Burnout Is Not Depression — But It Becomes It

Burnout is what happens when you keep giving from an empty tank long after your body has asked you to stop. Left long enough, it turns into depression. But it does not start there, and it does not heal the same way.

How to Tell the Difference

• Burnout typically lifts with real rest, distance from the stressor, and recovery time.

• Depression does not — symptoms persist even when life slows down.

Many of my patients have both.

Five Whole-Person Steps

1. Name the stressor honestly. You cannot recover from something you will not look at.

2. Subtract before you add — what can come off your plate?

3. Sleep, protein, sunlight, movement. Recovery is biological.

4. Reconnect with what is sacred to you — faith, family, nature, art.

5. Get a workup. Thyroid, iron, B12, vitamin D, hormones, and inflammation can all masquerade as burnout.

Respectfully, Beth Makar, RN, Dual-MSN, PMHNP-BC · Integrative Mind Body Psychiatry · integrativemindbodypsychiatry.com