“Psychological withdrawal from work in response to excessive stress and dissatisfaction”. At risk: business executives and conscientious staff who have worked too long with an over-high expenditure of adrenalin.
Symptoms: job stress, chronic overwork, scrappy meals, few holidays, snatched sex, no time for family, sleeplessness, irritability, depression, anxiety, hypochondria, tiredness. Aggravation by caffeine (coffee) and alcohol drinks.
To help prevent: lifestyle change to more normal working hours, rest periods and adequate holidays. Indicated: agents that increase energy and gently sustain the central nervous system:
Ginkgo, Ginseng, Damiana, Gotu Kola. May be taken singly or in combination.
Alternatives. Tea. Formula. Equal parts German Chamomile and Gotu Kola. 1 heaped teaspoon herbs to each cup boiling water; infuse 5-10 minutes. Dose: 1 cup 2-3 times daily.
Formula. Gotu Kola 2, Valerian 1, Oats 2. Liquid Extracts: 1 teaspoon. Tinctures: 2 teaspoons. Powders: 500mg. Thrice daily.
A mental state of physical and emotional exhaustion; an anxiety disorder that is a stress reaction to a person’s reduced capability to cope with the demands of his or her occupations. Symptoms of burnout include tiredness, poor sleeping pattern, irritability and reduced performance at work; increased susceptibility to physical illness and abuse of alcohol and addictive drugs can also occur. Treatment can be dif?cult and may require a change to a less stressful lifestyle, counselling and, in severe cases, psychotherapy and carefully supervised use of ANXIOLYTICS or ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUGS.
n. a state of deep mental and physical exhaustion in a professional, caused by excessive and ceaseless work demands. Managers have a duty to try to prevent burnout in their staff by providing proper working conditions and making support available. Individuals likewise have a duty to seek help when they need it. A burnt-out member of staff may not be reliable in the usual way and may leave the service prematurely.
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