Noting that burnout syndrome mostly arises in highly competitive work environments, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan draws attention to it manifesting with physical symptoms like fatigue, and emotional symptoms such as pessimism and hopelessness. Stating that individuals experience mental blockage and a decrease in their productivity in burnout syndrome, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “We observe this syndrome most often in people working in the service sector and in jobs requiring constant urgency. A characteristic of these individuals is their high sense of responsibility.” Tarhan states that burnout syndrome is observed less frequently in workplaces where words of appreciation, praise, and approval are extensively used.
Appreciation, approval, praise reduce burnout…
Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, made evaluations regarding burnout syndrome. Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that the syndrome known as burnout entered the literature in the 70s, and that the reason for its emergence was its difference from depression in some aspects.
Very common in industrial societies
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that burnout syndrome is very common in industrial societies and in environments with intense competition, saying, “It emerges much more easily in environments with intense competition and weak social support, and is closely related to an individual's inability to manage stress. The word 'stress' is also a concept that actually emerged with industrialization. The word 'stress' first appeared in the 1800s in the mining sector as an intersection point, stress point, pressure point, or tension point. Places where miners were fatigued and where mine loads were above normal were defined as stressful. After the 60s, it entered medical literature.”
The body gives a fight-or-flight response to stress
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that a Canadian physiologist made a wonderful discovery regarding stress: “He revealed the body’s fight-or-flight response to stress. In times of danger, the body reacts in two ways: either it fights or it flees. If it fights, the nervous system is stimulated by the secreted adrenaline, shoulder, neck, and back muscles contract, vascular resistance increases, blood pressure rises, pupils dilate, attention increases, muscles tense, and a fighting emotion related to attack and defense forms. Or, if the danger is very great, a feeling of flight arises. The brain secretes too much neuro-energy, blood pressure drops, and the person falls and faints. This is an indicator that the brain is giving a completely physiological response.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that the body is very sensitive regarding burnout syndrome and that physical symptoms appear, saying, “The person experiences an extremely tremendous fatigue. They don't want to pick up a glass and put it somewhere else. If they are a housewife, washing dishes feels like a huge task, they feel the need to rest while climbing stairs, and there is irregularity in sleep. This disruption in sleep patterns, exhaustion, and feeling of fatigue are notable physical symptoms. That's why we call it burnout.”
The person feels trapped
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that emotional symptoms also emerge in burnout syndrome, saying, “The most important emotional symptoms are the person being pessimistic, hopeless, seeing themselves as worthless and unsuccessful, losing professional self-confidence, and most commonly saying 'I can't do it, I won't succeed.' Some even call this the 'trapped syndrome.' The person is in such a state of mind that they feel trapped. Imagine being thrown into a bottomless, deep well. How would you feel? These individuals feel that way.”
Mental blockage is experienced
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that there are also cognitive symptoms in this syndrome, saying, “These individuals, if they normally managed their thoughts, could manage their emotions and stress, but because they are cognitively exhausted and collapsed, they cannot use their existing psychological resources. This is because when they constantly think, the brain thinks negative things for 59 out of 60 minutes. They think, 'I can't do it, I won't succeed, this job is beyond me, I'm finished, I'm exhausted.' There is mental blockage here, there is hopelessness and pessimism.”
Behavioral impairments emerge
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan also pointed to behavioral symptoms in burnout syndrome, saying, “There is also impairment in the area of behavior. The person experiences social withdrawal and becomes isolated from people in such situations. Burnout syndrome is much more prevalent in the service sector; people who cannot say no to others very easily fall into burnout syndrome. Because they cannot say no, they internalize it and say 'I'm exhausted, I can't do it.' We see it emerging in artists; they can leave filming halfway through, they can abandon the set.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that drug treatment is not initially considered necessary for burnout syndrome, saying, “We just change these individuals’ thinking habits. We change their perspective on events, their way of handling things. This way, they learn that stress is manageable, that there is actually a way to cope with stress, and they manage it.”
Work productivity decreases
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that individuals experiencing burnout syndrome see their work productivity decrease and exaggerate small problems, saying, “Their functionality drops significantly, and they become people unable to achieve job satisfaction. We most frequently observe this syndrome in individuals working in the service sector and in jobs requiring constant urgency. A characteristic of these individuals is their high sense of responsibility. Because their sense of responsibility is high, they cannot say no to anyone and cannot tolerate the failure of 'I can't do it.' They actually have thoughts like, 'It would be better if I died after failing.' This is a well-intentioned approach, but there is also a limit to what a person can do.”
Small breaks should be taken
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan also offered some advice to prevent burnout syndrome: “Individuals need to take on responsibilities and burdens at work according to the situation, conditions, and positions. Small breaks need to be taken. If small breaks cannot be taken, then a moratorium needs to be given after a while. They say, 'I'm exhausted, I'm bankrupt.' When they are exhausted from everything, they leave unfinished tasks that were started by relying on them.”
They always complain and focus on the negative
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that the thinking habits of individuals experiencing burnout syndrome, which can be detected by initial symptoms, are incorrect: “These individuals always complain. They constantly lament their situation. They cannot be happy about small things, cannot see the positive things they possess, and always focus on the negative. They say, 'I think I earn very little despite working intensely, I get tired very quickly, I experience aimlessness, pessimism.' In these individuals, forgetfulness also increases significantly along with quick fatigue. We observe that these individuals are easily saddened. They are very sensitive. Physical illnesses start to appear more frequently in these individuals. For example, they don't laugh from the heart. They tend to engage in sexuality like a duty, without pleasure.”
Can be eliminated with psychotherapy
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that the World Health Organization has classified this syndrome as a disease and defined it as burnout syndrome, adding that it can be eliminated with psychotherapy if detected in its early stages. Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that individuals experiencing the syndrome are often those who have achieved many things easily in life, saying, “Currently, the new generation growing up is a conformist generation. They obtained many things easily, without effort. They don't know what 'no' means. They don't know what hunger is. They haven't been challenged at any point in their lives. The new generation doesn't know the difficulties our grandparents faced, or how we won the War of Independence. It is necessary to learn to fight against difficulties and to cope with problems.”
Life philosophy is important in the protective period
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that there is a protective period before burnout syndrome, saying, “In the protective period, a person's life philosophy is very important. If you get upset at a small obstacle, you can enter burnout syndrome, but suffering develops people. In fact, some psychologists have researched types of birth. Stress levels were measured in children born by natural birth and by Cesarean section. Children born by Cesarean section, that is, children born without entering the birth canal, come out of the mother's womb easily. In these children, more stress hormone is secreted when a needle is pricked into their heels, but less stress hormone is secreted when a needle is pricked into the heels of children who passed through the birth canal with difficulty for one or two hours. How is this explained? The struggle of birth strengthens these children. That's why Nietzsche's saying is a very beautiful one: 'What does not kill us makes us stronger.'”
Psychological resilience training strengthens
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan advised that as soon as burnout syndrome is felt to be starting, individuals should switch to plan B, not plan A, saying, “They should create alternative changes. This syndrome is very common in hasty and impatient individuals. Saying 'immediately, now, quickly' and being hasty and impatient is one of the most significant risks for young people today. We provide them with resilience training. We provide psychological robustness training. After a while, they emerge from these strengthened.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that individuals who face unexpected events and situations without falling into despair and tackle them do not easily enter burnout syndrome, and added that there are also things managers can do in the workplace regarding burnout syndrome.
Job satisfaction can prevent burnout syndrome
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that job satisfaction is very important for individuals: “A person, highly motivated by being told 'you must do it, you must succeed, you are a lion,' gives up when they cannot do that job. However, in such situations, the person needs small successes and rewards. Burnout syndrome is less common in workplaces where words of appreciation, praise, and approval are extensively used, but it is more common in workplaces with constant criticism. In environments where there is negative communication, and management is attempted by instilling fear through anger, shouting, and yelling, burnout syndrome increases. In workplaces managed with dialogue and sharing, and where there is open communication, burnout syndrome is less common.”