Various studies show that about 15 percent of working people suffer from anxiety disorders, depression or burnout symptoms. Arne Kresin, a specialist in psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy as well as a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy, provides information about triggers, treatment options and perspectives.
Arne Kresin: There are, of course, many different causes. Pressure to perform, flexible working hours, constant availability and inadequate leadership qualities from superiors put employees under extreme pressure in the modern working world. There is a seemingly impossible discrepancy between their own standards and those of the environment. This is precisely where both medicine and the economy are in demand. Some large companies, including Daimler and Siemens, for example, are now beginning to rethink their approach. They have recognized that productivity can only be ensured if employees are and remain healthy and motivated. As an expert in stress-related illnesses, I support such ambitions. Individually tailored prevention programs and on-site training can help managers and employees to create a working environment that does not overburden, avoids unnecessary stress and, above all, where everyone looks out for each other.
What is the treatment of burnout or similar symptoms all about?
Arne Kresin: What we in Germany call „burnout“ is often attempted to be treated with medication. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is called „empty fire“ and is regarded as a catastrophe - which this burnout actually is for the person affected. So the question is: How can I find more peace, more inner strength? How can I find a channel in which I can get this personal catastrophe under control again? How can this work in practice? Arne Kresin: It's important to meet everyone where they are and to treat every patient with respect. Every patient knows best what is good for them. I listen very carefully to what the patient expects from me and their therapy. Only then do I decide: what exactly does this person need? Exercise therapy, psychological counseling or, in this particular case, something completely different? This means that the therapist contributes their knowledge and the patient their know-how about their own body. This creates the best conditions for the patient to find their own individual path for the time after their stay. After all, this ultimately leads back through their own personal social and professional context.
What do you give patients when they are discharged?
Arne Kresin: I think it's a shame that society continues to stigmatize mental illness as a weakness. This taboo ultimately leads to many sufferers not seeking treatment in the first place. However, those who leave the clinic have the courage to accept help. We are all aware that it is very difficult to consistently transfer what you have learned in a few weeks of therapy into everyday life. It is also clear that just as chronically ill patients need a lifetime of therapy, burnout patients need to pay attention to their mental stability from now on. I always point this out to patients: The path is not finished, a relapse is possible at any time. Those affected have only just turned the corner during treatment, so to speak, and now there is a long road ahead - until the next corner approaches. This means that self-therapy begins at the end of therapy, because the professional and private environment will continue to expect a lot from you. The real art then lies in implementing changes and keeping up the energy. Our instincts usually don't help. But what everyone can do is simply look a little more consciously in all areas of life.
