Is burnout a medical condition?
Am I burnt out?
You might be thinking that you are experiencing burnout if you are struggling with your day-to-day job role. You might be exhausted, lacking in motivation or passion for your job or feeling as though you cannot continue to work. Some people who experience burnout find themselves feeling physically ill more frequently than usual or becoming cynical about their colleagues, organisation, role or clients. The formal definition of burnout is:
- feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
- increased mental distance from one’s job or feelings negative towards one’s career
- reduced professional productivity
Is burnout a medical condition?
Burnout is not classed as a medical condition because it is specific to one environment; your job. If the stressors from work were removed or better managed then you would not experience burnout. This does not mean that burnout isn’t real; it is included in the latest edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD 11) as a syndrome of ‘chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed’ with the symptoms listed above.
Defining it within the ICD 11 helps to distinguish burnout from other mental health problems. See our other blogs for an understanding of the overlaps and differences between burnout and depression
It is vitally important to seek support for burnout, for your own wellbeing and the success of your organisation. If you feel that you are experiencing burnout you may find it helpful to refer to the ICD 11 when discussing this with your employer, GP or advocate. Being able to identify the difficulties and the triggers can be helpful in gaining the right support.
Who can help with burnout?
Recovering from burnout will require a change and support from others. It is important to seek support from your employer. Ideally, together you will be able to form a plan of reducing your workload to a manageable level, receiving some support from a supervisor or therapist to ensure your ongoing wellbeing and taking a break to recover. This is in the best interests of your employer, especially if you are experiencing a reduction in productivity. If you, or your employer, require support in understanding or managing burnout then you may find it helpful to contact Burnout UK.
Burnout UK was founded by Dr Julie Hannan and provides online courses for people to overcome and prevent burnout. Courses are written by Psychologists and approved by the British Psychological Society. Courses help you identify stressors that you face in your work and home life that might be contributing to your burnout and reshape areas of your life which are depleting you by developing new strategies to support your recovery and strengthen your resilience and wellbeing for the future.
