Burnout in Recovery 

June – August 2025

Mental Health

What is Burnout? 

Fundamentally, burnout is a state of chronic physical and emotional exhaustion. It can happen to anyone – a parent, a worker, a student, or a caregiver. More than just feeling tired at the end of a long day, it is basically a cumulative buildup of fatigue and detachment that manifests through a feeling of demotivation, ineffectiveness and lack of purpose. Overwhelm, irritability, isolation, lack of proper rest, low energy levels, headaches, digestion issues are all hallmarks of burnout. 

In addiction recovery, burnout begins when the time, effort and commitment needed to stay clean/sober becomes unsustainable. The energy you constantly need to stay vigilant in your recovery journey begins to take a toll on your well-being. The pressure to maintain recovery, the anxious questioning of whether you are doing enough, the stress of making sufficient effort, the constant vigilance to attend meetings – your self-confidence may begin to wear down. Add to that the need to negotiate the emotional tasks of coming to terms with your past behaviours, reconciling with loved ones, and working through guilt and/or shame. 

It is at this point that the risk of relapse is greatest. It is remarkably easy to cope with the tensions of having to maintain sobriety by just slipping a little. One small sip, one little puff, just enough to deal with the situation, and then one can return to the business-as-usual maintenance of sobriety. This temporary escape may just be a minor slip, but it may also open the floodgate to a full-blown relapse. 

  

How to Prevent Burnout 

 

Self-care to prioritise physical, mental and emotional well-being 

Self-care covers a myriad of activities you can undertake to relax and take the pressure off. The important thing to note here is consistency – engage in some self-care regularly before you start feeling drained. It could be as simple as getting an ice cream, going for a run, or window shopping. Don’t judge the activity by how meaningful or serious it is. Measure it by how you feel after it is done. 

  

Setting boundaries and managing self-expectations 

Even Superman couldn’t do everything. Manage the things you can be responsible for and tell yourself you are good enough. You are not expected to manage things which you cannot control. 

When the pressure intensifies, the mental and emotional resilience needed to combat cravings and resist triggers will diminish. Before this leads to impaired decision-making, before making choices that will jeopardize sobriety, and before any underlying mental health issues are aggravated, take preventive steps before you burn out. 

  

Get help from your support system or professionals 

Share your feelings and concerns with trusted friends, family, or fellow recovery members. They may in fact have noticed changes in your mood or behaviour before you yourself were fully aware, and may offer a fresh take or perspective on your issues. 

Meeting with your counsellor or therapist will help you identify signs of burnout and help you to take preventive steps before matters escalate. 

 

One Man’s Story about Burnout 

 

Eight years into recovery and five years sober, the term “burnout” started to feel increasingly relatable. 

Admittedly, the rigorous routine of consistent support group meetings, outreach calls, and 12-Step programme work can sometimes feel more like a grind than a gain. 

My journey of recovery, like that of many others with addiction, began with a rock bottom in my early 30s. At the time, I had no idea what addiction truly was - let alone accept that I had one. 

It was a rude awakening, to say the least, when I discovered that this “disease” would be with me for the rest of my life, and that I would need to “keep working the programme”, as they say, if I wanted any semblance of sobriety. 

Today, as I cross my fifth year of sobriety, I’d like to share some personal reflections on a seldom discussed aspect of the journey: burnout. 

We’re all too familiar with the effects of burnout in the context of work or studies. Recovery, being a full-time commitment, can bring about similar experiences. In my early years of recovery, my approach was to go hard or go home. Unbeknownst to me at the time, that was my addictive mentality manifesting itself. 

I would attend as many 12-Step meetings as I could and devour every piece of recovery literature I could get my hands on. Podcasts, speaker tapes, more meetings - I was living and breathing recovery. 

However, midway through the journey, I began to notice a different kind of craving creeping in - not a craving to use, but a craving to stop trying. I found myself questioning: Is all this really necessary? How much longer can I keep this up? 

Then came the guilt and shame - for not being more grateful, or not doing “better”. Unsurprisingly, these low moods would lead to big triggers. In response, I would double down on recovery work, fearful of a potential relapse. 

Eventually, I brought this up with my peers in recovery. A veteran in the journey shared a piece of wisdom that struck a deep chord: “Stop focusing on doing recovery right, and start focusing on doing recovery well.” 

This flipped a switch in my mind. I realised how obsessed I had become with ticking all the boxes. All or nothing had always been my approach - and if that wasn’t enough, I had to do it all perfectly. 

From that moment on, I began to understand the value of heart work over hard work. Ironically, the fire was reignited when I stopped trying to control every aspect of recovery - be it routines, emotions or triggers. 

“Less is more,” I was told. Less control, more connection. Less perfection, more peace.  

I may not have all the answers, and that’s perfectly fine. After all, I’m only five years sober - and I’ve got the rest of my life to figure this recovery thing out, one day at a time. 

 

By Simon Ling