BURNOUT
Burnout can lead to a critical situation where you feel unable to organise yourself, lose any sense of pleasure in your personal and professional life, and feel entirely out of control when facing tasks that were once straightforward.
UNDERSTANDING BURNOUT
To recognise the signs of burnout, it is important to understand that it is a state of physical and psychological exhaustion, which develops progressively through different stages before reaching its most severe form.
It may begin with increased dedication to work. Over time, you may feel unable to cope with constant demands, which compromises your physical well-being and reduces the time you spend resting properly. In a subtle but harmful way, daily tasks start to feel overwhelming and draining. Eventually, you may reach a point where you struggle to stay organised, lose any sense of satisfaction in work or daily life, and feel powerless to complete tasks that used to be simple.
WHY IS BURNOUT SERIOUS?
Your ability to function at work is deeply affected. The extreme fatigue alters basic brain processes, disrupting attention, memory and self-regulation skills.
Motivation to carry out professional duties decreases sharply, which puts performance and results at risk.
Increased feelings of isolation, loss of control and irritability often follow. It is common to withdraw emotionally from family and friends, avoiding social contact and the company of colleagues.
As the syndrome progresses, conflicts, persistent distraction and a sense of boredom often intensify.
Reduced pleasure in everyday activities can also lead to neglecting self-care, which may trigger increased use of alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, medication (or other substances) and comfort food.
Physically, burnout can cause chronic fatigue, sleep disturbances and muscular tension. If untreated, it may contribute to cardiovascular issues (such as arrhythmia, tachycardia or stroke) as well as respiratory or gastrointestinal problems (including acid reflux, gastritis or ulcers).
What can you do?
If you recognise any of these signs, seeking help promptly is essential. Delaying treatment often makes the situation worse. Without support, your ability to stay organised may reach breaking point, forcing you to stop working altogether.
In these cases, intensive specialist support is vital and, where appropriate, may be combined with medical treatment.
Treatment for burnout focuses on four key pillars:
-
Restoring confidence and quickly reducing the impact of stress on the body, while revitalising basic functions.
-
Training the brain to rebalance wave patterns, improving stability in executive tasks such as planning, organisation and focus.
-
Identifying physical and behavioural obstacles that hinder recovery and developing strategies to manage work demands more effectively.
-
Reintroducing rewarding activities through actions aligned with personal values, while monitoring progress to strengthen positive emotions.
CONFIDENTIALITY AND DIGITAL SECURITY
MedicalPort respects the protection of personal data and fully complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to ensure maximum confidentiality.
ONLINE BURNOUT TREATMENT CONSULTATION
The consultation can be carried out online via our Stuward telemedicine and telehealth platform, designed specifically for doctors, therapists, psychologists and other healthcare professionals. This platform ensures the highest level of data security, guaranteeing full protection of clients’ digital information.
Using the platform does not involve any additional costs and does not require downloading any application — all you need is an internet connection.
Doctors who perform this medical procedure
Clinical Psychologist
Professional Registration No. 25389
Master’s Degree in Psychology– Clinical Psychology and Health section, Psychology of Health and Disease nucleus. Postgraduate course Integrative and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies, adult (on going). Work experience in clinical psychologist private practice (online and in person) with adults.
Member of the Portuguese Psychological Association since 2020.
Fields of interest: anxiety, depression, mourning, intra and interpersonal difficulties.
Clinical and Health Psychologist| Neuropsychologist | Psychologist at Psinor
Professional Registration No. 6716
Graduated from the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at the University of Porto, with postgraduate qualifications in Clinical Neuropsychology and in Couples Therapy and Clinical Sexology, currently pursuing a PhD in Forensic Sciences.
She has training in third-generation Cognitive-Behavioural Therapies. A member of the Portuguese Society of Neuropsychology, she was a guest lecturer at the School of Health Sciences. Currently, she works as a clinical psychologist (individual and couples therapy) and as a trainer in technical fields.
Rafaela Simões
Clinical Psychologist
Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of East London.
Master’s degree in Psychology, Counselling and Psychotherapy, with a Postgraduate specialisation in Adult Psychotherapy and Neuropsychology.
Areas of practice: schizophrenia, depression and anxiety.
