Treatment of burnout syndrome

Behavior therapy

Burnout is a condition that is triggered solely by the patient's misconduct. It is therefore very important to start with this problem and change the patient's behavior, as this is the only way to achieve therapeutic success. Behavioral therapy is therefore one of the most important forms of therapy for burnout syndrome.

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Behavioral therapy is primarily concerned with the current problem, unlike psychoanalysis, for example, which primarily relies on biographical backgrounds. Behavioral therapy is therefore a suitable therapy for burnout syndrome because the patient has to face the current problem and reflect on it.

It will be accurate analyzes how it came about that the patient could slip into a burnout. In further sessions it will be looked at how it can be avoided that the patient gets into burnout again. Here the patient has to learn to be Change behavior and adapt more to the needs of your own body. Since burnout comes about through wrongdoing and ignoring the physical warning signals, the Behavioral therapy is often a difficult part of burnout treatmentbecause old behavior patterns are reluctant to change.

Many patients are very stuck in their behavior and it takes a while and costs several therapy hours until the patient realizes that he has to change his behavior if he does not want to slip into burnout again. Behavioral therapy is therefore a very good one important treatment in burnout, because they Picks up conflicts and helps the patient cope with them without re-exposure to additional pressure. Also certain worldviews (Paradigms) must in behavior therapy be brokenso that the burnout therapy also makes sense and, above all, lasts for a long time.

support group

A support group can help affected patients find a to find suitable therapy for burnout or to replace therapy in the case of a slight burnout. Many patients are initially overwhelmed by the therapy options for burnout and do not know which offers or which form of therapy are best suited for them. Because the patients, due to the burnout, mostly reduced drive it is often very difficult to find a suitable therapy from the mass of information and possibilities. There is the simple possibility of contacting a self-help group for burnout patients.

In the self-help group, the patient can not only valuable tips received from other affected patients, but he can too establish new contacts and finds Connection to peoplewho know and understand their situation without making reproaches. A support group for burnout patients can help with mild forms of burnout Replace therapy if necessaryHowever, it is important that the patient not only looks for a support group, but also one professional treatment aims to overcome burnout in the long term. The support group can be a first important step towards burnout treatment or it can be as "Aftercare" to be viewed as.

For example, are the Therapy sessions with the psychiatrist over, the patient can go to a self-help group that can help him not to revert to old behavior patterns. Thus the self-help group for burnout patients is an important additional treatment option, however, should not replace behavioral therapy. The positive thing about the support group is that too Relativeswho often suffered severely from the burnout syndrome, can visit the group and can also report freely about their worries and needs. This can help again one more stable relationship with the loved one In addition, other group participants can give valuable tips that help the relatives and the patient. All in all, a self-help group for burnout patients can be an important additional option, but each patient should decide for himself whether the group brings him personal benefit and it should not be viewed as the sole therapy.

Duration of treatment

Treating a Burn outs Has a different duration depending on the patient. The duration of treatment for burnout doesn't just depend on the Severity of burnout but also from the Willingness to cooperate (Compliance) and the ones that still exist capacities (Resilience) of the patient.

In addition, each patient responds differently or less well to the treatment of burnout and accordingly the duration depends very much on whether the patient can fully engage in the therapy and whether the chosen one Type of therapy is right for him too. In general, however, one can say that the duration of a burnout treatment is approx 6 to 12 months amounts. However, this refers to the time in which the Patient fully recovered and has regained all its capacities, so basically one 100% recovery.

Already after a few weeks can however small successes are noted, which can then also provide information about how long the treatment will last and how well the patient responds to the selected treatment. Nevertheless, the patient should be aware that burnout only occurs when all of the body's resources have been used up. It takes a certain time until these are rebuilt and the duration of the burnout treatment with half a year to a full year is certainly not too high.

Medication

When treating the Burnouts come Medication, psychotherapy and Behavior therapy for use. All together then result in an adequate treatment of the burnout syndrome and it is important to consider all three as equal pillars on which the treatment of burnout is based.

A sole therapy with drugs is at burnout not indexed, since that Change patient behavior must, so that he comes out of the phase of burnout again. Nevertheless, the drugs are important as a pillar of burnout therapy and can benefit the patient especially in the difficult initial phase of therapy and give enough strength. However, if a patient does not want to take medication to treat burnout, he can continue the therapy without the medication.

In some patients it is burnout However, they have progressed so far that without medication they cannot find the drive to start a therapy for the burnout syndrome. It is important to know that the Medication not permanent must be taken, rather than Stepping stone out of the depressive mood serve. When the difficult initial phase has been overcome and the patient himself physically and mentally more stable again feels, the medication can slowly be discontinued, i.e. tapered off. Since many patients, however, due to the burnout depressive moods or even severe depression, it is important not to ignore them, but to use drugs against them.

In addition to the herbal remedy Johannis herbs there are also synthetic drugs that can lift the depressive mood and thus enable the patient to start therapy. So-called drugs are very popular for treating burnout Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, short SSRI. These drugs ensure that between the nerve cells (Synapses) increased Serotonin remains. Serotonin is a messenger substance (Neurotransmitters), who can ensure that we become happier and have more drive. Many patients who are depressed have too little serotonin and therefore too few messenger substances that make them happy. By taking the SSRI, the patient feels a lift in mood and increased drive, which is why the drug is often used in the treatment of burnout to help the patient out of his depressive phase.

In theory, others can too light antidepressants are used, such as Amitriptyline, however, show SSRIs have the fewest side effects, to have no potential for dependency and are therefore best suited for short-term burnout therapy. Nevertheless, it should be said again that the administration of medication alone is not an adequate therapy for burnout, but should only help the patient in the initial phase to regain their strength and to begin further therapy.