Taken from Wikipedia:
Psychologists Herbert Freudenberger and Gail North have theorized that the burnout process can be divided into 12 phases, which are not necessarily followed sequentially, nor necessarily in any sense be relevant or exist other than as an abstract construct.
1.The Compulsion to Prove Oneself
Often found at the beginning is excessive ambition. This is one’s desire to prove themselves while at the workplace. This desire turns into determination and compulsion. This leads them to show off to their co-workers, proving that they are doing an amazing job, that they are doing better than all others.
2.Working Harder
Because they have to prove themselves to others, people establish high personal expectations. In order to meet these expectations, they tend to focus only on work while they take on more work than they usually would. With their main focus on work, they become obsessed with doing everything themselves. This will show that they are irreplaceable since they are able to do so much work without enlisting in the help of others.
3.Neglecting Their Needs
Since they have devoted everything to work, they now have no time for anything else. Friends and family, eating, and sleeping start to become unnecessary or unimportant. In order to make themselves feel better about neglecting necessities, they tell themselves that these are just sacrifices that will prove that they are the best.
4.Displacement of Conflicts
Now, the person has become aware that what they are doing is not right, but they are unable to see the source of the problem. In order to deal with the root cause of this could lead to a crisis in themselves and become threatening. This is when the first physical symptoms are expressed.
5.Revision of Values
In this stage, people isolate themselves from others, they avoid conflicts, and fall into a state of denial towards their basic physical need while their perceptions change. They also look at their value systems and friends and hobbies are no longer important. Their new value system is their job and start to be emotionally blunt.
6.Denial of Emerging Problems
Now seeing their coworkers as dumb, lazy, and demanding of them, the person begins to become intolerant. They don’t like being social, and if they were to have social contact, it would be merely unbearable. Outsiders tend to see more aggression and sarcasm. The person blames their increasing problems on time pressure and all the work that they have to do, but they do not blame their problems on the ways that they have changed, themselves.
7.Withdrawal
Their Social contact is now a minimum, soon turning into isolation, a wall. Alcohol or drugs may be sought out for a release since they are obsessively working “by the book”. They have feelings of being without hope or direction.
8.Obvious Behavioral Changes
Coworkers, family, friends, and other people that are in their immediate social circles cannot overlook the behavioral changes of this person. The people in the social circles have become apathetic, fearful, and shy.
9.Depersonalization
Losing contact with themselves, they no longer see themselves or others as valuable. They no longer see personal needs. Their view of life narrows to only seeing in the present time, while their life turns to a series of mechanical functions.
10.Inner Emptiness
They are empty inside and to overcome this, they look for activity such as sex, alcohol, or drugs. These activities are exaggerated and overreacted. They start to think that their leisure time is dead time.
11.Depression
Burnout and depression easily correspond. The person is becoming exhausted, hopeless, indifferent, and believe that there is nothing for them in the future. To them, there is no meaning of life. Typical depression symptoms arise.
12.Burnout Syndrome
Suicidal thoughts have passed through the minds of these people to use as an escape from their situation and only few people will actually commit suicide. They collapse physically and emotionally and should seek immediate medical attention.