Fatigue that just won't pass

[Storm84]

Hi All,

So I've been fatigued for the pass 3 week's now that just won't seem to pass. I've been to the Doctors twice and he saids everything is fine, done tests and re tests. He claims it's just fatigue from constant worry anxiety and depression. I also ended up in the hospital a week ago as I thought I was having a heart attack. But doctor said it looked like extreme anxiety. Now I want to believe that this is all just from anxiety and that I'm exhausted everyday because I'm stuck in a loop of worrying that something serious is wrong. I can't get out of my head that the doctors are gonna eventually find something serious and that will be it for me. I know I probably sound mad, Ive booked into to see someone to talk about how I'm feeling and the doctor has put me on antidepressants. Is there anyone else that has experienced prolonged fatigue like this and how did you pull yourself out of it? I just feel so hopeless and I keep Dr googling myself which is doing my anxiety no favours. Any advice it relatable stories would be amazing. Thank you

[Jayj19]

Hi hopefully I can shed some light here for you as I'm currently going threw a anxiety relapse myself.

I had an appointment with a psychologist and she explained the fatique side effect of anxiety to me like this, basically for a normal anxiety situation your body releases I think it was cortisol and adrenaline in one big hit which highens all your sensors but when you have an anxiety disorder they are constantly drip fed into your body making you hypersensitive all the time which caused the fatique

[Jayj19]

You have to remember this feeling won't last forever, it's like a cloud it will pass.

I think a common problem with anxiety is it starts for whatever reason work, relationships, finances ect but then the vicious cycle starts were you get anxious about feeling constantly anxious

[Baljit]

Hi Storm84,

Firstly, thank you for sharing your feelings.

I have suffered from anxiety/panic attacks and with the support and advice from my psychologist, I have been able to understand what they are and more importantly how to manage them.

One of the key messages that I took away quite early on was that panic attacks are:

very uncomfortable but they are not a danger to my physical health.

Below is the YouTube link to Dr Harry Barry:

”how to deal with panic attacks” that I watched with my psychologist.

I hope it can add some value to you as well.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8Un_Ykh9y9Q

In regards to fatigue, this is one of the many symptoms that you will experience and over time they will go away. More importantly the treatment and recovery period for panic attacks is a unique and personal journey.

Therefore don’t try to focus on a timeline, just continue to work with your psychologist on your individualised care plan.

I hope this helps and and all the best.

Baljit

[Petal22]

Hi Storm84,

Wellcome to our forums!

Im sorry you are feeling this way, I understand.

I went through severe anxiety OCD this condition was debilitating at times I was always in a heightened anxiety state.

I was stuck in a vicious OCD cycle it was unrelenting until I did the therapy I needed to do to learn how to break free of it grips! I was exhausted and always stuck in my head……… I had a lot of what if’s?

I’m now free and life couldn’t be better and my severe anxiety is gone.

I also use to worry that something seriously was wrong with me and I’d constantly doctor google……. Which was the biggest mistake I made it sent my anxiety through the roof….. I thought I was going crazy…..

My gp put me on antidepressants… I also saw a clinical psychologist and a psychiatrist who diagnosed me…. This led me to a clinic that specialised in OCD this was an intervention into the OCD the therapy I did was meta cognitive therapy.

In therapy I later learned that dr googling was a compulsion of mine…. I now no longer do this.

Im now recovered after the professional help that I received.

Has a therapy been recommended for you?

Ask me any questions and hang in there

[Storm84]

Hi, thanks for the response. I've only just started seeing a Psychologist and just started antidepressants. I'm not sure what kind of therapy he will do with me just yet. But I can definitely relate to the OCD with Dr Google, I think I spent a good portion of my day just googling my sysptoms and then focusing in on something and then convincing myself I have that, then my anxiety goes nuclear and the heart palpitations start. I keep telling myself not to do it and my partner keeps telling me to stay of the internet but I just keep having the urge to want answers as to why I'm fatigued for so long, but I know it's only doing more harm then good. How was the OCD therapy for you? Can you explain abit more about this? Thank you

[Petal22]

Ok Storm84, is your psychologist a clinical psychologist?

Antidepressants can take up to 6 weeks to work so hang in there.

I can totally relate to you in regards to dr googling I use to do this a lot before being diagnosed….. With OCD we perform compulsions some physical and some mental……. Dr google was one of mine and yes I’d convince myself I’d have something really bad to the point that I thought I needed surgery and convinced myself of this even before seeing a specialist……….. this was me catastraphonising which was a pattern for me before I knew I had OCD…….

My partner also told me to stay of google! Please listen to your partner and stop doing this…… I no longer do it…….. I was always wanting certainty…. But I learned that nothing in life is 100 percent certain.

In my therapy I learned all of the things that kept me in my OCD and then I learned to disengage from these behaviours so I’m now no longer in this vicious cycle…

I learned a lot of skills aswell which took time and perseverance to master.

I learned how to challenge my thoughts.

We also did a meditation in my therapy, I believe meditation got me over the line….. I learned we are not our thoughts but the watcher of our thoughts.

I have written two threads you may be interested in reading

From someone who suffered OCD and recovered

Effective treatment for OCD Metacognitive Therapy

Please ask me any questions