meetings with the helpful advice 'just don't talk then' . I realised how anxious and awful I felt. I did yoga and meditation daily followed by a short walk, had smoothies and lots of high nutrition food, cleaned, decluttered and relaxed. I am still in that role and initially survived with long holidays because I went on honeymoon, then mat leave. I haven't even been back a year and am near burnout again for the same reasons plus my sleep is now terrible to. I have started my own business to make a change which is helping. Funny enough I also found osteopathy helped to as I got rid of some of my tension