For the past year or so, I've been experiencing a lot of fatigue. I'm 22 years old, by the way. I've had problems with depression before, but I'm not depressed anymore in terms of mood. I just don't have the energy to do anything. I've tried hitting the gym, which I still do when I can get there, but it does nothing for my energy levels.
Also, I have done a little studying and have somewhat generic knowledge about neurotransmitters and such, but I would like to hear it from people who know more than me. I don't necessarily want to take anything that is considered a stimulant because I feel that I may be lacking in certain neurotransmitters to begin with, from depletion because of past stressors, etc. Hopefully you guys can help me on this issue, because it's become severely debilitating to my life.
Here is an overview of energy problem:
- I have the most energy in the morning and for about 2 hours, then tiredness sets in and I feel like doing nothing
- Motivation doesn't seem to be a problem for me most of the time. I feel motivated, but simply don't have the energy to do anything most of the time
- When I am required to put a lot of concentration into something I get fatigued much more quickly. Especially when trying to hold conversation with people about topics I'm not familiar with so I have to pay close attention to grasp it. Or if I'm in math class especially. Or a boring class like World Literature.
- I have memory issues, especially short term, but it feels like it's because of a lack of energy to focus on anything.
- When I exhaust myself more than usual, I very quickly get dark circles under my eyes and feel like I just want to rest.
- I previously had a lot of anxiety issues, but those are gone because the issues causing them have been resolved (just a side note)
- Ever since then, stress causes extreme fatigue for me as well. Even a small stressor requires me to rest extensively afterward in order to recover.
- It kind of seems like I just don't have enough adrenaline/stress hormones or something. But I'm not sure what to do about this.
- I'm actually a very outgoing and friendly person who is very social, but because of this I can't do anything I want to do. It's very hard to get anything done. As I said, motivation isn't the problem here, it's having the energy to stay awake/alert/energized to do what I want/need to do.
- By the end of each day, I'm almost completely braindead. I can barely even think well enough to brush my teeth.
- EDIT: Something I thought I should add: When I find myself in social situations, I feel totally fine until my "energy" or "composure" runs out, and I can feel my body literally change. Suddenly I don't have the concentration to hold conversation anymore, and my hands and feel and back become drenched in sweat, and I get very anxious and want to leave to rest my mind. The anxiety/sweating/jitters seem to come when I run out of "energy" or whatever keeps me going. When that's gone, whatever it is, I freak out and just want to lay down and ease my mind. It's really bizarre, I know.
I've recently changed my diet to mostly eliminate sugar, and added lots of vegetables and protein. I've tried several supplements to no avail.
- 5-HTP helps mood and memory, but not energy levels
- Recently purchased Choline, but I'm unsure if I should risk taking it with the given conditions
- I also have DLPA, and Inositol but I haven't experimented with them much yet strictly out of fear of making my lethargy and brain fog even worse
- Also, I've been completely off caffeine and other stimulants for approx. 8 months. Caffeine certainly helps but I crash really hard now compared to in the past, and this led me to completely drop caffeine altogether
Maybe you guys can help me out. I'm desperate here - I need to get back out in the world and be social and get a job, but I feel like I would be so mentally drained after the first few hours that I would literally be unable to function. I want to refuel my brain, rather than depleting myself further with stimulants and such. Anyone got any advice or supplements to aid with this type of problem? And while I'm at it, it would be nice to know how I can increase my amount of pleasure I experience during pleasurable activities. Things don't seem as rewarding as they used to feel. But my main problem is having energy though. Thanks everyone!
Picture for added effect, haha:
Edited by xeon, 11 January 2013 - 04:33 AM.