ABSTRACT
Our view, prior to undertaking our several studies, was that burnout was a difficult condition to treat. We judge that we were wrong. In our Sydney studies and in our interviews with many who have told their story in this book it became evident that most people do recover, subject to the right strategies being taken up. Professional help may assist in clarifying the diagnosis and differentiating burnout from depression and other conditions but burnout is likely to be better managed by a self-management model, and that is why our book adopts such a focus with its several components. While an optimistic outcome can be expected for those who are ‘burning out’ if they adopt appropriate management strategies, such an outcome can be achieved by those who have reached a seemingly more serious stage of being ‘burnt out’ and effectively ‘broken’. To illustrate the latter we include a detailed personal story provided by Grace. It captures the severe physical as well as psychological symptoms that can occur with a severe burnout state and demonstrates that with a comprehensive management plan even those who appear broken are capable of achieving a complete recovery.
