I had a burnout two years ago. With the help of cognitive therapy and a coach, I recovered. Now the complaints are creeping in again: tingling in limbs, muscle pain, headache, joint complaints and intestinal complaints. I am cold and struggle with concentration problems, clumsiness, irritability and sleepiness. Blood tests show that there is nothing wrong. The doctor says it’s ‘between the ears’.
woman (early 40s)
Joris Bartstra, journalist with medical diploma
The list of complaints seems to me to be the result of chronic stress and overload. It’s a vicious circle: if you feel this way, you can’t take anything anymore and you get even more stress.
Stress complaints that also manifest themselves physically are common and difficult to treat, but it starts with accepting that they are stress complaints. stress and anxiety affect your automatic bodily functions. The sensitivity to unpleasant physical sensations is highly individual and hypersensitivity can make you sick. I understand your objections to ‘between the ears’, but ultimately the pain you feel when you hit your thumb with a hammer is also between the ears.
Some antidepressants (Venlafaxine and Duloxetine) especially help against the physical manifestations. But it takes at least a month for them to work. Such a pill filters the signals that go from the body to the brain. This is a complex neurological process that many people’s nervous systems have problems with.
Also a health question? Click here and ask the question to an expert!
