“It’s a bit as if the body had pulled the plug”: in 2024, cases of burnout are on the rise

The Waterloo Psyche Center celebrated its 5th anniversary on October 12. Created in 2019, this center provides in-depth support to all people experiencing burn-out. Using listening interviews and meetings with psychotherapists, the Center attempts to put people suffering from burnout back on the path to professional reintegration.

For the Psyché Center, located in Waterloo, the month of October was an opportunity for the institution to celebrate its 5 years of existence. And if the center teams are proud to celebrate their fifth candle, it is also an opportunity to remember how necessary these centers are for people in need.

In fact, cases of burnout continue to increase from year to year. In 2024, 150 people passed through the Psyché Center, compared to 100 in 2023.

A disease that is still too little known and too often compared to depression. Pascale Debliquy, director of the Center, recalls the importance of treating these two diseases differently.

“When we are depressed, we are sad, we no longer want anything. Whereas when we are burned out, we still want to do things, we are not sad, we still want to get up in the morning. But we can no longer do it simply because the body can no longer do it. It’s almost like he pulled the plug and said ‘this is too much for me (…)’. And overnight it stops“, she explains.

Today, everyone is likely to suffer from burnout because of ambient pressure, anxiety-provoking news and administrative burden. Pascale receives housewives, students, and sometimes even children. According to an Inami report published in May 2024, cases of burn-out have increased by 43% in 5 years.

Solutions exist

To treat burnout, you have to go through several stages. First, acceptance and understanding of what is happening. Then, energy recovery (rest, nutritherapy, massage).

You need to be able to reconnect with yourself by learning to manage your stress. The fourth step is to work on yourself with psychology sessions, and finally the person can consider resuming professional activity thanks to coaching.

To complete these 5 steps, on average, it takes 6 months.

burn-out center psyche waterloo depression