Stress seems to be the buzzword of the generation, but at what point have you reached your breaking point?

A memo from the Winnipeg Police Service Chief Danny Smythe addressing tiredness amongst officers due to Winnipeg crime made big news and brought awareness to the issue of burnout, something that many police officers and other professionals are facing.

Dr. Syras Derksen from Maplecrest Church enjoys a balance between two areas of work that, while not necessarily traditional, do intersect. The pastor, who is also a psychologist, says that each area of expertise lends itself to the other.

"I like the idea of bringing faith and science together, and so it kind of comes out in my talks," chuckled Derksen. While he acknowledges that the experience for congregants might not be the same as that at a more traditional church, he says the combination is interesting.

"Even with a twist, it's still good," he smiled.

Derksen's background in social sciences is also received well by those who attend the church, he says. "People feel pretty safe in the church, the feel like I can understand or I'll be able to manage difficult situations."

One difficult situation that the pastor says he has been seeing often are situations of burnout. "I have professionals coming in with difficult stories that they've experienced and [they are] experiencing a lot of symptoms that surprise them."

"If you ignore symptoms that are there for a longer period of time, they're likely going to get worse."

Burnout, explained Derksen, is something where people experience a great deal of stress to the point where they have difficulty managing it or functioning [at] an everyday level.

Those who are employed in service positions are one group that frequently will experience symptoms of burnout.

"They obviously are not trying to have these symptoms and they often go through a process of having to accept the fact that these symptoms are happening to them and it can be quite a process of actually coming to the place where they're okay with seeking help."

That process can be understandably very stressful, particularly with members of the police or military who are uncomfortable with being vulnerable and who may face stigma in their profession for acknowledging a need for emotional or mental assistance.

"Oftentimes people who are experiencing burnout as first responders are actually experiencing a form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)," Derksen continued. Exposure to forms of traumatic incidents, first- or second-hand can lead to this manifestation of the condition.

"Most of the time we are able to get people back into a place where they are feeling good about life and that they can do something purposeful."

Rather than being triggered by one particular incident or incident-type, burnout exists as more of a chronic and underlying stress on an individual that accumulates over time.

The transition from simple stress to burnout, Derksen says, is when an individual finds themselves at a point where they are no longer able to function.

"They have difficulty going to work, they have difficulty managing difficult situations, difficulty making decisions or concentrating, or [they are] falling asleep," the pastor explained. "All of a sudden, things you were able to do and you thought you were able to do easily, maybe, are just not happening anymore."

As burnout is not an official medical term, Derkson shared that it is important to remember that burnout symptoms can often materialize as a result of another issue in someone's life, such as depression or anxiety.

The symptoms of burnout, while they may be virtually indistinguishable sometimes from that of another disorder, do serve to show that something, ultimately, is off in someone's day-to-day life.

"It does change things in your life."

"You should be making a change in course and you want to be paying attention to them," Derksen said. "If you ignore symptoms that are there for a longer period of time, they're likely going to get worse."

Signals to pay attention to that might indicate something is off with your body include difficulties with sleep, eating, and concentration, feelings of nervousness or anxiety, panic attacks, hypervigilance, and more.

"Whenever you experience a significant episode like a burnout or depression ... it does change things in your life," the psychologist advised. "It changes your perspective on life, it makes people more careful, it sometimes changes what people are able to do."

Spirituality and faith have proved to be effective in helping people handle stress, even in long-term situations, as it provides support through community and the ability for people to make sense of their situation through the perspective of their beliefs.

What remains important to remember is that a change in work or an adjustment to your lifestyle does not mean what you are doing is no longer meaningful or that life is no longer good. "Most of the time we are able to get people back into a place where they are feeling good about life and that they can do something purposeful."

If you do notice something different about yourself that you find concerning, Derksen recommends consulting your local physician.