Emotional Exhaustion

Overwhelmed? Unable to “keep going”? Feel like you’re having a “nervous breakdown”?

Emotional exhaustion has very similar characteristics to physical exhaustion:

Understanding Emotional Exhaustion

It has been called many things over the years, and some of those terms such as “nervous breakdown” have also developed a negative stigma.  So, we prefer to use the term “emotional exhaustion” when referring to feeling or being in a state of extreme mental fatigue.  

As humans, our bodies are only capable of processing and handling so much.  So, when we give it too much, we experience a state of emotional exhaustion.  

There are many things that can contribute to this.

The routine expectations of our day-to-day lives, such as family and career, can certainly help contribute to emotional exhaustion.  However, when combining the stress that routinely comes with family and career with untreated trauma, one can almost certainly expect to experience a state of emotional exhaustion.

Our Emotional Cup

Emotions – the good ones, the bad ones, and every one in between are necessary to our emotional wellness.  Despite the fact that so many of us hate to “feel” anything, emotions are our body’s way to regulate the stimuli around us.  

But, like a cup, when we get overfull with emotions, we begin to overflow.  During this time, our emotions can become too overwhelming to process and sift through, causing emotional exhaustion.

Healing Emotional Exhaustion

Like any of the other symptom branches on our trauma tree, emotional exhaustion will not simply disappear by ignoring it.  Common misconceptions we often hear are:

• “If I just toughen up, I’ll be fine.”
• “I’ve ignored my feelings for this long, I’ll figure it out.”
• “I’m going to be okay, like I always have.”

Unfortunately, as many of our clients will attest, not dealing with the root of the problem is ultimately going to lead to chronic symptoms, including chronic exhaustion.  

Healing is not only helpful, but it is freeing.  You can live in a state of happiness, energetic, engaged, and connected to your life again.  At The Bridge to Recovery, we have specialized in creating a space for healing to happen for five decades.  Connect with us today to learn more.