[ExhaustedMom]

Hi everyone!

I feel so exhausted lately and I find it almost impossible to focus on work. I feel like I need a good 2 weeks off but that's not possible.

Has anyone found a way to cope with the physical symptoms of depression? Especially Fatigue. Maybe you're able to turn it around?

I'd love to hear what your coping mechanism is.

Thanks
Exhausted Mom

[Newemail]

Hi dear
I kinda have the same issue .. in my humble opinion i think making a to do list with priorities can fix this a bit you can arrange your days avcording to whats important and whats less .. also you should add healthy food to your daily life as i read it fixes your mood and make sure you have good sleep and once your week is done give yourself a good gift like a 2 days vacatiom or picnic or anything just give yourself a treat .

Hope it helps

[Marla500]

You sound just like me! Is it possible to have a longer lunch break or take a couple of hours off? Also it has helped me a little lately to stop reaching for chocolate and eat more healthy fats like almonds and avocado and more fish and chicken. And exercise as much as I can (which is not lots and lots, still a little out of shape). But every little bit helps!! I hope you get a break and feel better soon

It's a hard thing to deal with. It's much easier to give out suggestions on how to cope than it is to deal with it directly.

Just recently I had an annual physical exam with a blood and urine screening. Everything was fine, except that my red blood cell count was just a little bit low. Just below the borderline between normal and low. But I have been having fatigue a little bit. I was told to increase iron; such as dark green vegies and red meat as an example. I try not to eat red meat.

And having depression to go along with this. But I find that I push myself to do what I should do. I can be very busy at work and have great energy, but I really get tired when there's a break in the action. Before I either workout or go bike riding (which I do everyday after work), I take a "cat nap". It does help me a lot and I feel better when the exercising is over. After the nap I feel groggy, but I can pick myself up by preparing for dinner before exercising. Also, I take a vitamin B tablet before the workout.

Sometimes I feel that depression and fatigue (even though they go together) can be dealt differently by me. I don't know which of the two by itself is the worst. And what works well for me may not work well for someone else. Exercising and being distracted helps with my depression, though it does not make it completely go away. Fatigue can be dealt with by me with light exercising and a little more rest.

[seesaw]

Wow, this is totally the same situation I'm in. I'm actually okay and awake when I get up in the morning, I feel like I get a good night's sleep, but a couple hours into the work day...exhaustion, not just tiredness, but full on exhaustion sets in. It's because of the mental gymnastics I'm doing to keep myself "normal" and not looking like the mentally ill person that I am.

Someone mentioned tasks lists. Tasks lists are my best friend. Making a list and prioritizing what's most important then just methodically going through and getting the day's work done...this has been my best friend. It helps to alleviate the exhaustion and helps me stay focused. Also, I hate to admit it, but caffeine is definitely my friend. Coffee doesn't do much for me, but I love those little 5 hour energy shots.

I have also found that if I'm so exhausted that I can't keep my eyes open then a break from my desk is required. I'll go talk to a co-worker (that's what I prefer, just to have some human contact) or use my lunch time to run an errand, even if it's just to run home and take the dog for a walk. It just breaks my day up and helps keep me awake. Sometimes I even just walk across the street for a soda or some gum, but just something to take me away from the desk and kill some time. I prefer going to talk to a co-worker because I'm new in my position and, even though none of us have a lot of time to just chat, I really do need to get my co-workers better. So I'll be honest and say "I needed to step away from my computer screen for a few minutes, want to chat and take a little breather?" Then usually they'll tell me what they're working on and I'll mention what I'm working on, we suggest things to each other, before I know it, a half hour is gone and I'm feeling energized again.

That's one thing I don't like about my current working space. I have an office. Yes, one of the lucky few who has an office...but my office is in the back corner away from the rest of my department...I feel like I get very little human contact during the day and I don't like to be isolated, I feed off the energy of others. I would almost prefer to be in a cubicle if it meant I could sit near another human being and just feed of their energy. Maybe that's weird, I dunno.

So to recap: for the fatigue: lists help keep me focused, which helps fight off the fatigue...taking time to step away from desk to chat with co-workers energizes me...and taking a walk away from my office for a lunch break also helps. And caffeine.

You might also want to check into what meds you're taking and see if they're involved in your fatigue. One doctor told me to take my Abilify in the morning, and I was so exhausted and couldn't figure it out. New pdoc said WHAT? no you have to take it at night, Abilify will make you tired for sure. So I switched that and things got easier.

A couple of times, when I was taking the Abilify at the wrong time, I napped in my car at lunch. I really HATE doing that, but the little cat naps did help when I was just so exhausted I couldn't make it. And hey, it's your lunch hour, you do what you want with it.

Hope this is helpful. I totally know what you're going through right now.

Seesaw

[ExhaustedMom]

Thank you everyone for sharing your coping skills with me. Some I do as well and some I will try.

I've been thinking about those 5 hour Energy Drinks as well. I've been trying to stay away from energy drinks but I might try it if I need to.

I actually found a great app today. Just used it and it made me feel so much better emotionally. It's called Pocket CBT and it basically challenged my thinking. (Cognitive Behavior Therapy) I'm hoping it will also have an impact on my fatigue. After all they say fatigue is a physical symptom. I'm crossing my fingers.

[seesaw]

Exhausted Mom,

I might try that app myself. I'm having a really rough time at work this morning with fatigue.

[ExhaustedMom]

I've used it twice so far and I must admit I love it. I hope it helps you as much as it's helping me.