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Hi! I've been struggling with fatigue for quite some time now (I can't remember the last time I felt truly energized), and I'm wondering if I should introduce coffee back into my life for a little kick. For context, I am very used to high levels of physical activity on a weekly basis (run 3 days a week and lift 3 days a week), and I'm wondering if this is a factor (it might not be, because I know it can also energize). I'm also wondering if winter is exacerbating my fatigue.

Thank you all   I think I'll speak to my therapist this week and see if we can switch our approach.

@TheBigBlue - Really good advice! "softening, shrinking, or erasing our authenticity in order not to endanger connection" - I really resonate with that...more than ever nowadays.

@Blueberry - Not in the slightest! I think she often has problems in her own relationship and doesn't verbalize or solve them, so it can bleed into our friendship sometimes. It's possible that because she doesn't feel heard or validated that any sort of "disagreement" is taken extremely personally. Just an assumption though!

My friend (basically only friend in my city that I see in person relatively frequently) and I recently had a conversation over a post she shared on social media. It was originally by this "health hack" type person who I'm not exactly a fan of, so I sort of initiated the conversation saying "oh hey, you follow this person?" and we went back and forth and I was sort of just saying oh I've heard he's not the best, I've heard XYZ, in a very plain tone of voice.

And for some reason she got extremely activated and acted like I was attacking her and her intelligence. I've noticed this friend often does take things very personally if I do disagree on anything or choose to do things differently than her, which I find really strange and difficult to deal with when it does happen.

Whenever these types of situations happen my mind tends to drift into - I don't want to bother having any deep conversations or bother starting any conversations that go beyond surface level because there's a chance I can end up in negative scenarios like this. And I feel like this is a huge stuck point for me.

Just wondering if anyone can relate or has "solved" this before.

I've been in "regular" psychotherapy (talk therapy, I suppose!) for 6+ years now and have strived to start sex therapy with a different specialist. I've had two sessions with her now and enjoy them, but the cognitive processing therapy that we've been doing just doesn't seem to resonate with me.

I feel like it's more so for people who have persistent thought patterns and "If X then Y type" thought processes, but I'm someone who doesn't really have any thoughts in that manner ( ). She gave me an exercise to do on "stuck points" but it took me eons to even try and think of an "If X then Y" statement or an action-consequence statement.

I'm someone who is very physiological where I simply feel emotions but don't have a thought behind them necessarily. Do I talk to her and revert back to talk therapy??? For the record, the "opposite end" of the spectrum, EMDR, also did not work for me when I tried it briefly (about 3-4 sessions). I simply started dissociating and it stopped becoming effective.

Thank you for all your replies 

I suggest you discuss this matter with a professional psychologist. It could be somatic numbness or impaired emotional empathy. Based on my personal experience, you should not only seek individual counseling but may also require couples counseling later on. The reduction in your emotional responsiveness might make it difficult for you to empathize with your partner at times, which could potentially affect the intimacy between you.

6+ years of individual therapy and 2+ years of couples (although we are no longer in couples) This issue doesn't affect my relationships with others, more so the relationship I have with myself. It's also something that happened later in my therapy journey, and that's actually completely physiological rather than psychological. I find that to be the case with most of my issues. For the record, I've been on Wellbutrin, and while that did help with many of my PTSD symptoms, I couldn't keep taking it because it messed with my digestive system.

Somatic numbness or impaired emotional empathy sounds much too extreme for my case! I guess I'm just talking about feeling happy emotions at 1-6 on a 10-point scale and not being able to feel the 6-10, if that makes sense?

@Chart I like that idea of treating mood like a scale. I think there are times where I can be quite black-and-white about mood, even though I'm not that way about other things.

@TeddyBear Oh man, I don't know what I'd do without my dog. He gets me out of bed in the morning!! It sounds like you've got many great ways to cope and are prioritizing the right things. 

Emotionally constipated! I'm definitely using that from now on

 

I have a good, solid life. I'm married to someone I love and have a lovely day-to-day with. I have a dog. Work is stable (and I get to work from home!). I have time to do things I enjoy. But I could be traveling, eating the best food in the world, or hanging out with people I care about, and it seems like my happiness meter or positive emotions only get up to a certain point. It's almost like I can't fully feel them. I remember a time when I felt positive emotions strongly, but it's no longer like that. Any similar experiences? Solutions? Thoughts?

Hi!

It's weird to be in a place where people even have the potential to understand you. I'm a writer in Canada with C-PTSD. I've been in therapy for 6+ years now, and it's gotten me far. I feel like I've healed immensely, and I feel like a different person, but as we all know, PTSD sticks with you forever... it just gets smaller and smaller as life gradually builds around it.

My C-PTSD comes from a history of grooming, abusive relationships, and parent abandonment/a narcissistic parent.

Although my former symptoms don't consume my day anymore, I feel like my C-PTSD has rewired my ability (and/or desire?) to connect with new people. It's so incredibly exhausting trying to mingle and speak to people I feel like will never understand me... I've cut people out of my life who I feel like don't remotely have the same worldview as I do...I feel like they're shallow...clouded...and I feel good about doing, but I've also realized how ruthless I am when I have to consider people I enjoy spending my time interacting with.

I also like:
- Animals (dogs especially!)
- Crafting
- Movies
- Sports
- Travel/Nature
- Music (playing and listening)
- Working out/Running

The list above keeps me sane.

PelicanTown