Natura
Burnout, lack of energy, exhaustion
We generally understand burnout as a state of exhaustion. It can be triggered by deficiency symptoms, metabolic disorders such as vitamin and mineral deficiencies, as well as by liver problems and intestinal disorders (e.g. leaky gut syndrome), intolerances and, not least, emotional and psychological stress. Poor self-esteem (not-being-enough), unresolved conflicts at work or in a relationship, etc., and general time and performance pressure and a bad atmosphere at the workplace.Physical and psychological stress leads to increased formation of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the body, such as IL-6, TNF-a and INF-g. The latter in particular stimulates the enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), which catalyzes the conversion of tryptophan into kynurenine, a non-proteinogenic amino acid that leads to inhibition of the cellular immune response. This conversion can use up more than 95% of the available tryptophan. Less than 5% then remains for serotonin synthesis. A deficiency is inevitable. Serotonin deficiency in turn means a deficiency of melatonin, which is important for healthy and restful sleep. Serotonin is known to us as the happiness hormone. A serotonin deficiency can therefore lead to a tendency toward depressive moods and sleep disorders.
Experiences of people with burnout
When I came to your practice, I was in a very, very bad way. I was truly desperate.Physically I was in very bad shape. For about 6 months I had been able to sleep only a little, had constant headaches, was very exhausted and my digestion was only working very sluggishly.My head always felt foggy and I had the feeling that I could no longer think clearly at all. In this state I also found my work difficult (here I absolutely need mental and physical fitness) and I could hardly concentrate. This increasingly unsettled and frightened me, because at times I was truly confused and made mistakes.Then I started treatment with you.Note from the practice: Personal experiences cannot be transferred to others. Courses vary from person to person; no promises of healing or success are made.N. S. 12.10.2013
Typical first symptoms of burnout
- Signs of fatigue, persistent tiredness and exhaustion – lack of energy
- Headaches
- Lack of motivation
- Declining performance
- depressive mood, inner emptiness and loss of meaning
- Feeling of lack of appreciation
- Emotional coldness and cynicism
- functional heart complaints, e.g. racing heart
- Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep
- chronic pain throughout the body
- Tension, headaches and back pain
- Gastrointestinal complaints
- Panic attacks and anxiety
- Susceptibility to infections, weakened immunity
- chronic fatigue
- Intestinal disorders
- Chronic hyperacidity
- increasingly reaching for stimulants, aids or means of suppression (e.g. increased or even excessive consumption of caffeine, nicotine, alcohol or other stimulating drugs; increased intake of medication)
- Tinnitus / sudden hearing loss
- Weakened immunity, frequent colds
- increased pulse rate, increased blood pressure
- Nerve irritation, nervous tics
- sexual problems, lack of desire
The course of burnout in two phases
– SILENT BURNOUT - PRE-BURNOUTThis is a preliminary stage of the final collapse: when the ability to relax is lost due to stress, time pressure and constant overload.This sometimes happens very slowly and is often barely noticed by those affected.(According to numerous sources, 25% of employees in Germany are at risk of burnout. As early as 9 months before actual absence from work due to the illness, these 25% of employees perform 1.5 hours of ineffective work per day (Spiegel Online 2011)) https://burnout-rechner.de/arbeitgeber.php– ACTIVE BURNOUTSleepless nights, racing heart, anxiety, exhaustion - lack of energy...: Burnout syndrome can manifest itself in many different ways. Not every kind of stress immediately leads to a mental illness, but employees should listen to the warning signals of their bodies (watch out for the SILENT BURNOUT - PRE-BURNOUT phase).(On average, 5% of employees are actually absent for 72.3 days per year due to burnout (source: AOK)) https://burnout-rechner.de/arbeitgeber.php
Causes of burnout / exhaustion:
- Psychological stress / freezing up under constant stress, overloading yourself without recovery breaks (often due to helper syndrome, self-worth measured by performance), constant worrying, anxiety
- One-sided diet / chronic hyperacidity – too many empty calories, too few vital nutrients, too much fat, too much food and too much animal protein and sugar, stress and hasty eating, chronic oxidative stress
- Disturbance of the intestinal flora with production of putrefaction and fermentation toxins as well as impaired nutrient absorption.
- Numerous toxins / toxic substances increasingly burden our bodies and accumulate in them
- Mitochondriopathy - Lack of energy - In healthy people, more than 90% of energy is generated by oxygen combustion in the mitochondria. The metabolic cycle that provides energy is called the respiratory chain. If the function of the mitochondria is permanently impaired, this is called mitochondriopathy .
These signs do not necessarily indicate a risk of burnout, which is why they are usually not taken very seriously. Often, already at school or later in working life, you are told not to make such a fuss but to grit your teeth. But the line between diligence, ambition and perseverance on the one hand, and overexploitation of your own creativity and physical capacities on the other, is very blurred. The question is: when does healthy ambition and diligence end, and when does stress that makes you ill begin? Everyone certainly has different limits here, which is why it is so important to listen to yourself regularly and take possible warning signs seriously early on.Today's society is a performance-oriented society. Many people therefore want not only to meet common expectations but to be as perfect as possible and to deliver more than full performance in every respect. This phenomenon is found among career-driven people just as much as among high-achieving women who have to juggle family and work. What is dangerous about burnout syndrome is that it creeps in; the first signs seem to act rather subliminally and are usually suppressed by those affected. Over time, body and mind draw more and more attention to themselves, but these signs also continue to get lost in everyday stress, until a real nervous breakdown usually follows. Body and mind simply capitulate and boycott the overexploitation of their own resources.
Burnout calculator - check the financial loss in your company due to burnout
The German stress report shows: in 2011, 59.2 million days of incapacity for work due to mental illness were registered nationwide. Loss of gross value added per year: 10.3 billion euros.According to the Robert Koch Institute, the number of people affected by burnout is 5% of German adults. With around 53 million adults between the ages of 19 and 69, that would be a good two million people affected.
Naturopathic support for burnout
- Naturopathic approaches
- Micronutrient balanceMicronutrients are minerals, trace elements, amino acids, vitamins and fatty acids.Orthomolecular medicine is becoming increasingly important today. Despite an abundant food supply, micronutrient deficits are becoming more and more common.In addition, there is a high burden of environmental toxins and other stress factors, which brings with it an increased need for certain micronutrients. It is obvious and easy to understand that metabolism can only run smoothly if all the necessary micronutrients are in the right place at the right time.
- Topic: environmental burdensIn everyday life, we are exposed to various environmental substances.These include environmental toxins such as:
- Heavy metals
- Pesticides
- Preservatives
- Food additives
- Medications that affect us daily.
- Holistic coaching / CORE-PERCEPTIONOn the psychological level, too, the path to burnout is a gradual, unconscious process. This makes it all the more important to address the needs of your own soul even in healthy and happy phases of life. more…..
Professionally responsible: Yesha Karmeli, naturopathic practitioner (Heilpraktiker), Natura Heilpraxis Berlin. This text provides general information and does not replace individual advice.
