Clinical Burnout…what is it?

When we are exposed to prolonged severe stress the impact on our brain, mental health and bodies are severe. 

Clinical Burnout is not the kind of burnt out feeling that will go away after we have taken 3 weeks off work to rest and recover, but rather takes many months, in most cases years, to recover from.  When in Clinical Burnout, a combination of being physically, emotionally and mentally exhausted and ill forces one to come to an abrupt standstill, which often means having to take months, or even more than a year or two off work to recover from it.

Employment related factors that cause Clinical Burnout can include:

(Taken from Vitrue VIDA, adapted by Sunet Gopaul)

 External Factors:

·       Absence of Social Support (Professionally and Personally)

·       High risk of Vicarious Trauma and Compassion Fatigue due to the nature of work (helping professions)

·       Lack of acknowledgement of your input and successes

·       Constant excessive pressure from management.

·       Management avoiding confrontation and conflict when needed.

·       Management giving roles to staff with no freedom to have any authority or make any decisions.

·       Wearing too many hats / having too many different roles

·       Having too many responsibilities / work to do in a day

·       Administrative constraints and software and IT constraints

·       Often having to be available to management and work outside of working hours.

·       Lack of clarity about job description and the roles of self and others

·       Lack of opportunities for promotion

·       Being Underpaid and / or not getting raises annually

·       Highly stressful and demanding job

·       Job description lending you to work with people’s problems and trauma often

·       Deadline pressures and unrealistic KPI’s

·       Poor internal company communication

·       Poor leadership from Management

·       Being micro-managed and not having freedom to make decisions and be creative and use your expertise.

·       Toxic work environment or bullying / Emotional Abuse / Physical Abuse

·       Few opportunities to participate and show what you can bring to the table

·       Lack of resources and training

·       Problematic institutional structures and policies

·       Lack of positive feedback when well deserved

·       Poor teamwork

·       Not giving staff time off work when they need it.

·       Not prioritizing the mental health needs of staff

·       Unfairness and treating co-workers differently

·       Management adding work outside of job description, expertise, and interest.

·       Management not making decisions and sticking to it to bring it to completion, creating half-finished tasks and
time wasters.

·       Management not doing what they said they would do, creating lack of trust in management.

·       Management expecting staff to cover up ethically questionable actions, fraud or mistakes made by self or
other staff.

·       Management not taking responsibility for the problems in the team

·       Forcing staff to function in their weaknesses

·       Management being irresponsible and unreliable

·       Management lacking care of staff, clients and the work at hand

·       Management not caring / responding helpfully to staff bringing up personal issues

·       Not allowing staff Annual Leave when they feel the need to take it.

·       Management pressing staff to reach unrealistic goals and goals that are outside of their job description.

·       Management hiring staff that are not a good fit for the job or incompetent

·       Incompetent / Untrained Managers

·       Management hand-balling all the problems and challenges to staff, while taking all the praise or not helping fix
problems as they arise.

·       Management having a “my way or the highway” mentality expecting staff to please them and never disagree or
have new ideas.

·       Etc.

 Internal Factors:

·       Poor Organizational Skills

·       Lack of expertise in the role you’re in

·       Too high expectation of self

·       Functioning in your weaknesses most of the day at work

·       People pleasing / too strong need for recognition.

·       Supressing your own needs and not communicating them

·       Feeling irreplaceable or like YOU have to be there for the organization to succeed.

·       Overworking / work being the only meaningful part of your life.

·       Perfectionism.

·       Unhealthy boundaries.

·       Inability to manage conflict.

·       Taking things too personally

·       Sucking up to management to further your own career.

·       Bullying others.

·       Not being a team player.

·       Expecting others to take responsibility for your mental health.

·       Always blaming others, never taking responsibility.

·       Not taking your annual leave

·       Not getting professional help to deal with past Trauma that is still affecting you.

Stages of Clinical Burnout

Stage 1

Honeymoon Phase

·       Very high levels of productivity

·       High levels of creativity

·       High level of commitment to the job and organization

·       Taking responsibility for self and job role

·       High energy levels

·       High levels of optimism

·       Wanting to prove yourself

Stage 2

Stress Onset

·       Anxiety

·       Starting to neglect personal needs

·       Occasional headaches

·       Decrease in sleep quality / quantity

·       Impaired ability to focus

·       Irritability

·       Not responding to medical needs of self if it can be procrastinated

·       Avoiding / Procrastinating making decisions

·       Neglecting self-care and personal needs

·       Change in appetite (eating too little, or too much)

·       Decreased social interaction

·       Cardiovascular symptoms

Stage 3

Chronic Stress

·       Chronic Fatigue (emotional, mental and physical)

·       Chronic cynicism

·       Chronic resentfulness

·       Apathy

·       Social Isolation

·       Decreased Libido

·       Chronic feeling of overwhelm

·       Constant procrastination

·       Aggression

·       Self-medicating with alcohol, drugs, etc.

·       Constantly involved in conflict.

·       Very rigid thinking

·       Overly focused on small details

·       Overthinking

·       Assuming you know what others are thinking

·       Possible suicidal thoughts and self-harm

·       Depression

·       Panic attacks

·       Nearing breaking point where you will lose your ability to work for a long time.

·       Disordered eating

·       Lowered productivity / performance

·       Defensive attitude

Stage 4

Clinical Burnout

·       Obsessed with problems and the negative

·       Chronic Pessimism

·       Self-doubt and low self-esteem

·       Almost totally neglecting personal needs

·       Escaping responsibilities, decision making, people, busy or loud places, etc.

·       Total Emotional, Physical and Mental exhaustion

·       Chronic Intestinal problems

·       Chronic headaches

·       Changes in behaviour

·       Possible suicidal thoughts and self-harm

·       Depression

·       Panic Attacks

·       Inability to work for at least a year

·       Disordered eating / Eating Disorders

·       Substance dependence / Addictions

·       Chronic feelings of hopelessness

·       Adrenal Fatigue

·       Compassion Fatigue

·       Meltdowns over seemingly small issues

·       Poor productivity and performance

·       Highly defensive attitude

Stage 5

Habitual Burnout

·       Chronic mental, physical and emotional exhaustion.

·       Depression

·       Anxiety

·       Chronic Suicidal ideation / self-harm

·       Disordered eating / Eating Disorder

·       Substance Dependence / Addictions

Ask us how to prevent and heal from Clinical Burnout.

Sunet Gopaul
Specialist Psychotherapist (Trauma)

ACA Level 4

Adelaide Psych Central

Willow Chambers Building
191 Melbourne Street
North Adelaide
SA
5006

sunet@adelaidepsychcentral.com.au
08 8180 0606