Topic Tuesday// Burn Out // Tues. 23 Jan. 7pm - 9pm AEDT

i agree with you there @Janna if im going ok mentally then i cna cope more all round but if im spiralling downwards i go the other way.

@NikNikthe symptoms ive named are the changes ive noticed more over the past week or so thats 'out of the ordinary' compared to what im usually dealing with. ive gone from being overly anxious to being very tired, lethargic and sleeping- i never sleep! so thats a big change there

i dont think youve missed any that i can think of...

Very true @Former-Member, @NikNik

I think I was hovering at around a 3 to 4 in the lead up to xmas and then my son had a few behavioural outbursts and took me to a 5 in a flash.

I really like what I have read in some definitions where they talk about stress, where there is a sense of ‘too much’ but with burnout there’s ‘not enough’.

I like another piece of research, which outlines some of the common things people with burnout are thinking, including:

- Expecting too much of themselves

- Never feel like what they do is good enough

- inadequate or incompetent

- unappreciated

- have unreasonable demands put on them

These points were in the context of the workplace, but they definitely apply to the burn out carers can experience too.

What do you think?

Are these more relatable?

@NikNik, I think between my husband`s MI, my elderly mum and my phsical problems having all added to my level of burnout

Hello @Adge

yes! @NikNik i find those with burnout think less of themselves than they normally would, and question alot of the things that they do and whtether its enough or if they are good enough. i find its like feeling overwhelmed with all the responsibilities but being too tired to try and change it up abit (ie ask care recipient to help with a chore or 2) or call on any help (which is when we often need it the most) but instead shut down and go into auto-pilot and just get things done.

Oh most definitely. I felt like I was trying to meet everyone else's needs and that I was being used and totally unappreciated. Stretched to the max. I think it's also important to note that our roles as a carer extends beyond the direct care of someone if there is a larger family dynamic. We often find ourselves trying to manage complex family situations/relationships that arise as a direct and indirect result of the MI. We try to keep everyone happy but forget about ourselves.