Expert tips
Burnout syndrome
Do you feel chronically tired, low or exhausted? Does everything feel like too much? Do frequent infections or concentration problems bother you? These can be typical complaints of burnout syndrome. Expert tips from Dr. Alexander Hierl.
Those affected are often people who identify strongly with their work, set high standards for themselves and others, want to please everyone and find it hard to say no. It does not only affect working people of all ages. Social stress and rising demands mean these complaints are increasingly seen in school pupils, where distinguishing them from ADHD is a challenge.
Diagnosing burnout syndrome
Burnout is a multisystem illness, meaning the functional disturbance is not limited to one organ. Those affected often go from specialist to specialist, but because each focuses only on their field, the cross-disciplinary picture and the diagnosis of burnout are often missed, and the person is not helped in a truly holistic way. The most important first step is to rule out an organic disease as the cause of the complaints, for example anaemia, thyroid disorders, adrenal insufficiency, sleep disorders, iron deficiency or other micronutrient deficiencies, allergies, infections, diabetes, and heart, lung, liver or kidney disease.
Treating burnout syndrome
If there is a cervical spine disorder, for example after whiplash or with chronic poor posture or tension, this must be treated, for example osteopathically or chiropractically, because it is a chronic strain. Causes that are often overlooked include side effects of medication and poisoning with insecticides or heavy metals, which can disturb cellular energy production (mitochondriopathy) and thereby cause chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME). Those affected are usually relieved when a thorough work-up has been done and no organic disease was found, even if some would have preferred a simple explanation such as hypothyroidism.
In genuine burnout illness, the consequence is that the person must change their usual lifestyle. That is difficult, because there is typically chronic overload and all resources are exhausted. The essential step is a clear reduction in working hours; in severe cases a break is needed because even everyday demands can no longer be managed.
In addition, work-life balance must be addressed intensively, and stress-management strategies and relaxation methods must be trained.
Burnout syndrome typically involves depletion of neurotransmitters in the brain and a nitrosative load (nitrostress). Recovery can therefore be supported by correcting a disturbed neurotransmitter metabolism and reducing nitrostress. Both can be measured and then targeted with natural neurotransmitter precursors and cofactors, minerals and vitamins. The most important point is not to let burnout develop in the first place and to act preventively at the first signs.
Burn-out-Diagnostik Institut
The Burn-out-Diagnostik Institut was founded in Munich in 2009 by the physicians Dr. Alexander Hierl and Christian Burghardt. They have worked for years on improving the diagnosis and treatment of burnout syndrome.
Related pages
The information on this page does not replace individual medical advice, examination or treatment. Whether any measures are appropriate is decided in a personal consultation. Courses differ from person to person.
