One of the biggest scourges of recent years is depression. According to the WHO, in 2020, depression will be the second most prevalent disease after TB. Therefore, a more detailed study of this global topic is one of the current issues. Scientists predict that depression will soon spread, even in the form of an epidemic.
Chronic fatigue syndrome or exhaustion syndrome is often cited as the primary cause of depression. The term "burn out" was introduced to medicine by the American psychoanalyst H. Freudenberger. Long-term and unresolved stress play a key role in the development of the syndrome. WHO considers stress to be one of the main problems of the 21st century due to the serious complications of the syndrome.
Another psychological cause of the syndrome is the high demands on people, constant pressure and an overly competitive environment.
These factors cause the patient to work without rest, to devote himself entirely to this activity; they continue to work actively, even at home. When they do not get the necessary value and value for their work, their self-confidence decreases, their internal balance is disturbed, and a psychological crisis becomes inevitable. Patients prone to burnout are primarily doctors, teachers, managers and company executives, drivers, pilots and machinists, as well as electronics and computer science specialists.
Depletion syndrome goes through 7 main stages in its development.
In the first phase, patients show a very high level of activity and strong will: they easily cope with the most difficult tasks.
In the second phase, the patient gets a little cold and shuts down because he did not get the required grade. Decreased ability to work and desire to work.
In the third phase, emotional exhaustion, fatigue, lack of energy, anxiety, nervousness, impatience, loss of self-confidence, sense of worthlessness, sensitivity to criticism, difficulty in making decisions, sluggishness, emptiness and meaninglessness, despair and 2 types of reactions can be observed: , self-blame) or aggressive (sees all the guilt in others, reacts angrily to every irritation). Up to this point, the development of the syndrome is relatively secretive to others.
Beginning in the fourth phase, changes in psychological status and ability to work are already evident, for example, errors in work, delays, delays in work, and so on.
In the fifth phase, the environment loses all importance for him, mental symptoms are accompanied by physical (somatic) symptoms, including chronic, severe headaches, insomnia, pain of unknown origin covering the whole body, recurrent infections, gastrointestinal complaints.
In the sixth phase, physical symptoms come to the fore, symptoms listed by the cardiovascular system are added, and metabolic disorders occur.
The seventh phase is characterized by complete despair, depression, loneliness, and isolation from the environment; suicidal thoughts can occur.
Treatment of this pathological syndrome with traditional medicine, which damages the whole person - both body and soul, does not give unequivocal results; In addition to dependence on the chemicals used, they have serious side effects.
Biological therapies (bioregulatory drugs, orthomolecular agents…) allow to effectively and effectively deal with the causes and consequences of burnout without toxic effects.
Treatment measures cover different aspects depending on the phase. First of all, the patient should be motivated to change his lifestyle and spend more time with himself and his family. Non-drug methods such as normalization of sleep and diet, walking in the open air, in the bosom of nature, active sports, yoga, meditation are widely used.