The untapped potential for healthcare to support recovery for patients with stress-related exhaustion disorder – creating an experience of generalised safety

It is paramount to convey an experience of predictability, despite the fact that patients undergo an unpredictable process related to their ED illness. By combining the traditional load‑recovery theory with the generalised unsafety theory of stress, we can tap into the potential to enhance recovery for patients with ED. We suggest that if the encounter with healthcare provides an experience of generalised safety, the conditions for patients with stress‑related disorders to recover would be distinctly enhanced.