harasgenster
01-09-12, 19:30
Hi, I've not been on this forum for a while but there's a particular symptom that's proving a massive struggle for me and I'm not really sure what to do about it.
I'm suffering from crushing exhaustion that's making it very hard to drag myself through the day at work (I now work part time as have never been able to hold down a full time job for long) and it's difficult to socialise, do the housework etc as well.
This symptom has gradually got worse over a few months, although I haven't had a 'normal' amount of energy for about five years and have left jobs and study specifically due to exhaustion in the past.
I'm sleeping fine, and if I'm not woken artificially can easily sleep for 12-14 hours. It's generally a full bladder that wakes me! But even when I just have the 8 hours I feel I need I wake up feeling limp and weak, with no energy in my body. I try to drag myself on because I don't think just lying around will help but after around three hours of functioning (regardless of whether it's work, socialising, housework or shopping etc) I will feel so overwhelmed by the lack of energy and tiredness that I just have to give up and go home (or if I'm at work my very understanding boss allows me to take a little while to close my eyes and stay still until I feel like I can continue, but my work has suffered greatly over the last few months as I'm struggling to stay awake and focus). This week I have even started to have a rest after taking off my coat! My arms go limp and tired and ache a bit when I'm undressing/taking off my coat and I feel like I need to sit down and recover.
A few weeks ago I went to the doctor because I'd tried walking to give me more energy but after half an hour my muscles would start shaking as if I'd run 10 miles and I would feel unbearably unwell. Doing things and exercise actually seems to make the symptom worse. He tested me for thyroid function (both high and low) and diabetes but I was fine. I'm going back on Monday to ask if it's worth checking for anaemia, but I expect it will turn out to be psychological.
Have others suffered with this level of low energy? I'm starting to dread every day because I know I need to try and carry on and keep going, but I feel like my body is screaming at me to stop. I'm not very busy, my life has become more and more empty since I have felt too tired to go on - I don't even have sex anymore because I don't feel well enough - and I have very early nights now because I can't stay awake for long.
My doctor has suggested that pills aren't suitable for me as I've been on a large number of them and none have had a significant effect, so I'm waiting for therapy (that I was referred for years ago but still no appointment). I'd like to be able to combat this in the meantime but I'm running out of ideas.
I think the thoughts I'm having that are behind the ill feeling are that I feel very overwhelmed by life itself in that I don't expect to enjoy any of it, so all I see are the rolling of many more bleak years ahead of me that I feel I must endure. The fact I see life as an endurance feat and I'm finding it very difficult to feel good about anything is probably tiring me out, but I'm not sure what I could try to help me see life differntly as I've looked at it every which way and can't imagine anything being enjoyable.
Any thoughts?
I'm suffering from crushing exhaustion that's making it very hard to drag myself through the day at work (I now work part time as have never been able to hold down a full time job for long) and it's difficult to socialise, do the housework etc as well.
This symptom has gradually got worse over a few months, although I haven't had a 'normal' amount of energy for about five years and have left jobs and study specifically due to exhaustion in the past.
I'm sleeping fine, and if I'm not woken artificially can easily sleep for 12-14 hours. It's generally a full bladder that wakes me! But even when I just have the 8 hours I feel I need I wake up feeling limp and weak, with no energy in my body. I try to drag myself on because I don't think just lying around will help but after around three hours of functioning (regardless of whether it's work, socialising, housework or shopping etc) I will feel so overwhelmed by the lack of energy and tiredness that I just have to give up and go home (or if I'm at work my very understanding boss allows me to take a little while to close my eyes and stay still until I feel like I can continue, but my work has suffered greatly over the last few months as I'm struggling to stay awake and focus). This week I have even started to have a rest after taking off my coat! My arms go limp and tired and ache a bit when I'm undressing/taking off my coat and I feel like I need to sit down and recover.
A few weeks ago I went to the doctor because I'd tried walking to give me more energy but after half an hour my muscles would start shaking as if I'd run 10 miles and I would feel unbearably unwell. Doing things and exercise actually seems to make the symptom worse. He tested me for thyroid function (both high and low) and diabetes but I was fine. I'm going back on Monday to ask if it's worth checking for anaemia, but I expect it will turn out to be psychological.
Have others suffered with this level of low energy? I'm starting to dread every day because I know I need to try and carry on and keep going, but I feel like my body is screaming at me to stop. I'm not very busy, my life has become more and more empty since I have felt too tired to go on - I don't even have sex anymore because I don't feel well enough - and I have very early nights now because I can't stay awake for long.
My doctor has suggested that pills aren't suitable for me as I've been on a large number of them and none have had a significant effect, so I'm waiting for therapy (that I was referred for years ago but still no appointment). I'd like to be able to combat this in the meantime but I'm running out of ideas.
I think the thoughts I'm having that are behind the ill feeling are that I feel very overwhelmed by life itself in that I don't expect to enjoy any of it, so all I see are the rolling of many more bleak years ahead of me that I feel I must endure. The fact I see life as an endurance feat and I'm finding it very difficult to feel good about anything is probably tiring me out, but I'm not sure what I could try to help me see life differntly as I've looked at it every which way and can't imagine anything being enjoyable.
Any thoughts?