Medical examination with constant exhaustion

Chronic fatigue should be examined by the doctor

03/08/2012

Every person is exhausted every now and then after a particularly stressful working day or other serious physical and mental stress. This is in most cases not a cause for concern, but prolonged exhaustion can also point to mental illnesses that urgently require therapeutic intervention, according to a recent communication from the German Psychiatric Association, Psychotherapy and Neurology (DGPPN)..

If the emotional and physical exhaustion over a longer period of time, the victims should in any case medical assistance, claims Professor Wolfgang Maier of the German Society of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Neurology in Berlin. These symptoms, often referred to as burnout, can also be signs of serious mental illness, such as depression, addiction or anxiety disorders, according to the expert. Physical illnesses such as cancer or diseases of the internal organs, according to Prof. Maier, sometimes also as a trigger of prolonged exhaustion in question.

Remedy causes of fatigue
Although states of exhaustion are quite serious, the German Society for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Neurology warned against an inflationary use of the term „burnout“. Rather, the potential causes of ongoing fatigue should be identified and named to enable efficient therapy. Because the causes of burnout are not resolved, threatening other physical complaints such as the chronic pain syndrome, tinnitus or tinnitus, hypertension or chronic infectious diseases, so the statement of Professor Wolfgang Maier. First, sufferers should, according to the DGPPN expert, seek burnout from their GP to check for possible organic causes of fatigue. If nothing is found here, the DGPPN advises referral to a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy.

Prevent chronic fatigue
However, not every form of exhaustion requires a doctor's visit, according to the statement of the German Society for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Neurology. If vegetative stress symptoms such as tension, sleep disturbances and the feeling of exhaustion occur only for a limited time and a weekend to recover enough, there is therefore no need for medical attention. In order to prevent an individual overload with subsequent chronic fatigue and burnout, naturopathy recommends, among other things, methods for stress prevention and management, autogenic training, exercises in the field of tai chi or yoga and various methods from traditional Chinese medicine. (Fp)

Also read:
Burnout Syndrome: Total Exhaustion
Constant stress puts the soul under pressure
Therapists and doctors often affected by burnout
Burn-out patients conceal their suffering
More and more people are affected by burnout syndrome
Underuse makes you ill: The Bore-out syndrome

Picture: Gerd Altmann