There’s a high likelihood that those of us with OCPD have probably already had firsthand experience with burnout. Why do I feel so confident? Because, as far as maladaptive coping strategies go, OCPD behavior is incredibly energy depleting and ultimately unsustainable so it stands to reason we will inevitably reach our limits.
While the modern mental health industry still fails to name OCPD directly, you can see direct allusions to it via the synonyms of perfectionism, rigidity, order, and control. I did a quick search for “burnout” and shared some abridged sections from the first couple that stand out most to me regarding OCPD.
Signs you might be experiencing a burnout and how to regain balance in your life
Causes of Burnout
Burnout is not caused solely by stressful work environments or too many responsibilities. It can be experienced by anyone with prolonged levels of chronic stress and pressure causing overwhelm as work or home demands.
Factors that contribute to burnout include:
Work-related causes
- Having little or no control over your work
- Overly demanding job expectations
- Chaotic or high-pressure environment
Lifestyle causes
- Working too much, without socialising or relaxing
- Lack of close, supportive relationships
- Too many responsibilities, without enough help
- Not enough sleep
Personality traits
- Perfectionistic tendencies
- Pessimistic view of yourself and the world
- Need to be in control
- High achieving in nature
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642
Job burnout: How to spot it and take action
Possible causes of job burnout
There are different causes of job burnout. They include:
- Lack of control.
- Lack of clarity about what’s expected of you.
- Conflicts with others.
- Too much to do.
- Lack of support.
- Problems with work-life balance.
Handling job burnout
Burnout often involves things in the workplace that you can’t control. But there are ways to control how you cope with the stress. To get started:
- Look at your options. Talk to your boss about your concerns. Maybe you can work together to make changes or solve problems. Set realistic goals for what must get done. Find out what can wait. If things at work are not likely to change, you might look for a job that would be a better fit for you.
- Seek support. Ask co-workers, friends or loved ones for support. Talking to others might help you cope. Feeling like you belong protects against burnout. If your job offers an employee assistance program, look at the services offered.
- Try a relaxing activity. Look for activities that can help with stress. Examples are yoga, meditation or tai chi. Something as simple as taking some deep breaths a few times a day can help relieve tension.
- Get some exercise. Regular physical activity can help you cope with stress. It also can take your mind off work.
- Get some sleep. Sleep restores well-being and helps protect your health.
- Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is being aware of what’s going on inside you and around you without judging or reacting. This practice can help you deal with what’s happening on the job.
Something else that stood out to me during this cursory exercise was this website’s definition differentiating “stress” from “burnout” that I think it both useful and deserves more personal reflection. Additionally, I added an article about Autistic Burnout because it’s a condition I’ve become very familiar with as several of my autistic friends have received late-in-life diagnoses largely due to their chronic burnout. There’s a significant level of comorbidity between ASD and OCPD and so it’s worth considering whether neurodivergence might be a contributing factor toward chronic stress and burnout.
For more information on their overlap, check out this excellent resource:
https://neurodivergentinsights.com/misdiagnosis-monday/ocpd-vs-autism
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/burnout-prevention-and-recovery.htm
Burnout Prevention and Treatment
What is burnout?
Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands. As the stress continues, you begin to lose the interest and motivation that led you to take on a certain role in the first place.
Burnout reduces productivity and saps your energy, leaving you feeling increasingly helpless, hopeless, cynical, and resentful. Eventually, you may feel like you have nothing more to give.
The negative effects of burnout spill over into every area of life—including your home, work, and social life. Burnout can also cause long-term changes to your body that make you vulnerable to illnesses like colds and flu. Because of its many consequences, it’s important to deal with burnout right away.
The difference between stress and burnout
Burnout may be the result of unrelenting stress, but it isn’t the same as too much stress. Stress, by and large, involves too much: too many pressures that demand too much of you physically and mentally. However, stressed people can still imagine that if they can just get everything under control, they’ll feel better.
Burnout, on the other hand, is about not enough. Being burned out means feeling empty and mentally exhausted, devoid of motivation, and beyond caring. People experiencing burnout often don’t see any hope of positive change in their situations. If excessive stress feels like you’re drowning in responsibilities, burnout is a sense of being all dried up. And while you’re usually aware of being under a lot of stress, you don’t always notice burnout when it happens.
| Stress vs. Burnout | |
| Stress | Burnout |
| Characterized by over-engagement. | Characterized by disengagement. |
| Emotions are overreactive. | Emotions are blunted. |
| Produces urgency and hyperactivity. | Produces helplessness and hopelessness. |
| Loss of energy. | Loss of motivation, ideals, and hope. |
| Leads to anxiety disorders. | Leads to detachment and depression. |
| Primary damage is physical. | Primary damage is emotional. |
| May kill you prematurely. | May make life seem not worth living. |
https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/professional-practice/autistic-burnout
Definition of autistic burnout
From what we learned we created the following definition of autistic burnout.
Autistic burnout is a syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic life stress and a mismatch of expectations and abilities without adequate supports. It is characterised by pervasive, long-term (typically 3+ months) exhaustion, loss of function, and reduced tolerance to stimulus.
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Great article, Cale. I like how you distinguished stress from burnout. We’ve talked about how mental health terms are often misunderstood and overused.
It’s very helpful to break down lifestyle, work-related, and personality traits as causes of burnout. The stigma and lack of awareness of personality disorders can make it difficult to find purpose and joy in our careers and personal lives.
I think the best way to prevent burnout is to connect with people who are experiencing similar work-life balance issues, and willing to talk openly about themselves and their work conditions/ work culture. I’ve found it helpful to take accountability for my work habits, while also recognizing how my workplace cultures made it very difficult for me to practice self-care.
At my former day care center, 9 teachers would meet regularly for lunch. I jokingly called this our ‘support group meeting.’ I wish that there was a support group for people with every type of mental health condition, and every career. More support groups for parents, college students, etc. would prevent burnout.
Attending our group for the past 7 months has helped me reach a point where I can say, I’m not my job. It’s nice to feel like I’m a good employee. Feeling like a kind person is far more important.