Chronic Illness Burnout is Real

If you’re at all like me, then you’ve probably wondered if chronic illness burnout is a thing. Well, I’m here to tell you that it absolutely is a thing. The fact that you are even wondering about it means it is indeed a thing.

Chronic Illness Burnout vs Medical Burnout

Some people call it chronic illness burnout. Others refer to it as medical burnout. But it’s all basically the same thing—exhaustion from using all of your physical and mental energy to cope with your chronic medical conditions.

Of course this can range from calling and visiting with doctors to remembering to take your medications to just trying to care for yourself—eat and bathe when you are too tired to move.

Medical Burnout is Real

I’ve been there. I’m still there, actually. Despite the progress that I’ve made in my recovery over the last few years, I still deal with chronic illness burnout every day.

Some days are certainly harder than others. I can go weeks cruising along without much trouble, and then I’ll suddenly hit a wall. It will literally be impossible for me to take another pill or think about talking to a doctor.

I try to be gentle with myself during these times. If I can’t talk to a doctor, then I’ll reschedule my appointment. If I miss a dose of my medications, then I miss a dose. It is what it is. I don’t recommend doing these things, but if you’re in survival mode, struggling with medical burnout, then you gotta do what you gotta do.

It’s Not Just Chronic Illness Burnout

And it’s not just chronic illness burnout. That goes for work and job burnout too. For the last several years, I’ve been devoting pretty much all of my free time to getting my book published. I spent countless hours writing and editing it, then finding a publisher, and finally promoting it in every possible way I could imagine. And now I’m burnt out, struggling to respond to emails and messages, or even think creatively, forcing myself to write this post because, well, I haven’t gone a month without posting on this blog since I started it in 2016, and I hate to break a streak.

I say this not to garner sympathy (it was my own doing, after all) but to provide an update and to keep in touch. I have endured both work and chronic illness burnout before. I usually receive messages asking if I’m okay and what’s going on. I appreciate these messages, as they are especially important to those of us in the chronic illness community because people often become too sick to use their devices, too sick to maintain a social media presence, as was the case for me when I became bedridden in 2015.

Do What You Have To Do

So this post is to assure everyone that if you are going through chronic illness burnout, medical burnout, work burnout, any kind if burnout, it is entirely real. And serious. Don’t take it lightly. Take care of yourself or have someone else take care of you. Do ehat you have to do.

As for me? Despite the chronic illness burnout, I’m doing okay, more than okay, actually. I’m doing really well—I will share an update on my recovery soon. But perhaps it is this progress I’ve been making, too, that has made me more creatively burnt out as well.

After being so sick for so long, I want to spend more time enjoying what health I’ve regained, and maybe even relax a bit, recharging my batteries for the next big thing to happen in this little life of mine.

So, until then . . .

BEFORE YOU GO . . .

1. My memoir, WHEN FORCE MEETS FATE, is now available. If you’d like to support the book please order a copy and leave it a review on Amazon. Here’s a list of places to order the book (by country):

US: Amazon, Apple, Target, Barnes and Noble, Google Play, BooksAMillion, Book Depository (ships worldwide for free!), Indiebound, BookShop.

Canada: Amazon, Kobo, Chapters/Indigo

UK: Amazon

Australia: Booktopia

Mexico: Amazon

Germany: Amazon

Norway/Sweden: Book Depository, Adlibris

2. The audiobook is also available on all platforms, including Audible! Here is a sample of the audiobook:

3. You can also support the book by donating to help pay for the audiobook and publicist, expenses that came out of my own pocket.