Emotional Exhaustion: Drained, Agitated, and Overwhelmed

[DISCLAIMER]

The American Psychological Association (APA) defines emotion as “a complex reaction pattern, involving experiential, behavioral, and physiological elements, by which an individual attempts to deal with a personally significant matter or event.” Colloquially, emotions are called feelings.

Additionally, the APA defines exhaustion as “a state of extreme fatigue,” as the APA also defines fatigue as “a state of tiredness and diminished functioning. Fatigue is typically a normal, transient response to exertion, stress, boredom, or inadequate sleep […].”

Given these APA definitions, emotional exhaustion relates to a complex reaction pattern regarding a state of extreme fatigue. Expanding upon this description, one source states:

Emotional exhaustion is a symptom of burnout, a chronic state of physical and emotional depletion that results from excessive work or personal demands, or continuous stress. It describes a feeling of being emotionally overextended and exhausted by one’s work. It is manifested by both physical fatigue and a sense of feeling psychologically and emotionally “drained”.

When “drained” in this way (i.e., exhausted physically or emotionally), the Rational Emotion Behavior Therapy (REBT) ABC model concept of a Belief-Consequence (B-C) connection, rather than an Action-Consequence (A-C) connection, suggests a casual effect.

REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate that when an undesirable Action occurs and you Believe an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable assumption, not the occurrence itself, that causes an unpleasant Consequence. This is known as distress or disturbance.

In particular, there are four predominate irrational beliefs which people often use to distress or disturb themselves: global evaluations, low frustration tolerance, awfulizing, and demandingness. When contemplating these unproductive scripts, think of the acronym GLAD.

Noteworthy, from a psychological standpoint, people distress or disturb themselves using a B-C connection. Of course, this isn’t to suggest that in the context of the naturalistic or physical world there is no A-C connection.

From an A-C view, you have stringent work demands with little time available to complete all tasks (Action), as you miss important deadlines for work projects (Consequence). However, this A-C connection doesn’t explain how you’ve become drained, agitated, or overwhelmed.

For context, the APA defines agitation as “a state of increased but typically purposeless and repetitious activity, as in psychomotor agitation.” Also, overwhelm is colloquially defined as being overpowered (provided with more power than is needed or desirable) in thought or feeling.

From a B-C perspective, you miss important deadlines for work projects (Action) and Believe, “I’m worthless [G], and can’t bear falling behind [L], because it’ll be horrendous to be seen as inadequate in my role [A], so I must perform better than my peers, or else I’ll be fired [D]!”

When using this unaccommodating script, you then make yourself drained, agitated, and overwhelmed (Consequence). When doing so, you fall even more behind in your work, and then use similarly self-disturbing personal narratives while entering a cycle of emotional exhaustion.

Addressing how people upset themselves with unhelpful attitudes, the ABC model incorporates Disputation of unproductive philosophies of life in order to explore Effective new beliefs. Whereas rigid beliefs cause self-disturbance, flexible beliefs result in an un-disturbed condition.

The takeaway in this blogpost is that you cause your own outcomes. No A-C connection is liable in this regard, because a B-C connection is how you self-disturb. Therefore, you can take personal responsibility and accountability (collectively “ownership”) for your consequences.

If you don’t want emotional exhaustion—experiencing a drained, agitated, and overwhelmed result—then own how you feel. Do something about it, if you want matters to change. As well, if you’d like to know more about the ABC model, then I look forward to hearing from you.

If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.

As a psychotherapist, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues ranging from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.

At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!

Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW

Photo credit, Designed by Magnific, fair use

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