View Full Version : Can anxiety cause fatigue?
Bonnibelle
05-12-16, 22:54
I've had anxiety since 2012. I was attacked by my brother and it caused ptsd. I was diagnosed with anxiety and agoraphobia because of thr trauma. I had some depression too as my mother and siblings resented me for not forgiving him which led to me having to walk away away from my family. I also lost my nan a few months before. It basically all led to anxiety and depression. I was put on mirtazapine in late 2013 as I wasn't sleeping or eating and had severe anxiety. Mirt can cause sedation but it wasn't anything I couldn't live with.
I overcame the anxiety and agoraphobia a lot and felt early last year really well and the past was behind me. It all returned over the last year when my health deteriorated
Anyway summer last year I started feeling tired. Gp ran some tests and other than my ferritin a little low he said all was ok. I got a print out and noticed my thyroid was borderline. My gp said he would monitor it. Last winter my son was bullied and became suicidal. My world fell apart and I had some kind of breakdown I was mentally and physically worn down dealing with my son so ill, mental health services not helping him, myself chronically fatigued ... it all led to me very unwell and by January my thyroid had rocketed over range. My gp still refused to treat but monitored it to see if things improved. He blamed it all on stress of the last few years and said I jist had chronic fatigue. By May my fatigue was crippling and bloods showed I needed some help so he started thyroxine. I slowly started to improve and the fatigue started to lift slowly. I had great news last month that at last my thyroid was right down to normal and I felt much better with my fatigue and energy. My anxiety started to lift and I was out doing my exposure work and working on the anxiety that returned since I was poorly this last year.
2 weeks ago out of the blue I started having some physical anxiety like anxiety attacks. I had about 3 that week. Strange and unlike me but put it down to hormones. Since then my anxiety ramped up. Not physical as that's not usually how mine manifests but I had that week of physical anxiety and since its manifested as the usual things i get, unreality - feeling really spaced out, thinking and worrying will I ruin Christmas for my children if I have a setback in my anxiety, worrying if my anxiety is severe again, thinking all the time worrying my health is getting bad again or my anxiety is bad again, worrying with my agoraphobia what if I can't do the visits over Christmas and my daughters concert, what if I have to see my siblings at Christmas, hyper sensitised the physical sensations and anything I feel triggers fear it's ill health or a funny turn... so mainly it's mental thinking and worrying but I am also hyper sensitive to sensations in the body and worrying about them. I've also felt quite low because of it all and the level of fatigue is making my low mood worse. Over the last 5 days my fatigue has hit bad again and my husband and friend think it's since my anxiety returned and all the thinking and worrying I've been doing about it ruining my Christmas. I had been feeling far less tired and working on the anxiety my ill health caused to flare up again.
It's a kind of tiredness where my eyes feel so heavy and sting all day, brain fog feeling where I can't think straight and my surroundings feel unreal, the fatigue hits so hard by 6pm I feel woozy, worn out, weak thighs.... but mainly it's in the head and eyes like this heavy brain fog and stinging heavy eyes all day. I'm sleeping fine.
So after a long ramble I'm wondering can anxiety cause this level of fatigue? Without having panic attacks or high anxiety? Other than that 1 week of some physical anxiety it's now just the usual anxiety I've always had which is mental and the hyper sensitive to physical sensations. I was back working on my agoraphobia and anxiety relapse the ill health brought back this year and I felt much better energy wise. Now I'm fatigued again my anxiety has ramped up as I obsess and worry about why I'm so tired all the time and why I feel I can't think straight. It's causing more anxiety and causing more fear of going out due to how fatigued I feel. Not good when I was making huge progress getting out and about again.
I had bloods done last month and all fine. My gp ran so many tests he ruled out auto immune disorders, granular fever, fbc, detailed iron tests, vitamin levels, kidney and liver function, muscle bloods, thyroid, diabetes, etc I had a hugreat amount done. All fine. Thyroid now working well and everything else ruled out. Gp did a lot of tests to rule things out and so we could just focus on the thyroid treatment.
I know my gp will say this return in heavy fatigue is anxiety and the mental thinking and mental exhsistion. Can anyone relate and reassure me anxiety can cause this kind of fatigue I'm experiencing if you aren't having physical panic and racing adrenaline.
Sorry this got long.
B
I also have physical symptoms of anxiety that make we worry about serious health issues and it's all I focus on I feel exhahasted during the day. Can sleep maybe 4-5 hours a night and wake up aroun 2-3 am most nights with difficulty trying to get back to sleep. Mental stress takes a physical toll on your body and can cause extreme fatigue depression can cause this as well. You are not alone in your struggle anxiety is very common you just feel like you are alone.
Bonnibelle
06-12-16, 07:12
I also have physical symptoms of anxiety that make we worry about serious health issues and it's all I focus on I feel exhahasted during the day. Can sleep maybe 4-5 hours a night and wake up aroun 2-3 am most nights with difficulty trying to get back to sleep. Mental stress takes a physical toll on your body and can cause extreme fatigue depression can cause this as well. You are not alone in your struggle anxiety is very common you just feel like you are alone.
Thank you for your reply.
I sleep very well. 11 till 7am usually. Yet I'm always fatigued like I've never been to bed. I did wonder if all the mental anxiety just takes its toll and drains you mentally.
Thanks again and yes it helps to know I'm not alone. It's horrible.
B
"Can anxiety cause fatigue?"
Absolutely! (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/symptoms#Chronic_Fatigue)
Positive thoughts
Bonnibelle
06-12-16, 10:12
"Can anxiety cause fatigue?"
Absolutely! (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/symptoms#Chronic_Fatigue)
Positive thoughts
Even with the absence of high adrenaline, ie the fast heart, shakes etc...? My anxiety tends to be over thinking, worrying, trying to work things out, worrying about my agoraphobia rather than anxiety attacks. Last week was a one off I think due to hormones out of sync.
Thank you :-)
---------- Post added at 10:12 ---------- Previous post was at 10:11 ----------
They walk hand in hand.
Thank you, that's reassuring.
I wondered if you had to have panic attacks, fast heart, high adrenaline type anxiety to feel fatigued.
No you don't have to have panic attacks with anxiety to feel fatigued. Constant worrying causes fatigue. I feel constantly exhausted :(
Anxiety makes you feel tired. I have just had my first Christmas cards delivered today.
I just want to hide away.:unsure:
Bonnibelle
06-12-16, 21:12
Thank you all. It seems it's pretty common then.
B
Bonnibelle
07-12-16, 10:32
Yesterday I wrapped presents for 5 hours, walked my dog for 10 minutes, cooked, cleaned, school runs, folding washing. I did lots of lifting of boxes and carrying heavy christmas sacks. I have woken today feeling not only fatigued but weak all over, feel weak shaky and sickly. It's causing me intense anxiety. These are the feelings I used to get when in a 'crash' with my chronic fatigue due to my thyroid. So of course today I am thinking well anxiety can't cause my fatigue because no normal person would feel like this just for a day wrapping presents and normal housewife duties. I feel horrible weakness and faitgue, woozy head and on top now anxiety making me feel sick and afraid of what's wrong with me and why I can't do normal tasks like other mums.
My recent bloods were all good and my thyroid has improved massively so now I am worrying if I do have CFS. I have been quite inactive all year due to my health not being great and only recently am I alot more active, walking, yoga, shops... I just hope this isn't CFS and can anxiety cause how I am feeling today?
Sorry to post seeking reassurance. I hate it when I feel weak like this it causes me to feel very afraid. I am resting up today, just the school run to do later but even that is worrying me feeling this bad. I found the drive this morning tough as my head felt woozy. So I feel really anxious about driving later. Ugh, horrible day.
paranoid-viking
07-12-16, 10:43
Oh yeah, definitely. It is the most common anxiety symptom there is. In periods of both health anxiety and social anxiety I have felt like just giving up and laying down and not being able to do nothing.
---------- Post added at 11:43 ---------- Previous post was at 11:42 ----------
No you don't have to have panic attacks with anxiety to feel fatigued. Constant worrying causes fatigue. I feel constantly exhausted :(
There is so many things I should have done this autumn but which I did not because the anxiety ate up a lot of my time.
Bonnibelle
07-12-16, 11:27
Thank you for your reply viking.
I'm so afraid today as I feel so weak and fatigued. I feel so weak I feel my legs are numb which they aren't but thsts how weak they feel..I can't believe anxiety does this. This is unusual for me and worse than my normal day to day anxiety.
paranoid-viking
07-12-16, 12:06
Being constantly afraid and worrying about something deprieves you of energy. At least that is the case in me.
Bonnibelle
07-12-16, 14:33
Sorry to post again so soon. I posted this a few days ago about how fatigued I was feeling and a bit of background about my anxiety journey. http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=191699
Anyway. Yesterday my fatigue wasn't so bad so I spent 5 hours wrapping presents, walked my dog, housework, popped to a shop at night, aswell as cooking and the school runs. I knew I had done alot but went to bed just feeling a bit tired. I slept a good 7 hours. I woke up this morning feeling weak in my legs and arms. My back ached a bit so I knew it was from wrapping presents all yesterday. I didn't worry too much. I took my children to school then on the way home felt really woozy in my head and eyes and instantly felt sick and heart started racing. I got home and felt weakness in my legs so bad they almost felt numb, I felt sick, bowels churning like I'd end up on the toilet, weak heavy arms, woozy giddy head and my heart started racing. I panicked and had to lie down. Ever since whenever I walk around the house the sheer weakness in my legs sends me into high panic. I feel anxious even sat down today but ten times worse if I walk around.
I used to have energy crashes earlier this year before my thyroid issue was treated but recent bloods only 4 weeks ago show the thyroid medication is working, and he also ran a full MOT and gave me a clean bill of health. I felt on top of the world. My GP thought I had CFS earlier this year caused by the underactive thyroid I have had but he said not true cfs, probably just due to my thyroid making me fatigued, as I had huge energy crashes after over doing things physically or if I had to see my family who cause me anxiety I'd crash for days after. All this had got less and less and I rarely crash now, so to wake up today feeling this sheer weakness has triggered horrific anxiety and now I can't tell whether it's anxiety or my health. Which causes me even more anxiety and panic. I can't seem to function today which is rather embarassing being a mother. I should be strong. I will put on a smile once my children are home and hide it from them.
My friend suggested I speak to my GP, I spoke to my hubby and he said there is little point as he has recently done a full MOT of bloods, thyroid finally doing well and there is little he can say other than blame anxiety or a virus.
In the last 2 weeks I have out of the blue had some anxiety again, it had lessened. OVer the last year due to my ill health and low energy I had an anxiety relapse but in the last month or so things got better as I felt well physically. Then 2 weeks ago my hormones went a bit funny just before my period and I had a 28 hour anxiety attack out of the blue. It felt like true anxiety, volcano erupting in stomach, shaking, sick, fast heart.... true high anxiety. It stopped after 28 hours but since I have had some simmering anxiety and worries my anxiety is all returning, worries my health is bad again due to the fatigue I've got again.... but this today is not at all like my usual anxiety. It's hit as soon as I felt weak and woozy and I panicked it was a crash like I used to have earlier this year when I felt poorly with fatigue. All day I have felt so weak in my legs, feel sick, nausea, bowels dropping, heavy weak arms... I feel awful and it's stopping me functioning. I feel terrified it's health realted, or it is true CFS as it's hit after a day of 5 hours wrapping presents....
Sorry to ramble. I am just feeling very afraid what this is as it's hit out of the blue when I woke with weak limbs. THen all my fears on top are making me feel even more scared.
Hopefully it's all panic :weep:
Have a read of the Symptoms (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/symptoms) page. Most all of them would make anyone feel weak and ill!
Positive thoughts
and the more you worry about your symptoms the worse the fatigue will be. Accept that is is an anxiety symptom and you will cope with it better. I have been the same constantly for 3 weeks now and have barely been able to walk round the house, thankfully I have had a little bit of a better day today and even managed to iron 6 items so I see that as an achievement :)
Bonnibelle
07-12-16, 17:16
Glad you feel a bit better today Ann, that's great.
I can't believe how bad I feel today, it's so out of the blue. I can cope with tired eyes fatigue but today has been awful. I even did a separate post on here it scared me so much.
This time of year is stressful for anyone especially us anxiety sufferers. Try not to focus on how you are feeling. My son bought me a colouring book at the weekend and it has been relaxing for me and takes my mind of the awful symptoms. Don't put demands on yourself, things in the house can wait if you need to chill. Your children are all old enough to help out so get them sorted :) I have a huge pile of ironing and haven't even got my Christmas tree up but health and relaxation are more important.
Last week I was focusing on my symptoms and things I had to do. This week I gave in and thought...Forget it I am going to rest and accept the symptoms. Now I am feeling better :)
Bonnibelle
07-12-16, 18:28
This time of year is stressful for anyone especially us anxiety sufferers. Try not to focus on how you are feeling. My son bought me a colouring book at the weekend and it has been relaxing for me and takes my mind of the awful symptoms. Don't put demands on yourself, things in the house can wait if you need to chill. Your children are all old enough to help out so get them sorted :) I have a huge pile of ironing and haven't even got my Christmas tree up but health and relaxation are more important.
Last week I was focusing on my symptoms and things I had to do. This week I gave in and thought...Forget it I am going to rest and accept the symptoms. Now I am feeling better :)
That's brilliant well done, I'm so glad you're much better.
Ann 2 weeks ago I had a random panic attack lasting a whole day I put it down to hormones bur since then on and off I've felt very anxious mentally, worrying what if I have another breakdown like I did a few winters ago, what if I have a bad anxiety year like I did last December when my ill health startEd, what if im anxious at christmas; with my agoraphobia returning since health been bad I've been stressed about visiting my gran and my daughters concert at the church . I feel under so much pressure and although I'm going out now and walking my dog daily it's all for on top of me. Yesterday I did 5 hours of wrapping, plus everything else and to a shop at night and today woke feeling weak in arms and legs then all this hit. I've had weak legs all day, feeling sick, shaky, dizzy head, everytime I walk about I feel I will collapse I'm so weak... hubby says all very high anxiwry but it's so out of the blue why would I have anxiety this bad just because I felt weak this morning? Hubby days because I feared the weakness. Possibly as it does remind me of how bad I used to crash with my chronic fatigue.
I feel awful. Like I felt when I had a breakdown but how can you be fine one day and the next feel this bad. I've been worrying in my head about Christmas and having to see my sisters near Christmas and worrying about the panic attack 2 weeks ago but is that enough to cause this,? I've not eaten much all day. I feel awful.
Sorry to have rambled lol xx
Yes it is enough to cause it and your hubby as usual is right :)
Just read back on your posts over the last few days, you are constantly ruminating and feeding the anxiety. The panic attack a few weeks ago set you off worrying again, you are stressing over Christmas and focusing on every little symptom.
Where you sitting on the floor wrapping presents? That would make your legs weak. Then you ruminate on every feeling you have which of course only makes it worse and it won;t go until you accept it is anxiety and stop focusing on it.
---------- Post added at 18:41 ---------- Previous post was at 18:38 ----------
but how can you be fine one day and the next feel this bad.
Because that is how anxiety works :)
I have hardly eaten for a few weeks but that only makes us feel weaker and then you get more anxious. Try to eat little and often. Thankfully my appetite seems to be a lot better today.
Bonnibelle
07-12-16, 20:42
Thank you so much.
I've not felt like this for a very very long time so it's quite a shock and I was worried all day if anxiety could make you feel this bad. I've literally felt too ill to walk around the house. My legs felt so weak and I felt dizzy and sick inside. I could barely function all day I felt terrible. On top I knew I had anxiety as I could feel the panic everytime I stood up but I didn't realise it wss all anxiety at all.
Hubby got home and I sobbed. He said he had seen this coming because although I've only been worrying the last 2 weeks in my head with little physical anxiety other than that random panic attack 2 weeks ago, I've been worrying my anxiety was returning snd would ruin Christmas and of course this time of year always reminds me of what happened to me 4 years ago and how poorly I was so I always want this time of year to be perfect. More pressure on myself. I had a big cry and he told me I was just weak from doing so much yesterday (yes was sat on the floor for 5 hours lol) I now feel tired out and like I've been battered but yes I've been able to walk about tonight and that weakness in the legs is much better. So wow was all that sheer panic? Hubby said I fear my energy crashes returning especially now before christmas and it ruining how well I'm feeling now, so he thinks I panicked badly and couldn't see it was a anxiety and then panicked it was my health.
I am just shocked anxiety can really cause this. I've felt so terrible and weak all day. Maybe 2 weeks of worry and pressure everything to be perfect and not another bad Christmas tool it's toll. I was poorly last Christmas with the thyroid, then 2 years before that all that horrible family stress. Now I've no contact with them and life is good, health improved massively so maybe I have been putting pressure on myself and fearing that panic 2 weeks ago was it all returning. Today maybe i worried the weakness was a bad crash as I do live n fear of them returning.
Thanks for your support.
B xx
Yes it is enough to cause it and your hubby as usual is right :)
Just read back on your posts over the last few days, you are constantly ruminating and feeding the anxiety. The panic attack a few weeks ago set you off worrying again, you are stressing over Christmas and focusing on every little symptom.
Where you sitting on the floor wrapping presents? That would make your legs weak. Then you ruminate on every feeling you have which of course only makes it worse and it won;t go until you accept it is anxiety and stop focusing on it.
---------- Post added at 18:41 ---------- Previous post was at 18:38 ----------
Because that is how anxiety works :)
I have hardly eaten for a few weeks but that only makes us feel weaker and then you get more anxious. Try to eat little and often. Thankfully my appetite seems to be a lot better today.
Anxiety has that affect on me all the time. Anxiety is basically your fight or flight switch getting stuck on! If you were being chased by a dinosaur all day you would be exhausted. Same response :) It totally wears you out.
You are worrying about worrying and making your situation worse.
What happened 4 years ago is now in the past, yes the memories of it keep coming back but you are now in the present with a lovely family.
Don't put pressures and demands on yourself. I felt more anxious at the weekend because my family were home for my sons birthday and I was too ill to bake or even get the house cleaned to my usual standard. They didn't care because the most important thing is the family being together.
When the unhappy memories come look through your photos of the happy things you have done with your children over the past few years during Christmas and their smiling faces (apart from the teenager who doesn't like Mum taking his photo any more lol)
As you know I was in an abusive relationship for 13 years. I had many flash backs to those incidents some very horrific. My therapist taught me to change the image so it wasn't so horrific. First of all change it to black and white in your mind (a black and white film is never as scary as a colour one). She also got me to tell her what happened but to change the story so that it wasn't so bad. Seemed strange to do and at first I kept saying "But it was worse than that so I can't make it sound better" but she insisted I did and I am surprised that it worked and I don't have those flashbacks in my mind now because I have changed the reality of it to something not so serious.
You have a lovely family and a VERY supportive hubby...make happy Christmas memories together and don't put demands on yourself.
Oh and don't sit on the floor for 5 hours again!! Obviously it will make your legs weak ;)
Bonnibelle
08-12-16, 11:27
Thank you so much Annie, your reply was a huge comfort to me.
I had moved on from 4 years ago, but weirdly this time of year always brings it back and I fear being as ill as I was back then I suppose as that first Christmas was hell for me inside. I know it's behind me but it seems to still hit.
I went back to therapy in the summer. She diagnosed PTSD but only made me feel worse having another label. She taught me a lot about trauma but she ended up telling me my childhood had been full of trauma, which ok I knew but things i thought were normal she told me weren't, like my mum hitting me. I assumed that was normal as she did it if we were a bit naughty but looking back I wasn't a naughty child and my mum even says I was such a good girl and no problem. So the therapy made me feel like utter crap making me feel worse and worse about my life with my extended family. In the end I quit, I was feeling so low doing the therapy. Now I worry having PTSD does that mean you can't overcome anxiety ever yourself? do you need therapy? if that makes sense, I just wonder because 4 years on I still have the odd setback after such a good period.
I feel much better today, far less anxious thank goodness. My stomach churns a bit and appetite is still off but I am grazing. I have done yoga and meditation so I stick to my routine.
I always wonder about anxiety causing fatigue, weakness etc.. if you aren't actually having panic attacks, yesterday ok was VERY high physical anxiety but my anxiety generally is my mind racing with worries, unreality, and trying to work it all out. It's rare I have a physical reaction, well it usually is rare lol but I wonder how does mental anxiety cause tiredness and if it can cause energy crashes like you'd have with CFS like my GP assumed I had. I can be tired day to day which I am learning to accept is the mental worry but can it actually cause energy crashes out of the blue like yesterday that then triggered an anxiety attack. I hope all that makes sense lol! I know what I am trying to say but find it hard to write it in words :D
Thank you again for your support, as you know setbacks out of the blue are horrible and you lose your path for a while. Hoping I get back to where I was without the need for therapy yet again.
B xx
Anxiety has that affect on me all the time. Anxiety is basically your fight or flight switch getting stuck on! If you were being chased by a dinosaur all day you would be exhausted. Same response :) It totally wears you out.
You are worrying about worrying and making your situation worse.
What happened 4 years ago is now in the past, yes the memories of it keep coming back but you are now in the present with a lovely family.
Don't put pressures and demands on yourself. I felt more anxious at the weekend because my family were home for my sons birthday and I was too ill to bake or even get the house cleaned to my usual standard. They didn't care because the most important thing is the family being together.
When the unhappy memories come look through your photos of the happy things you have done with your children over the past few years during Christmas and their smiling faces (apart from the teenager who doesn't like Mum taking his photo any more lol)
As you know I was in an abusive relationship for 13 years. I had many flash backs to those incidents some very horrific. My therapist taught me to change the image so it wasn't so horrific. First of all change it to black and white in your mind (a black and white film is never as scary as a colour one). She also got me to tell her what happened but to change the story so that it wasn't so bad. Seemed strange to do and at first I kept saying "But it was worse than that so I can't make it sound better" but she insisted I did and I am surprised that it worked and I don't have those flashbacks in my mind now because I have changed the reality of it to something not so serious.
You have a lovely family and a VERY supportive hubby...make happy Christmas memories together and don't put demands on yourself.
Oh and don't sit on the floor for 5 hours again!! Obviously it will make your legs weak ;)
---------- Post added at 11:27 ---------- Previous post was at 11:25 ----------
and Annie, thank you for that tip, I shall give that a try. It may help me with the bad memories of my family upsetting me those first 2 Christmases. xx
Bonnibelle
08-12-16, 11:30
Thank you so much, fantastic read :-)
I was diagnosed with PTSD too and yes you can overcome it, I guess the tips I mentioned helped me a lot.
An overactive mind can be more physically exhausting than physical exercise. If you think about it, you don't have to be in a physically exhausting job to come home tired and crash out at the end of a day. You could be in a more mentally draining job and be even more exhausted by the end of the day :)
Your biggest problem is that you constantly ruminate over things and past events. Replace those thoughts with more positive ones. Oh yes I feel crap today...i have no energy...what if? STOP! Yes I am not having a good day but I have been quite busy lately and tiredness makes me more anxious, I will rest more today and do something relaxing, it is just my worries causing me to feel this way and I will be better in a few days. Do you see what I mean? If you don't rationalise it, it will only make you worse and your thoughts run away with you.
Bonnibelle
08-12-16, 13:28
Great advice, thank you Annie.
That is my problem, I have been doing great and worked so hard to get tot where I was that any inch of anxiety and I panic all over again that it's coming back. Same goes for my health, any symptoms like I had all those months I was ill, I panic oh no it's back and i am going to be that unwell again. So yes both cause me intense fear. Family wise I rarely give them any thought all year now and am in a very good place in regards to them but this time of year for some reason throws me some horrible reminders of what happened. Your suggestions on how to handle that will come in useful.
Thank you.
C
B x
I was diagnosed with PTSD too and yes you can overcome it, I guess the tips I mentioned helped me a lot.
An overactive mind can be more physically exhausting than physical exercise. If you think about it, you don't have to be in a physically exhausting job to come home tired and crash out at the end of a day. You could be in a more mentally draining job and be even more exhausted by the end of the day :)
Your biggest problem is that you constantly ruminate over things and past events. Replace those thoughts with more positive ones. Oh yes I feel crap today...i have no energy...what if? STOP! Yes I am not having a good day but I have been quite busy lately and tiredness makes me more anxious, I will rest more today and do something relaxing, it is just my worries causing me to feel this way and I will be better in a few days. Do you see what I mean? If you don't rationalise it, it will only make you worse and your thoughts run away with you.
---------- Post added at 13:28 ---------- Previous post was at 13:26 ----------
PS - Annie, is PTSD do you think something you can overcome yourself? I had therapy but it didn't help the trauma dragging it all up just made me feel worse.
That is a difficult one to answer, PTSD is quite complex and requires guidance. There are some good self help books out there The PTSD workbook by Mary Beth Williams and Recovering from Trauma and PTSD by Deborah Lee but even reading these will trigger the events. Any therapy either self help or with a professional is going to bring up those events but that is the only way to get past them.
Believe me some days when I got home from therapy I felt like a wreck and wouldn't even talk to my husband for the rest of the day. I have no regrets though as it helped in the end.
You have to remind yourself that you have been doing really well and it is only because you had an anxious day then you got to thinking "Oh no what if it is all coming back again!" and because you started thinking all that then that is only reason it did. You fed the anxious thoughts instead of rationalising them.
---------- Post added at 15:03 ---------- Previous post was at 14:54 ----------
http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/audio/WatchingThoughts.mp3
Bonnibelle
08-12-16, 15:37
Thank you Ann.
I wasn't diagnosed with PTSD until this year. The therapy was ok until a point when the therapist was quite rude to me and said I must feel less of a mother having agoraphobia again. It shook me up and hubby was angry she had said that to me. I had 2 more sessions after that then left as it didn't feel right. She wasn't setting me homework anymore or documents to read, it was quite strange. I suspected she had some personal issues going on as she had become quite forgetful during our sessions and seemed tense. We parted on good terms though. She'd had PTSD in the past which I found a comfort at first and she was really helpful but then as the sessions went on she didn't help at all, I was setting my own exposure work and she wasn't doing anything about trauma. I wasn't quite sure how trauma therapy was supposed to go but it suddenly came to a halt.
Can I ask what type of therapy you had to overcome the PTSD? I read it's safe to put PTSD under the anxiety umbrella and treat it as you would anxiety because no matter what caused your anxiety and fear it's in the past and what matters now is moving forward and overcoming it. I don't have flashbacks now, no nightmares or fears of my family coming near me again so I guess I have put a lot in the past now.
Thanks Annie.
B x
That is a difficult one to answer, PTSD is quite complex and requires guidance. There are some good self help books out there The PTSD workbook by Mary Beth Williams and Recovering from Trauma and PTSD by Deborah Lee but even reading these will trigger the events. Any therapy either self help or with a professional is going to bring up those events but that is the only way to get past them.
Believe me some days when I got home from therapy I felt like a wreck and wouldn't even talk to my husband for the rest of the day. I have no regrets though as it helped in the end.
You have to remind yourself that you have been doing really well and it is only because you had an anxious day then you got to thinking "Oh no what if it is all coming back again!" and because you started thinking all that then that is only reason it did. You fed the anxious thoughts instead of rationalising them.
---------- Post added at 15:03 ---------- Previous post was at 14:54 ----------
http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/audio/WatchingThoughts.mp3
I had intense Psychotherapy x
BrokenBrain
16-12-16, 21:35
It definitely can and does and it is probably the most irritating symptom imo. I am always tired, it doesn't really matter if I've done anything or not, the fatigue is always there. If I just went to bed every time I felt tired I would be sleeping 15 hours a day.
Of course it is always good to get everything checked so it's not caused by anything physical, but if everything seems to be fine then unfortunately it's "just" the anxiety. I say just because I actually wish my fatigue would be caused by something curable or treatable and not my ******* brain.
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