[Martina]

I've been in therapy since April 2008. For a while we were doing great, she really helped me. But it seems like we've hit a brick wall.

Lately, I have been struggling with finding motivation. I lost my job in January, and I lost it because I couldn't drag my butt out of bed in the mornings and get to work. I was lazy.

Now, being unemployed, I sleep way too much. Like until 11:00 or noon. And the worst part is...I leave my daughter watching TV or playing with her toys all alone, while I sleep. It's really bad.

I also lack the drive to lose weight. I weigh 230 pounds at 5'4" tall. I gained 50 pounds on Zyprexa, but I can't blame it all on the med - I was eating crappy and not exercising.

I have every reason in the world to lose weight. I could be diabetic. I am disgusted with how I look. My husband is not attracted to me anymore. There are so many reasons, yet I still can't do it.

Yet I voiced all these concerns to my psych nurse, and she was no help at all. She said that basically she can't wake up in the morning for me. I know that! But can't she help me figure out WHY I can't wake up???

Do you have any idea why I would be so un-motivated?

I'm medicated enough that she says it should not be depression, and I really don't feel overall depresed.

[Christina86]

(((((((Martina)))))))))))))

I dunno, it sounds like a form of "depression" to me. I have problems with motivation myself, especially surrounding eating/sleeping/personal care.

Are you motivated to still continue therapy? Perhaps you want/need a break?

Maybe finding other hobbies, friends to motivate you to do things??

[deliquesce]

hi martina,

i am wondering if you have had a full physical recently? i'm not sure what PNPs do, maybe they only focus on psychiatric treatment, but maybe there is another reason (thyroid?) that is leading to the lethargy and drastic weight gain.

if it is a problem with motivation, i can relate . when i am depressed it is hard for me to get out of bed. but even sometimes when i am not depressed, i still struggle with motivation.

my therapist has talked with me about something called "reverse motivation". it's just a fancy way of saying "just do it". i.e., when your alarm goes off at 8am, you're just meant to get out of bed and head to the kitchen. no thoughts about how difficult it is, just get up and move. one good reason i need to get up is to feed my dogs, so now i've changed me alarm tone to my dogs barking, because it reminds me that this is something i needto do - i dont have a choice in the matter; i have to do it whether i want to or not.

my pdoc now makes me meet with him in the mornings so i dont stay in bed the whole day. i am meant to be there at 10am. it is one reason i need to get out of bed. maybe you could schedule some things in the morning that you need to do. i find it difficult to get to work/uni in the mornings, but when it is something like my appt with my pdoc i am able to do it a lot more, because i know how important it is and how booked out he gets.

what things can you schedule into your mornings that will make you want to get up? i can understand work is a difficult one, but surely there are other things you would at least like to do?

[Tumnus]

Martina, I don't know how to help with motivation since it's a huge struggle for me, too. But biologically, I've found I have to have sun hit my eyes in order to wake up fully (getting up is another matter). In the winter that sunshine is a light box. This July has been cloudy so I've started using the light box on cloudy days and it really helps me feel like the world's not crashing in. Wish I could be more helpful!