Know That Today Isnt Indicative Of Tomorrow
Internal emotions and thoughts can change from day to day. Tracking experiences through journaling or keeping a mood diary can help to remember this.
If you were unsuccessful at getting out of bed or accomplishing your goals today, remember that you havent lost tomorrows opportunity to try again.
Give yourself the grace to accept that while some days will be difficult, some days will also be less difficult. Try to look forward to tomorrows fresh start.
Limit Your Alcohol Intake
You may like to unwind after a long day with a beer or glass of wine, but now isnt the time. Depression and alcohol dont mix.
As a depressant, alcohol will worsen your mood and wreak havoc on your sleep. And when done to excess, drinking creates all kinds of problems on its own.
Youll feel better if you resist the urge to self-medicate with alcohol or other substances.
Ways To Overcome Mental Exhaustion
When youre mentally exhausted, even fun things sound like work. This can make it even more challenging to manage stressors. However, it takes effort and awareness to change the patterns that lead to feeling mentally tired. The good news is that you dont have to tackle it all at once to start feeling better.
Try these 11 strategies for overcoming mental exhaustion:
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Find Someone To Talk To
Its understandable that you might not want to tell everyone you know that you are feeling depressed. Its a sensitive issue and, like other health conditions, its something you may want to keep private.
But this doesnt mean you need to keep it a secret under lock and key. In fact, research has found that having social support can protect against symptoms of depression.
How much you decide to share depends on your personal comfort level, but having someone to talk to is important. A confidant who can offer support might include:
- An online friend
- A mental health professional
If you feel like you need someone to talk to but arent sure who to share with, consider reaching out to a depression helpline. You can talk to a trained counselor who can listen, offer advice, give you helpful information, and connect you with treatment options in your area.
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How Can My Doctor Manage Fatigue
To find out what is causing your fatigue, your healthcare provider will ask questions about your lifestyle and medications and will conduct a physical examination. They might order some lab tests to test blood and urine. If you are a woman of child-bearing age, your provider will probably order a pregnancy test.
To relieve fatigue, your provider will treat the condition or disorder thatâs causing it. Depending on your health, your treatment plan may include a combination of medication, exercise, or therapy. If youâre taking a medication that makes you feel exhausted, talk to your healthcare provider about the risks and benefits of stopping the medication or trying another one.
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Eating Well For Mental Health
Consuming fewer processed foods can lead to better brain and emotional health.
From a young age, were taught that eating well helps us look and feel our physical best. What were not always told is that good nutrition significantly affects our mental health, too. A healthy, well-balanced diet can help us think clearly and feel more alert. It can also improve concentration and attention span.
Conversely, an inadequate diet can lead to fatigue, impaired decision-making, and can slow down reaction time. In fact, a poor diet can actually aggravate, and may even lead to, stress and depression.
One of the biggest health impairments is societys reliance on processed foods. These foods are high in flours and sugar and train the brain to crave more of them, rather than nutrient-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables.
A lot of the processed foods we eat are highly addictive and stimulate the dopamine centers in our brain, which are associated with pleasure and reward. In order to stop craving unhealthy foods, youve got to stop eating those foods. You actually start to change the physiology in the brain when you pull added sugars and refined carbohydrates from your diet.
Engage In Regular Exercise
Regular exercise is one of the best tools to minimize the effects of mental fatigue. According to a recent study, higher physical activity results in less fatigue regardless of your age or gender.
Staying active through outdoor or virtual workouts gives you a boost of positivity, energizes you, and improves your sleep. Aerobic and muscle-strengthening workouts also help treat fibromyalgia and prevent other health conditions.
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Assess The Parts Instead Of Generalizing The Whole
Depression can tinge recollections with difficult emotions. You may find yourself focusing on things that are unhelpful or perceived as difficult.
Try to stop this overgeneralization. Push yourself to recognize the good. If it helps, write down what was meaningful about the event or day. You can track what you achieved that day, and which activities were enjoyable.
Seeing the weight youre giving to one thing may help you direct your thoughts away from the whole and to the individual pieces that were helpful.
How To Deal With Depression And Fatigue
Depression fatigue is an exhaustion like no other. Its all-encompassing and is almost as if your entire body is fighting hard to sleep no matter what time of day it is or what you are supposed to be doing. If you have depression, chances are high that you will experience this fatigue. Over 90 percent of people with major depression have depression fatigue .
Rest assured, you have the ability to begin to regain your energy starting now. You dont have to wait for your depression to be gone. And you just might discover that you improve both fatigue and depression as you follow the tips below.
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Immunomodulatory Effects Of Antidepressant And Anti
Changes in the levels of immune markers have also been associated with the response to antidepressant therapies and found helpful in predicting treatment efficacy . In mice treated with LPS, serotonin reuptake inhibitor and serotoninnorepinephrine reuptake inhibitor administration lead to decreased serum levels of TNF and increased levels of IL-10 . In the repeated social stress model, treatment with tricyclic antidepressant decreased microglial expression of IL-6 mRNA both in vivo and following ex vivo stimulation, where TNF and IL-1 mRNA levels were also reduced . In vitro studies using animal macrophages have also confirmed similar immunosuppressive effects where the decrease in IL-6 and increase in IL-10 that follows treatment with amitriptyline, fluoxetine, and mianserin, suggests that such effects may be mediated by an inhibition of the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells pathway . On the other hand, Munzer et al. found that treatment in vitro of whole blood cultures with SSRIs and mirtazapine, a tetracyclic antidepressant , had the opposite effect on the stimulated production of cytokines, with an increase in inflammatory markers including IL-1, IL-6, and TNF.
Table 1. Efficacy prediction and immunomodulatory effect of therapies.
When Should I Call My Doctor About Fatigue
Itâs normal to feel tired now and then. Everyone experiences occasional, brief fatigue due to illness, sleep disturbances, travel or changes in diet or medication. But you should talk to your healthcare provider if youâre tired all the time. Call your provider if:
- Your fatigue lasts longer than a few days
- Youâre having a hard time going to work or performing daily activities.
- There isnât a clear reason for your fatigue.
- It comes on suddenly.
- Youâre older .
- Youâve also been losing weight.
Fatigue can be a sign of a serious health condition. You should seek immediate medical attention if you have fatigue along with other symptoms, such as:
- Shortness of breath or pain in your chest, arm or upper back.
- Fast, pounding, fluttering or irregular heartbeat.
- Headache or vision problems .
- Nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain.
- Muscle weakness.
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About Upmc Western Behavioral Health
UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital is the hub of UPMC Behavioral Health, a network of community-based programs providing specialized mental health and addiction care for children, adolescents, adults, and seniors. Our mission is to provide comprehensive, compassionate care to people of all ages with mental health conditions. UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital is a nationally recognized leader in mental health clinical care, research, and education. It is one of the nations foremost university-based psychiatric care facilities through its integration with the Department of Psychiatry of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. We are here to help at every stage of your care and recovery.
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Depression Fatigue: Causes Symptoms & Solutions
Depression is one of the most commonly diagnosed mental illnesses. Along with this exhaustion or chronic fatigue syndrome, there was also an image to be seen. It is surprising that people with depression often complain of severe fatigue and people with chronic fatigue syndrome often develop depressive symptoms.
These observations about a link between depression and fatigue were so prominent that many questioned whether depression causes fatigue or whether chronic fatigue triggers depression. Todays blog will uncover the connection between depression and fatigue.
Experiencing depression or fatigue can feel similar when it comes to motivation, energy, or your willingness to do things you normally enjoy. This makes it very confusing as symptoms of both depression and fatigue can be misunderstood.
Lets understand the link between depression and fatigue and how to tell them apart
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Get Professional Help If Needed
If you don’t benefit sufficiently from self-help treatments, seek help from a mental health professional. While women suffering from depression respond to the same types of treatment as men, specific aspects of treatment are often modified for women. Women are also more likely to require simultaneous treatment for other conditions such as anxiety or eating disorders.
Therapy. Talk therapy is an extremely effective treatment for depression. It can provide you with the skills and insight to relieve depression symptoms and help prevent depression from coming back. One of the most important things to consider when choosing a therapist is your connection with this person. The right therapist will be a caring and supportive partner in your depression treatment and recovery.
Medication.Antidepressant medication may help relieve some symptoms of depression in women, but it won’t cure the underlying problem. Because of female biological differences, women are generally started on lower doses of antidepressants than men. Women are also more likely to experience side effects, so any medication use should be closely monitored. Don’t rely on a doctor who is not trained in mental health for guidance on medication, and remember that medication works best when you make healthy lifestyle changes as well.
How Can You Tell The Difference Between Depression And Fatigue
At first glance, the main difference between depression and fatigue is that one is a mental health condition and the other is a physical health condition . However, not only can depression and fatigue both feel similar, but they can also be the reason for developing fatigue when you are depressed, and vice versa.
Lets look at the most common symptoms of depression and fatigue so you know which ones and which ones. Only by knowing all the symptoms of depression and fatigue can you tell them apart.
Common symptoms of depression
- mood symptoms: Anxiety, hopelessness, loneliness, lack of energy, apathy, mood swings, loss of interest in pleasurable activities, extreme sadness
- physical symptoms: extreme hunger or loss of appetite, extreme tiredness, disturbed or restless sleep
- cognitive symptoms: Lack of decision-making and concentration skills and extreme lethargy at work
- behavioral symptoms: irritability, restlessness, excitement, social isolation
- other symptoms: Weight fluctuations, poor sleep, overthinking, intrusive thoughts, thoughts of suicide
Common symptoms of fatigue
Can Depression Cause Fatigue?
There have been many cases where chronic fatigue syndrome has turned into depression, but we cannot be sure that depression causes exhaustion . It would only be correct to say that fatigue can cause depression, you can call it an unfortunate combination.
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A Challenging Life Event
An event that completely turns your life upside down can put a great deal of strain on your mental health.
Oftentimes, people experience different types of grief as a result. Normal or uncomplicated grief causes short-term mental fatigue. Complicated grief, like the death of a loved one or a divorce, can bring on mental fatigue that impacts your mental health over a long period.
Other factors contributing to mental fatigue include poor nutrition, lack of sleep, or clutter. Once you identify the causes, start by taking steps to alleviate your symptoms.
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Troubleshoot Your Sleep Hygiene
Sleep hygiene is the term used to describe healthy sleep habits or behaviors you can practice that may help improve your ability to fall asleep and remain sleeping through the night.2 Following good sleep hygiene can improve the quality and quantity of sleep you get each night. It also plays a significant role in your physical and mental health.
To help improve your sleep hygiene, make sure to follow a nightly routine that allows time for relaxing activities. Finding ways to unwind before bed may allow you to quiet your mind, relax your body, and get a better night of sleep. Also, aim to get up and go to bed around the same time each day. Limit or eliminate electronics in the evening hours and shut down all screens at least 60 minutes before bed.
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How Dr Tms Therapy Griffith Psychiatry Can Help You With Your Depression Symptoms
Dr. TMS Therapy Griffith Psychiatry offers transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment, which is a noninvasive, FDA-approved procedure that delivers magnetic pulses to areas in the brain that regulate mood and depressive symptoms, including persistent fatigue .
In addition to TMS therapy, our clinic provides medication management services and counseling that is based on a holistic approach to depression treatment, whether it is a primary or comorbid disorder.
To learn more about the services we offer and how TMS therapy can help fight depression fatiguecontact our clinic today!
Walter G. Griffith Jr., MD, PA
Psychiatrist
Dr. TMS Therapys content is for informational and educational purposes only. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always talk to your provider about the risks and benefits of any treatment.
How To Reach Out For Support
Look for support from people who make you feel safe and cared for. The person you talk to doesn’t have to be able to fix you they just need to be a good listenersomeone who’ll listen attentively and compassionately without being distracted or judging you.
Make face-time a priority. Phone calls, social media, and texting are great ways to stay in touch, but they don’t replace good old-fashioned in-person quality time. The simple act of talking to someone face to face about how you feel can play a big role in relieving depression and keeping it away.
Try to keep up with social activities even if you dont feel like it. Often when youre depressed it feels more comfortable to retreat into your shell, but being around other people will make you feel less depressed.
Find ways to support others. Its nice to receive support, but research shows you get an even bigger mood boost from providing support yourself. So, find waysboth big and smallto help others: volunteer, be a listening ear for a friend, do something nice for somebody.
Join a support group for depression. Being with others dealing with depression can go a long way in reducing your sense of isolation. You can also encourage each other, give and receive advice on how to cope, and share your experiences.
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What Causes Depression Fatigue
Depression impacts the neurotransmitters in your brain that are associated with alertness. So, scientifically speaking, depression psychologically affects your energy levels, leading to fatigue.
There is a bidirectional relationship between depression and fatigue. In other words, if you suffer from depression, youre very likely to suffer from fatigue. And when youre tired and exhausted all the time, it can make you feel depressed.
Its a difficult cycle to break.
But there are some causes of depression fatigue you can try to address on your own. Or, even better, you can work on them together with the help of a qualified mental health professional.
What Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome is also called myalgic encephalomyelitis. CFS causes extreme fatigue that has no clear cause.
CFS makes you extremely tired. Even a full nightâs sleep doesnât help. Your fatigue may be worse for a whole day after any type of exercise or activity. Youâre too wiped out to do almost anything: take a shower, go to work, cook dinner, do the laundry, or go to the supermarket. You might be unable to get out of bed for any reason. You could have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.
CFS often causes pain. You could have muscle aches, joint pain, or headaches. Itâs also common to have blurry vision or see spots, and to have memory or concentration lapses. You may feel foggy or unable to remember details.
CFS can cause these symptoms, too:
- Irregular heartbeat
- Shortness of breath
CFS has no known cause. Possible causes include a hormone imbalance, infection with the Epstein-Barr virus or other viruses, the common yeast infection, Candida albicans, or an overactive immune system. Your genes might play a role in CFS too, because it often affects people in the same family.
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