The aim of this essay is to investigate what is burnout and how women who are affected by it manage their condition. Furthermore, we have investigated stigma and whether or not those affected by burnout are in turn stigmatised.

A qualitative approach has been used to achieve our aims with this project. To support our analysis we have interviewed ten women who all have been diagnosed with fatigue syndrome along with studying relevant literature. The main theories used in this investigation are the symbolic interaktionism by G.H Mead, the term stigma by Erving Goffman and different theories on coping.

The results show that the majority of women in the study had suffered from burnout due to work related stress and changes in their working environment. How they coped with and recovered from the condition depended on their own activity and how it related to their own support system. Moreover, we can see how nature plays a significant part for many of the affected women to return to a healthy life. We can observe that both the term stigma and how it manifests itself is complex and difficult to define. The majority of the women in this study could not themselves define the term stigma.

We have discovered that women suffering from burnout experience major changes in their lives and that there is much to learn from these women about both life in general and a person’s working life. From a social worker’s point of view, it is imperative to acknowledge the risks of always meeting the needs of others and the importance of recovery and reflection.