Womens Health article: Feeling totally depleted? Here's the 10 signs that you're exhausted

[Sly Saint]

Feeling more depleted than ever? If so, know that between the various extreme stressors being felt in society right now, from the cost of living crisis to, the on-going threat of the virus, you are not alone.

While much of this is not within your power – and that feeling drained is a human reaction to what has been, and continues to be, an incredibly hard time – there are steps you can take to protect yourself.

So: how to know if you are exhausted – and what to do about it? Scroll on for the information you need.

What does fatigue and exhaustion feel like?
'Exhaustion is overwhelming,' says nutritionist Jennie Gough, who has herself suffered from – and overcome – the condition.


What happens to your body during exhaustion?
'It’s not like normal tiredness. It’s like you’re trying to move through thick mud, and think through thick fog. All you want to do is lie down and sleep – and then sleep some more, after that. You can’t function because everything leaves you wiped out.'

Can you get sick from exhaustion?
If your exhaustion has continued for over four months, then you may be diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, per the NHS.

According to the NHS, CFS is a long-term illness with a wide range of symptoms including extreme tiredness. Sometimes it's referred to as ME, which stands for myalgic encephalomyelitis, however, the syndrome is the same. There is no specific test for it, so a diagnosis is based on the symptoms you've got, and by crossing other potential issues off the list.

CFS/ME can affect anyone, including children but it's more common in women aged between mid-20s and mid-40s.

The common symptoms include sleep problems muscle or joint pain, headaches, feeling dizzy or sick and fast or irregular heartbeats (heart palpitations) but there are many more, which can often be exaggerated by exercise.

'Chronic fatigue syndrome occurs when energy delivery mechanisms in the body are down, or energy is being used by the immune system to, say, fight a chronic infection,’ is the belief of Dr Sarah Myhill, author of Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myalgic Encephalitis. Which means? 'There is no energy left to live.'

'The symptom of stress occur when the brain knows it does not have the energy to deal with the demands of life,' Dr Myhill continues. 'If we mask that symptom – with a prop such as sugar, alcohol or caffeine – then we 'sail close to the wind' and a minor viral infection could be all it takes to flip the body into a CFS state.'

Feeling totally depleted? Here's the 10 signs that you're exhausted (msn.com)

groan; the NHS and Dr Myhill.

 

[Arnie Pye]

I followed the link to the actual article it was based on :

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/fi...he-10-signs-that-you-re-exhausted/ar-AA1e8iYg

Under the subsection heading : OK, so how do you deal with fatigue symptoms?

one of the suggestions was "Get 7-8 hours of (quality) sleep per night"

This statement or similar ones drive me mad. They all imply that getting more sleep is easy. But for people like me with almost lifelong insomnia it's like asking a 90-year-old to climb Everest - impossible!

It also says "Control your cortisol" and suggests "tapping" as the answer. Frankly, I'm not convinced.

 

[Trish]

Looks to me like a machine generated clickbait article.

 

[Shadrach Loom]

Looks to me like a machine generated clickbait article.

Not sure if you are serious, but the writer exists and cites Women’s Health as an employer.

https://emma-pritchard.com/

She’s pretty vulnerable to algorithmic competition, I’ll grant you.

 

[Trish]

Not sure if you are serious, but the writer exists and cites Women’s Health as an employer.

Semi serious. These sort of articles are common and superficial and a mix of a few words from a doctor, quackery and bits gleaned from the internet.

 

[Sly Saint]

Women's Health
https://www.womenshealthmag.com › uk › author › 700091 › emma-pritch…
Emma Pritchard Contributing Health Editor - Women's …
Web27 Feb 2023 · Emma Pritchard Contributing Health Editor Emma interviews the world’s leading sportswomen, top health experts, and women who have turned their lives around.

I followed the link to the actual article it was based on :

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/fi...he-10-signs-that-you-re-exhausted/ar-AA1e8iYg

as opposed to the link I posted

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/fi...1&cvid=0e4c11b439c54c95b99916c006a239ce&ei=10

both go to exactly the same article. (which is bad).

 

[Arnie Pye]

Sorry, don't know what happened there. I didn't realise I was repeating your link.

 

[DokaGirl]

I followed the link to the actual article it was based on :

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/fi...he-10-signs-that-you-re-exhausted/ar-AA1e8iYg

Under the subsection heading : OK, so how do you deal with fatigue symptoms?

one of the suggestions was "Get 7-8 hours of (quality) sleep per night"

This statement or similar ones drive me mad. They all imply that getting more sleep is easy. But for people like me with almost lifelong insomnia it's like asking a 90-year-old to climb Everest - impossible!

It also says "Control your cortisol" and suggests "tapping" as the answer. Frankly, I'm not convinced.

Yes, about the concept that 7-8 hours per night is quality sleep. PwME may have abnormal sleep cycles, e.g. not enough deep sleep. We all know one of the symptoms of ME is unrefreshing sleep.

Not all 7-8 hour nights of sleep are the answer, as many assume.