See, reading much of this just makes my angry. I told my former psychiatrist, God rest her wonderful soul, again and again and again that I was constantly, chronically exhausted and couldn't get the most basic and simplest of tasks accomplished with any kind of reliability. That it was great that, at the time, my mania wasn't an issue, but the fatigue thing was just out of control. I lived in my bed. She though Cymbalta might help. It didn't. She thought Wellbutrin might help. Maybe a little bit. And that was it. That was the extent of what she offered for my exhaustion problem. I loved her then and I love her now, but my fatigue was never taken seriously as a major quality of life issue. Her priority was that I not be manic, which, in my opinion, is the sometimes only priority of far too many psychiatrists treating BP1 in the USA today. It's sometimes like that's all they care about. Just my take. YMMV.

When she got ready to move, I got a new psychiatrist (my current). He was quite a bit closer in age to his residency years. We talked. I told him this fatigue deal was going to kill me. He listened, asked a bunch of questions. Then, he put me on Adderall. Within a few days, my life was transformed. I didn't have to take multiple long naps every day. I started getting stuff done again. My partner was crying. Who was this guy? Later, when I began to have some side effects from this medication, we switched to Provigil (modafinil). It works better for me and I have no real side effects. Way better choice for me. I seldom nap anymore. I get stuff done. I act like a human. It has been revolutionary for me.

So, I do get angry and sad when I hear other bipolar or depression or schizoaffective d/o patients talking about their crushing fatigue and no one seems to be helping them. Why? Why is this not important enough to do something about? Isn't helping us have a better quality of life a noble and worthy goal? Doesn't our total experience matter? Aren't we more than just either manic or depressed or psychotic? Don't we have a right to live somewhere besides our beds?

If you are suffering from crushing fatigue or chronic exhaustion, please, please, please stand up for yourself. Demand that you symptoms and your life experience be addressed. You are worth fighting for. You don't have to be on an amphetamine. There are other options. Please consider looking into them. Things can get better. Much better.