Episode 3 Description for Podcast: Burnout and Breakdowns

Trigger warning: Some episodes include honest conversations about suicide. Please listen in a way that feels safe and supportive for you.

Burnout and breakdowns rarely come out of nowhere.
They build slowly, often in plain sight, until something in us can’t keep going the way it used to.

In this episode, Liz and Bernie talk about what burnout and breakdown actually felt like in their own lives: Bernie’s slow-burn burnout after having her second baby, and Liz’s breakdown years after her mum’s suicide, when her grief had nowhere to go.

This isn’t a clinical or textbook conversation. It’s an honest, human one, about what happens when we keep “cracking on” for too long, and why these moments aren’t failures, but signals that we’re carrying too much and can no longer cope.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How burnout can look “high functioning” from the outside.
• The slow build of chronic stress (and the moment it turns serious).
• Parenthood, sleep deprivation, and the invisible load.
• Repressed grief, trauma, and when the body finally says enough.
• The stigma difference between “burnout” and “breakdown”.
• Coping strategies (work, exercise, drinking, control) and why they make sense.
• Learning the early signs, and what recovery can look like over time.

We also explore questions like:

• What if burnout and breakdown aren’t personal flaws, but protective responses?
• How do you ask for help when you don’t even know what you need?
• What would you want your younger self to know in the darkest bit?

Support & resources

If this episode brought things up for you, you’re not alone. And you’re not imagining it. If you recognised yourself (or someone you love) in the conversation, these resources may be helpful.

Burnout, stress & mental health support (UK)
Mind
Practical information on burnout, anxiety, depression, and how to get support, including local services.
https://www.mind.org.uk

Mental Health Foundation
Evidence-based articles on burnout, stress, sleep, and mental wellbeing.
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk

OCD-specific support
OCD UK
UK-based charity offering trusted information, self-help resources, and peer support.
https://www.ocduk.org

OCD Action
Helpline, advocacy, and practical support for people living with OCD.
https://www.ocdaction.org.uk

Crisis & immediate support
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or unsafe right now, please reach out for immediate support.

Samaritans
24/7 emotional support, free and confidential.
116 123 | https://www.samaritans.org

Shout
Free, confidential text support if talking feels hard.
Text SHOUT to 85258 | https://giveusashout.org

Work, burnout & boundaries
ACAS
Guidance on work-related stress, sick leave, and employee rights.
https://www.acas.org.uk