The Frayed Bandage

  Speaking to healthcare professionals who have recovered from burnout, one theme keeps recurring. It’s along the lines of: “looking back on it, the signs were obvious”. The warning light was blinking on their dashboard, but they carried on at work, perhaps even convincing themselves that their exhaustion and pain demonstrated commitment and loyalty. Burnout is rarely sudden. It is usually the final stage of a process that has been quietly building for a long time. The problem is this chronic, damaging kind of stress rarely announces itself as stress. In my A&E work, I’ll often see younger and middle-aged patients presenting with a symptom like chest pain. All the tests and investigations subsequently carried out show there is no heart problem, or other serious issues. It’s only when I dig a bit deeper that I find the punishing work routine, the relationship catastrophe or the social nightmare. Stress, not serious organ pathology, is the root cause of the symptom. Her...