Dear Looking4,

What you've described sounds like it could be depression and anxiety-related, but it sounds more severe than what people usually report.

My advice would be:

Big number 1) - FIX THE SLEEP. Your doctors should be able to help you find some meds that will let you get some sleep. The kind of sleep deprivation that you're talking about is enough to cause extreme dysfunction. I have had success in the past with Ambien for sleep, and I now take Remeron/mirtazapine 7.5-15 mg at bedtime.

2) Food. I like this list by the mental health writer and activist Therese Borchard, of 10 Foods I Eat Every Day to beat depression. My list also includes oranges, Greek yogurt, and salmon. I try to keep things around that don't need cooking, so I can always have something healthy with protein and good fats that I can eat.

3) POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) - This is an autonomic nervous system dysfunction where blood pressure isn't controlled correctly when you are standing or when you are changing the position of your body. In severe cases, people faint. In milder cases, they feel weak and tired and get confused and often dizzy.

It takes a cardiologist to diagnose this definitively, but you can read about it a bit and get an idea if it sounds like something that you're having a problem with. Compression knee socks or stockings can help with it some. There are exercise programs to "retrain" your autonomic nervous system. There are also meds that are supposed to help, but results are mixed with the meds.

These suggestions that I've given you here are things that have helped me. I imagine you'll get other ideas from other members.