Emotional Exhaustion: 8 Questions for Diagnosis and 4 Tips for Healing

Before we tell you how to treat neurasthenia, you should first understand what it is and what the symptoms of this pathological condition are.

Neurasthenia or asthenoneurotic syndrome is the most common type of mental disorder with mild changes. In essence, this is a severe depletion of the nervous system. Due to the similarity of symptoms, it is sometimes identified with chronic fatigue syndrome, however, as recent studies have shown, these conditions have different origins, so the treatment should be different.

A breakdown of the nervous system, which is neurasthenia, is a reversible phenomenon, regardless of how intensively and for a long time the manifestations of this syndrome were observed. It occurs without severe personality disorders and psychosis. But the person is well aware of his condition and tolerates it quite hard, which worsens the quality of his life.

Asthenic neurosis occurs due to some situation that traumatizes the psyche, coupled with chronic “lack of sleep” or a lack of other physiological needs, as well as overload of the body. To these factors are added various painful conditions, including infections.

Both men and women are equally susceptible to the disorder, but in the latter, due to the burden of various pathologies, it is more severe. As for the age limit, the majority of cases are people over 25 years old. This disease even received the “popular” name “manager’s syndrome.” But our fast-paced era has made its own adjustments: due to the complex school curriculum, intellectual and sports activity, representatives of the current younger generation also began to be diagnosed with neurasthenia.

It would be a misconception to believe that asthenoneurotic syndrome is characteristic only of residents of large cities. It’s just that people living in small settlements, including villages, are accustomed to attributing all health problems of this kind to simple fatigue, laziness, and bad character. Meanwhile, neurasthenia awaits every person.

Causes of nervous system breakdown

The development of the disease is facilitated by many factors that can be divided into groups.

Biological factors primarily include poor heredity. Also on the list:

• severe pregnancy of the mother, infectious diseases she suffered during this time;
• difficult childbirth associated with injuries to the baby;
• features of the nervous system;
• lack of sleep;
• physical and emotional exhaustion;
• lack of rest, relaxation;
• intoxication of the body with alcohol, tobacco or other substances;
• lack of vitamins;
• somatic diseases.

The psychological causes of the development of neurasthenia are psychological trauma received in childhood. In addition, it also contributes to:

• sudden stress under circumstances important to the individual, personal tragedy;
• long-term psychotraumatic situation, conflict;
• pessimistic mood.

Social factors cannot be avoided:

• characteristics of the family environment in childhood, upbringing, conditions of growing up;
• receiving a large flow of information, the processing of which requires special conditions and a lot of time;
• unique social circle, interests;
• dissatisfaction of personal aspirations.

Consequences of emotional burnout

Ignoring burnout can have serious consequences. They can be like this:

• Chronic fatigue;
• Insomnia;
• Alcohol or substance abuse;
• Heart disease;
• High blood pressure;
• Diabetes mellitus type 2;
• Vulnerability to disease.

Therefore, it is so important to diagnose this syndrome in time and try to correct it as soon as possible.

“Emotional burnout can lead to quite serious consequences. It's not just weight changes or sleep disturbances. A whole cascade of pathological reactions in the body is launched.

The menstrual cycle is disrupted, ovulation disappears, which can lead to infertility, PMS develops, and many develop benign tumor-like diseases - fibroids, cysts, mastopathy, endometriosis. Some women begin to bleed, while others may miss their periods. Memory and concentration decrease significantly, it becomes difficult to work, study, and absorb new information. The nervous system cannot adapt to what is happening and fails. For some, this can result in neurosis or aggression, for others - in depression. Depletion of the entire endocrine and immune system leads to the development of a variety of diseases against this background - from systemic to oncological. And it is very important to stop this process in time.”

Lyudmila Vladimirovna Mudragel

obstetrician-gynecologist, gynecologist-endocrinologist, ultrasound diagnostics doctor, specialist in aesthetic gynecology, doctor of integrative and anti-aging therapy

Experience: 23 years

Symptoms

Neurasthenia manifests itself with the following symptoms:

1. Excessive irritability even over trifles, short temper, anger, constant dissatisfaction.
2. Impatience - the desire to get everything at once, the impossibility of waiting - it literally “kills”.
3. Constant feeling of fatigue, weakness.
4. Pain in the temples or a sensation of encircling, squeezing pain in the head.
5. Lack of ability to concentrate and do one thing for a long time.
6. Violation of the sequence of thoughts, general perception of the environment.

Speaking in more detail about the symptoms of asthenoneurotic syndrome, it is more correct to consider the disorder in phases, since the intensity of its manifestation gradually increases. But more often the disease stops at a certain phase, that is, its development does not occur, which is reflected in the diagnosis.

Hypersthenic (excitable) form

This is the initial stage of the disease, which is recorded most often. It is characterized by nervousness, irritability, and excitability.

The patient is unnerved by any, even quiet, sounds (creaking and light knocking of the door, whispering, clock ticking, dripping water, etc.), bright light, the presence of people nearby and their movement. The most insignificant reason causes an outburst of emotions, uncontrollable irritation or even anger. Without realizing the reasons for aggression, a person can insult or offend someone.

The patient is impatient, strives to do several things at once, fusses, but his performance leaves much to be desired. It is not weakness or rapid fatigue that is to blame for this, but a problem with concentration and constant distraction.

The sleep pattern is disrupted: the patient is lethargic during the day, and at night he falls asleep with difficulty and sleeps poorly, with nightmares, and often wakes up. Waking up happens either earlier than usual or later.

Constant headaches are called “neurasthenic helmet” - they are compressive and very debilitating. Pain when turning and tilting the head moves along the spine to the back. Mental or physical stress makes them more intense.

Irritable weakness (intermediate form)

This phase combines severe irritability with a rapid decrease in the body's resources. In principle, this is a reflection of the clinical essence of the disorder.

Attacks of irritation are the most intense, outbursts of anger instantly turn to a stream of tears, completely unusual for the individual. Such tearfulness arises from the patient’s inability to overcome overwhelming discontent. The mood changes instantly: sometimes gloom, sometimes joy.

The patient is often lethargic, he is not interested in anything, his appetite becomes worse or disappears altogether. Digestion suffers, which is reflected by diarrhea, constipation, belching, and heartburn. The heart rate increases, pulse and blood pressure fluctuate. The limbs become sluggish, instability and so-called floaters appear before the eyes, a rush of heat is replaced by chills, redness of the skin is replaced by pallor. Libido decreases and men may experience problems with erectile function. There may be a frequent urge to urinate.

Hyposthenic (inhibitory) form

At this stage, depression, weakness, gloom, and lethargy are especially pronounced. I don’t want to do anything, but I don’t feel anxiety or melancholy. The patient’s thoughts are focused only on his own unpleasant sensations in the body, and he, assuming that he has some kind of serious illness, turns to doctors, who, naturally, do not find it.

Very often, neurasthenia can be eliminated with good rest. But if this does not help and the disease has gone too far, then you will have to leave yourself in the hands of professionals.

Diagnosis of emotional burnout

Burnout is quite difficult to diagnose because it has no specific physical symptoms. However, its treatment is more effective when it begins after the first signs appear, which we described above.

You can seek help from a psychotherapist or an anti-aging doctor. The doctor will collect a family history, analyze working conditions and offer testing.

For this purpose, for example, there is the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), which is used to assess the degree of emotional burnout and consists of 22 questions.

There are other questionnaires of the same focus: the Oldenburg Professional Burnout Questionnaire, the Copenhagen List, the Shirom-Melamed burnout indicator model and others. However, none of these tools provide a diagnosis that needs to be supplemented by clinical examination.

You will likely need to undergo laboratory tests to rule out underlying inflammation, infection or allergies, and analyze your eating habits to suggest any nutritional deficiencies.

“For a long time, we write everything off as fatigue or a difficult period in life. And only when problems arise at work, relationships in the family or with a partner deteriorate, or depression sets in, the question arises, where to go for help?

Since burnout leads to significant changes in hormonal levels, menstrual irregularities, decreased libido, weight changes, sleep disturbances, and the development of anxiety, such women turn to a neurologist, an endocrinologist, or a gynecologist for medical help.

But more often than not, the correct diagnosis is not made, and they do not receive effective therapy. That is why it is important to work with an integrative doctor who can understand the cause of what is happening and comprehensively influence the body, restoring all damaged links in this chain. Only an integrated approach to the treatment of such conditions can be successful.”

Lyudmila Vladimirovna Mudragel

obstetrician-gynecologist, gynecologist-endocrinologist, ultrasound diagnostics doctor, specialist in aesthetic gynecology, doctor of integrative and anti-aging therapy

Experience: 23 years

Diagnosis and treatment

It will not be difficult for an experienced doctor - neurologist, psychiatrist or psychotherapist - to identify asthenic neurosis, separating it from other pathological disorders. Taking into account all of the above, he needs to exclude the presence of somatic diseases, oncology and organic lesions of the central nervous system in the patient.

The specialist will collect anamnesis and talk with the patient. In the case of classic symptoms with a predominant arousal reaction

A diagnosis of hypersthenic neurasthenia is made. If there are more inhibitory reactions, including drowsiness, then there is reason to believe that this is hyposthenic neurasthenia.

Comprehensive treatment of the disorder involves, first of all, normalizing the patient’s life, as well as the use of psychotherapy and medications.

It should be noted right away that you cannot “prescribe” medications for yourself, especially psychostimulants - they can lead to addiction and increased manifestations of the disorder.

The doctor selects medications based on the presence and severity of certain symptoms (a form of neurasthenia); the dose and duration of administration are prescribed individually for each patient. These are tonic or sedatives that normalize the functioning of the cardiovascular system, tranquilizers. It is mandatory to include general strengthening, restorative body functions, metabolism-improving agents, as well as vitamins C and B, antioxidants, neurorubin, etc. Plant extracts won't hurt either.

Psychotherapy includes psychoanalysis, individual and group sessions, conversations with a psychotherapist, and trainings. This allows you to identify and eliminate the causes of the disorder, change the patient’s attitude towards them, gain skills in separating the main from the unimportant and the ability to enjoy life.

Autogenic training will teach self-education and self-hypnosis, and hypnosis will help normalize heartbeat, blood circulation, and muscle tone.

A disease such as neurasthenia does not require hospitalization. When conducting therapeutic and drug treatment, specialists usually give patients the following advice:

• change the environment, walk in the fresh air more often, have a good time, travel;
• take a vacation, don’t check your email, turn off your phone - get a good rest, do something you enjoy that brings you pleasure;
• reduce emotional stress that negatively affects the psyche;
• establish a daily routine with a clear schedule that allows enough time for rest and sleep;
• strengthen the immune system, introduce a balanced diet, take vitamins;
• restore autonomic function through massage, acupuncture, warm foot baths, hot aromatic baths.

A good option for treating neurasthenia is to use traditional methods, but before doing this, you should consult with your doctor. Among the most effective options that have a beneficial effect on the autonomic and central nervous systems, we can recommend the following:

1. Motherwort decoction. A tablespoon of herb is poured into a glass of boiling water, kept in a water bath for a quarter of an hour, allowed to cool and filtered. Take for a month 3 times a day.
2. Hawthorn decoction. Brew berries (1 tbsp) with boiling water (a glass), filter after 45 minutes.
3. Melissa and mint tea. Brewed like regular tea, this drink is soothing and promotes good sleep.
4. Valerian tincture alcohol - 30 drops added to a small amount of water and drunk before going to bed.
5. Lavender bath. Dried inflorescences (200 g) are placed in boiling water (5 l) and simmered for 7 minutes on fire. The broth is filtered and poured into a bathtub filled with warm water. You need to lie in it for 20 minutes.
6. General strengthening mixture with raspberries, calamus root, birch leaves, chicory, strawberries, rose hips, oregano.

Types of depression

• Neurotic – people with low self-esteem, insecure, and straightforward people often suffer. They constantly experience a sense of injustice, and this is where apathy arises.
• Clinical – bad mood, loss of energy, problems with appetite and sleep. Suicidal tendencies are often observed. This clinical picture can last at least 2 weeks.
• Vegetative – manifested by such symptoms as tachycardia, drop in blood pressure, tinnitus.
• Psychogenic - develops after severe psychological trauma - divorce, loss of a loved one, dismissal from work, betrayal, etc. Accompanied by mood swings, anxiety, and excessive sensitivity.
• Masked - often the disease manifests itself secretly. Apathy, solitude and decreased interest in life can only appear as negativity and fatigue accumulate.
• Asthenic – the condition is manifested by fatigue, sleep disturbance, emotional imbalance due to accumulated difficulties, stress, physical and psychological stress.
• Postpartum – usually occurs 10-14 days after delivery. The young mother shows an increased sense of excitement for the baby, and constant lack of sleep and fatigue further worsens the situation. In addition, the mother's condition is also affected by hormonal levels.
• Somatogenic – attacks occur due to disturbances in the endocrine system, the formation and proliferation of neoplasms, both benign and malignant.
• Alcoholic depression – depression is accompanied by excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages. The post-alcoholic state is accompanied by an uncontrollable craving for alcohol and an increase in withdrawal symptoms when giving up alcohol.
• Bipolar – the patient experiences a change from euphoria to a depressive, manic disorder. But in the period between these phenomena, caused by various factors: stress, loss of means of popularity, etc., a person lives a normal life and does not show symptoms of the disease.

How does depression develop in stages?

At first, the patient experiences a depressed state, which he himself attributes to fatigue, a hard work week, drinking alcohol and other reasons. At the same time, he wants to retire from others and at the same time is afraid of being left alone.

Then the stage of acceptance occurs: awareness of a dangerous condition occurs, the problem gets worse, the intensity of negative thoughts increases, the body and immune system malfunction.

The third stage - in the absence of adequate therapy, the patient loses control over himself, aggression increases.

Irritable weakness

This is the next phase of the disease if adequate treatment was not carried out in the first. From the name it is clear that the stage is characterized by increased irritability against the background of increasing mental exhaustion. Easily excited for any reason, the patient, after a short-term, bright burst of temper, feels powerless. The state of excitement is easily replaced by a feeling of resentment and crying. Concentration and concentration are difficult, causing fatigue, headaches and other painful sensations of various localizations. Repeated distractions from the work process with the desire to take a break do not relieve fatigue, and returning to work does not bring the expected results, which leads the neurasthenic to severe mental exhaustion.

Hypersthenic form

The first phase of asthenic neurosis is characterized by the dominance of excitability, irritability, and emotional instability. A neurasthenic person is not restrained in emotions, raises his voice in normal conversation, shouts during an argument or quarrel, and allows insults. The absent-minded attention of the sick person leads to a decrease in the productivity of any type of activity, since he is constantly distracted by irritants and has difficulty returning to the work process. The patient is haunted by dreams related to daytime events and problems. Having difficulty falling asleep, he often wakes up, and in the morning he feels exhausted and unrested.