Burnout from Dissociative Identity Disorder

Posted On January 29, 2025

Dealing with the issues that surround dissociative identity disorder (DID) and complex trauma is very difficult. The memories, alters, and therapy tends to fill our days with never-ending trauma leading to burnout.

 

This article will focus on burnout with its signs and symptoms and ways to help yourself when you experience it.

 

What is Burnout?

 

 

In 2019, the World Health Organization classified burnout as a syndrome stemming from an occupational phenomenon. Burnout is not a medical diagnosis, but a syndrome caused by stress that is either unmanageable or not managed well.

 

While burnout was first recognized in the 1970s as part of a problem experienced in a work environment, the signs and symptoms are easily relatable to the chronic trauma faced by those healing from severe mental conditions such as dissociative identity disorder (DID).

 

Burnout should not be confused with stress. Stress is having too many problems to deal with, such as too many responsibilities. Burnout is defined as not having enough motivation or energy to go on with everyday life events.

 

Three main signs of burnout are exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal performance.

 

Exhaustion. The fatigue felt by those working on DID issues is palpable. Exhaustion presents as mental or physical weariness and being zapped of energy.

 

Depersonalization. This sign describes feelings of indifference where one becomes numb. This numbness may cause one to be unable to perform well at work or in life. A person living with depersonalization has a lack of communication effectively with others.

 

Reduced personal performance. This sign manifests itself when a survivor feels treatment, or their life is insufficient to the point where they are incapable of performing well. The survivor may have difficulty concentrating and lose pleasure in what they usually do.

 

Increased dissociative activity. People living with DID find themselves dissociating or switching more often. Grounding techniques are quite helpful in this instance.

 

The Symptoms of Burnout

 

 

The symptoms of burnout are physical, emotional, and behavioral.

 

Physical symptoms may include:

 

• Difficulty sleeping
• Changes in appetite
• Feeling fatigued
• Headaches
• Muscle pain

 

Emotional symptoms may include:

 

• Lack of motivation
• Feelings of self-doubt
• Feeling dissatisfied with life
• Feeling like a failure
• Feeling lonely

 

Behavioral symptoms may include:

 

• Angry outbursts
• Social isolation
• Not performing your responsibilities

 

All the symptoms of burnout may be overcome when adequately handled.

 

Burnout and DID

 

 

Dealing with the issues involved in the treatment and living with dissociative identity disorder is challenging and exhausting. It is easy to see why so many quit their healing journey or die by suicide.

 

However, dissociative identity disorder can be overcome with a lot of guts and hard work, including psychotherapy and other forms of therapy like sand art therapy.

 

The burnout experienced by people with DID is deep. Dealing with dissociative identity disorder makes one prone to burnout. The symptoms of burnout accompanied by those of DID can make life a living hell for the person experiencing them.

 

As you will see in the next segment, there is much hope in dealing with burnout and DID.

 

Handling Burnout

 

 

If you recognize the warning signs of burnout, forcing yourself to continue as usual will cause further emotional and physical distress. It is time to pause, change direction, and treat yourself to much-needed healing.

 

There are three steps to dealing with burnout: recognition, reverse directions through seeking support and building resilience.

 

Recognition. This step includes watching out for burnout and recognizing when you are experiencing it. You cannot fight an enemy you do not see, so recognition is essential.

 

Reverse course through seeking support. When burned out, problems seem enormous, and the outlook looks bleak. It is challenging to gather the energy to take action to help yourself, and it is critical to undoing the damage caused by burnout by seeking the support of others. Limiting your experience with negative people is vital to healing from burnout. Reach out to the surrounding people who are close and don’t be afraid to open up and confide in them. See a qualified mental health professional, especially when dealing with dissociative identity disorder. There are plenty of different kinds of therapy out there, and you could benefit from types like equine therapy that can help you to relax and focus on something else, on top of more traditional variants of psychotherapy. 

 

Building your resilience. You can build your resilience by caring for your physical and mental health. You can also cultivate social connections and avoid social isolation. Positive peer support is critical to feeling like performing in life and establishing emotional well-being. Self-awareness is another area that involves understanding your strengths, weaknesses, emotions, thoughts, and attitudes. Cultivating a growth mindset will aid in building resilience by believing you are intelligent and that your capabilities can meet the challenges that life throws at you.

 

Ending Our Time Together

 

Burnout is usually thought of as something that happens when work responsibilities overcome one. However, as we’ve seen, people with chronic mental health conditions like DID are also prone to burnout.

 

When working with the issues surrounding dissociative identity disorder, you need to practice patience and do a lot of self-care. Seeking help when you feel overwhelmed is vital because such events can quickly turn to self-harm or suicidal ideations or actions.

 

Don’t ever forget that healing is probable if you keep to your guns and do not give up. Therapy, whatever form you choose, is necessary for healing, but the rewards you gain from healing will change your life.

 

“Hope lies in dreams, in imagination, and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams into reality.” – Jonas Salk

 

“Healing will take longer than you want, but not as long as you fear.”

– Dr. Paula McNitt