Burnout has been an increasingly popular subject among creative people on the internet over the past year. More and more people, I think, are realizing that there is nothing more hurtful about burnout than failing to acknowledge that it exists.

So here’s the truth: Burnout — especially among writers — exists. And it may not appear the way you might expect it to.

I used to think that burnout meant you worked yourself so hard you’d get to a point where you physically could not do work anymore. I suppose for some people this may be the case. But as a general health advocate, I’ve done my fair share of scouring the credible internet to figure out what it really means to burn out.

For most people, it’s a lot more terrifying — and dangerous — than you might think.

I don’t know how often it happens to writers. But…