I was invited by PeerVoice, an international medical newsletter from Luxembourg, to write about symptoms suffered when burnout is occurring. While symptoms may be different amongst individuals, there are 4 categories we can group symptoms-physical, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral. You can read the details in my article.

Health care providers around the globe are under tremendous strain as they care for severely ill COVID-19 patients. Whether in China, United States, Brazil or elsewhere, the psychological stress is experienced similiarly among these care providers.

These categories are helpful because an individual can assess their unique experience and understand what defines burnout for them. For example, you may not be moody but you may notice a slowness in thinking and overlooking details not otherwise missed. Or, you may have headaches, “pit in the stomach”, and physical heaviness but not have increased alcohol drinking or smoking cigarettes. However, your unique experience of stress is often a repetitive pattern. That’s to say you’ll experience stress the same way each time regardless of specific circumstance.

Please read the article and see if you identify with any of the categories/symptoms. If you are “burnt out”, please let a supportive person in your life know and discuss some options for help. Good Luck.

David W. Goodman, M.D.