Burnout or Depression

Curt and Katie talk about the idea that burnout and depression could actually be the same thing. We look at how stigma and a sense of superiority may inhibit clinicians from reporting that they’re actually experiencing depression rather than “burnout.”        

It’s time to reimagine therapy and what it means to be a therapist. To support you as a whole person and a therapist, your hosts, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy talk about how to approach the role of therapist in the modern age.

In this episode we talk about:

• The blog article that sparked the conversation about why doctors don’t get depressed
• The idea that burnout and depression may be the same thing
• The functionality of diagnosis in treatment and how it impacts what one is diagnosed
• The definitions of burnout and depression and the different schools of thought
• The place of elitism both in the definition and the treatment of burnout
• A sense of superiority and or a feeling of higher level on the hierarchy leading to less burnout and depression
• Katie’s ideas around simple burnout or complicated burnout and the overuse of that word
• Where the ideas around burnout actually came from and whether it is a sound foundation
• The medical model divorcing depression from situational factors
• The concern that pop psychology may have invaded the space
• The idea that when people have sought the situation that has led to burnout or depression – there is an existential crisis
• The rationale that it is “worth it” because we have sacrificed to move forward in our career
• Tips from Freudenberger (who introduced the concept of Burnout) on how to avoid or treat burnout: hiring, work culture, thoughtfulness about work and work day, breaks and vacations, staff development and feeling time, sharing experiences, time off to learn, adequate staffing, balance of physical exercise