Fatigue, Lack of Energy & Wellbeing
Written by Julie Taylor
Fatigue & Wellbeing...
Fatigue is the single biggest hurdle for many people who have endured trauma. There are a few things you can do to improve it - the most significant being that you have to allow for it rather than fight it, pay special attention to maintaining all of the things that help even when we are feeling better. That way we will stay feeling better... Watch this fabulous and funny Jack Lalanne video about pooped-out-itis!
Fatigue is that bone-deep, total exhaustion resulting in a lack of enthusiasm for just about anything. It means that you have to super-concentrate and will your every, single, teensy little movement. It’s like trying to run through knee-deep treacle.
Get enough sleep
It seems that anyone whose body is healing or dealing with extra stress needs 6 – 9 hours sleep a night. That is normal. According to my chiropractor, it is not until the 6th hour (and upwards) that the body actually begins to heal. Even with great sleep, fatigue can still be a problem but without good sleep it can be a nightmare.
Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone in the brain that affects our sleep/wake cycle. This supplement which is available over the counter now and supplements the naturally declining levels of melatonin that happens with age. Melatonin is also very useful in treating jet-lag for travellers and the great thing is that melatonin is also used to help keep you looking young! Yay! As we grow older melatonin levels drop and contributes toward aging. I take 5mg - 6mg every night. Other strengths of tablet are also available and I suggest that you try out different strengths and see what works best for you. I've been taking melatonin now for over ten years and I have not experienced any decrease in effect on my body.
Marijuana is also a great sleep aid, anti anxiety drug and an effective pain killer. It is said that there are fewer side effects than with many other prescribed medications and it is possible now to get a prescription from your doctor.
My biggest problem at the moment is staying asleep for long enough and without some sort of action. Recently I was talking to my pharmacist who said that, in addition to Celebrex which is an anti-inflammatory, he thought that moderate to minor aches and pains from my recent car accident were bringing me to a shallow level of sleep and then any little noise woke me fully. He recommended two 8-hour Tylenol right at bedtime. I am quite excited – I have tried so many things - and this seems to be working very well for me! I now get between 6 and 7.5 hours sleep. And it’s only taken me 22 years to work this one out!! In my defense, I think the 8-hour version of Tylenol is new! Which underlines that flexibility and an open mind are two important factors here – new products are always being developed. And never give up!
Vitamins, Supplements and Nutrition
Getting enough rest is important. So are vitamins and supplements and good basic nutrition. A good multi-vitamin plus several other vitamins and supplements are really important. The body is struggling to rebuild and needs support and help. Even after all these years most of the people I know still need large doses of many of the vitamins because their body is functioning at full capacity - whereas an otherwise fitter body doesn't have to continually overcome challenge. An engine that has been reconditioned often needs a higher octane fuel in order to perform in an similar way to when it was new. The human body is no different.
I will spend some time later talking in more depth about exactly which vitamins are most helpful and in what kind of amounts. Basically you will have to experiment and see what is most helpful for you. A good super or mega multi vitamin is a very good way to start. Time release is valuable because the body cannot absorb large amounts of most vitamins in sudden spurts and time release ensures that smaller amounts are 'trickled' into the body more slowly.
Flexibility
It's also important to be open and flexible and try different remedies. I have used acupuncture, naturopathy, traditional medications, chiropractic and relaxation, all of which have helped - and between them have worked miracles. You have to experiment and see what works for you.
Acupuncture is not painful but does need to be done by an excellent practitioner for it to be valuable. There are at least two different kinds of acupuncture which are actually effective for slightly different symptoms. I have learned that if MS (multiple sclerosis) is caught in a fairly early stage, acupuncture is incredibly effective. It can also help significantly with headaches, fatigue and imbalances in the body. Tiny sterile and usually disposable needles are inserted into various points on the body to clear energy pathways. Once I am at a certain level of fitness I don't seem to need acupuncture but at times, to get back up to reasonable health, I have found this really important.
Chiropractic is also very helpful for fatigue - and for the headaches and shoulder and back tension that often contribute to fatigue. A body that is well aligned and balanced is absolutely essential when our bodies are already compromised and fighting to get well. At good times a visit once or twice a month has been enough to keep me well. At bad times I have needed sessions two or three times a week. For me, chiropractic adjustments have been essential.
Exercise
The single most important factor I have found is physical exercise. Fatigue will stop you from exercising but it is so important to work hard at stepping up the amount of physical exercise until, before you know it, you will start to enjoy working out and your energy levels will increase. As I say, exercise is the most important - starting off with short walks; longer walks; aerobics with other ReBuilders or with seniors (who are welcoming and wonderful - by and large!); swimming; aquasize; aerobics; dancing (which has some great social benefits too); cycling (which is great for balance)... Then the sky's the limit!
Watch Out!
The most 'dangerous times' are those when you feel brighter. When you have had a good night's sleep (after a month of bad nights...). I can't stress how important it is to take it easy on those rare days and relax and bask in your feeling of unusual wellness - allow your body to further heal. Unfortunately, like so many 'rebuilders' I have spoken to, I get excited and try and do too much – and then ‘pay for it’ for weeks afterwards, feeling worse than usual and having to rebuild my stamina..
Economize
Everything I do, I try and economize on my energy; doubling up on certain tasks and taking breaks. Flexibility is really important too: if getting something done today is going to be difficult, maybe put it off? Let the dishes stay in the sink or leave the bed unmade. If you can afford it, get a housekeeper to help once or twice a month - put housekeeping on your Christmas wish-list...
Ask your doctor to check you periodically for other common causes of fatigue such as hypo-thyroidism as, untreated, this can also add to feelings of tiredness. It's very easy to write off all our fatigue to the trauma when it could well be improved. For those recovering from trauma it is unlikely that treating the thyroid will magically cure your fatigue but left untreated it will certainly make you feel worse. Ask your doctor to check for simple anemia too while he is ordering blood tests.
My neuropsychologist doesn’t remember telling me that my stamina is like a rubber band that has been overstretched?! It’s baggy and without elasticity!!… I’ve carried this horrible image with me for years! However I think it does kind of sum it all up clearly?
As my site 'matures' I will write many more of the tips and strategies that I have learned over the years and I would love to hear what has worked for you...