PTSD fatigue. When did it kick in for you?

JamesG · October 08, 2017, 08:41:08 PM

I'm really curious to know if there is a distinct pattern to the arrival of the fatigue between us. This is a very pragmatic question, I can't find any focused assessment of this online, so I wonder if any of you would be willing to share whether it was a during or after issue. With me, it seems to have suddenly descended as soon as I felt I was entering a new stability with friends and the flat, like was giving myself permission to throttle back and heal. But then it could equally be that my nervous system finally ran out of gas and pulled the hose on the cortisol. Right now I feel a lot less panicked and less driven by bad memories, but the fatigue is running riot. Trying to find a pattern is very uphill. Would welcome a few extra perspectives on this if you feel able.

Contessa · October 08, 2017, 10:18:41 PM

Good question! I'll keep it in mind to answer, but I was so fatigued I couldn't keep track of anything! I really don't remember things at all. Only patches.

AphoticAtramentous · October 08, 2017, 11:26:15 PM

It started to kick in only recently with my CPTSD diagnosis. Probably as you said, realising I need to give myself time to heal, it seems to suck the energy out of me. :S

Eyessoblue · October 09, 2017, 05:23:55 PM

Mine started literally just before the diagnosis but is a lot worse a year and a half later.

Blueberry · October 09, 2017, 06:03:37 PM

On and off most of my life. I know I was physically weak and tired as a 7-8 year old, i.e. it started then. No physical reason that anybody knew of.

As an adult it really kicked in about 16 years ago. Aside from the usual 1 step forward, 2 steps back routine, it's been getting slowly but steadily better over the last 10 years.

These days I'd say being tired is part of my EFs.

JamesG · October 09, 2017, 08:38:22 PM

interesting... seems to point to it being a symptom of the adrenal system deciding "my work here is done"

Eyessoblue · October 10, 2017, 10:37:41 AM

Hi James, my psychologist said that most people with cptsd/ptsd have got very messed up adrenal glands due to living in the constant state of anxiousness/stress etc.

Metanoia · October 11, 2017, 05:42:44 PM

I actually just posted about this on a different forum, but I have been living with cptsd for eight years and didn't know until recently.

My resting heart rate is pretty high for someone my age with my physical activity level, which can only be attributed to higher levels of anxiety and adrenaline hormones.

I do feel fatigued often, and I won't really understand why. I do live in a humid environment and worked outside for awhile so I would attribute it to that. I also sleep like a rock, and I can sleep for 9-12 hours and still take a nap the next day. Not saying I always let myself do this, but I could. I am glad I sleep so well, but I think it's also attributed to fatigue and depression. Changing for the better is hard, almost like another full time job. No wonder we are all so tired. Keep up the good work.

Rainagain · October 13, 2017, 10:03:12 PM

I think my fatigue is simple lack of sleep.
I have trouble getting to sleep and wake up with nightmares.
I believe normal sleep has cycles throughout the night of rem and non-rem sleep, if you wake from a nightmare it must disrupt the normal restful sleep pattern.
I think I can't get to sleep due to being over alert, when I am asleep my subconscious panics and brings nightmares to wake me up.
I have low blood pressure and resting pulse but breathe rapidly all the time.

JamesG · October 14, 2017, 08:01:06 AM

I spoke with a trauma specialist about this yesterday funnily enough. Some good insights.

We are vulnerable to exaggerated aspects of the daily rhythm so around 2 in the afternoon, expect to crash, especially after food. Caffeine is NOT a good idea because stimulants cause us to pressure the adrenal glans where our stress has done the most damage. The advice is to accept the fatigue and go with it, we are sailboats not speedboats and we have to use the available wind. It's all about the adrenals, minimise stress as much as possible. I was playing a shoot em up game and was finding myself exhasuted afterwards for instance, so to keep it fun, I dropped to the lowest possible level of difficulty and yes, it was a bloodbath and I was a dweeb but I'm not asleep now. Who cares? What works - works. Drinking lots of water is also good, keep hydrated and flush the system.