Burnout
Burnout is an occupational syndrome and a physiological one, with measurable changes in cortisol, sleep, thyroid and nutrient status underneath it.
The World Health Organization classifies burnout as an occupational phenomenon rather than a medical condition, and the distinction matters clinically. Burnout is context-bound: exhaustion, cynicism and reduced efficacy tied to work. Depression is not context-bound. They overlap, they are frequently confused, and they are managed differently.
Sustained demand without recovery, and low autonomy in particular. Circadian disruption. Glycemic instability. Flattened cortisol rhythm and reduced DHEA. Iron, B12, vitamin D and magnesium insufficiency. Subclinical thyroid dysfunction and unresolved sleep-disordered breathing both present as burnout, and both are frequently missed.
The physiology first, because it is what is measurable: cortisol rhythm, glycemic stability, sleep architecture, nutrient repletion and thyroid conversion. Training load recalibrated rather than increased. Then the occupational side, which is where durable change lives — and which no protocol substitutes for.
Cortisol rhythm across the day with DHEA-S. Complete thyroid function including free T3 and reverse T3. Ferritin, B12, vitamin D and magnesium. Fasting insulin and hs-CRP. Sleep apnea screening where indicated. Where the presentation is depression rather than burnout, it is named as such and referred appropriately.
Ready to start with a clear clinical picture?
Start with the fifteen-minute consultation. No cost, and a straight answer on whether this model fits your case.