Seeking advice on how to move forward.

[stwdiehl]

This morning I'm feeling wiped out, exhausted, sensitive to sunlight, slow to move, though my mind is alert and my reaction time is normal. Jumpy is a better word. I've felt exhausted for about 10 days since the start of this heatwave. Bright sunlight and hot temperatures are my triggers that cause my fight or flight response to overreact. I'm coping by keeping busy but it's draining me slowly. Does anyone feel like their triggers slowly kill them over time when exposed to them long term? That is how I feel this summer. Slowly being drained. It's been so hot I've been relunctant to go to my support groups to express my current status. How do you change enough to get sleep? I would like to move beyond this and start my inner work toward healing but it seems I'm stuck right now putting my life on hold until summer is over and summer is only half over. Well on with breakfast. That is something I can enjoy.

[KL71]

Hi stwdiehl , I certainly feel that triggers can drain us...I just went through a rough time,myself, the last 3 weeks or so. It seemed like every time I turned around, there was one of my BIGGEST triggers, and I had no escape, (or so it felt).. So, although I don't know much about how to solve/fix this, I do seem to agree that they knock the stuffing out of us, if we feel no "relief".. I hope you get some great words of encouragement, here, I notice...this is an AMAZING group of SUPPORTIVE, CARING People!!! <3

[Stuck1 Pioneer]

Hi again,

I was wondering how you were doing...You have really tricky triggers!! For the rest of us, we normally have some respite and recovery between triggers. But weather is a huge one!! I too keep busy to try to keep my mind occupied and diverted. But keeping physically busy constantly throughout the heat..

I hope someone here or at your support group can come up with a workable solution, to help. The brain is wonderful, and has plasticity to change. So with the right help, new reframing, rewiring and responses can be achieved. Definitely a winter healing project when you have had recovery time and a rest.

Pleased that you still have things you enjoy. If you can't make it to your support groups (you must be absolutely exhausted, mentally, physically and emotionally) then we are very glad you took the time to touch base with us all here. Thank you.

Sending you icy cold healing energy. x

[stwdiehl in reply to Stuck1]

Air conditioning is my friend. I stay indoors 95 % of the time during the week. The weekends I've gone to the oregon coast which is 30 degrees cooler. Still sunny, but much more manageable. I'm a happier camper indoors or on the coast.

[Stuck1 Pioneer]

Wow. It must be blisteringly hot where you are!! The coast sounds easier to manage. (Plus lots of lovely negative ions from the surf.) I am so pleased you manage to get at least some weekend breaks. And air con sounds like it would be my coping mechanism of choice during the week too!

Glad you responded! Thanks for the update. Stay cool stwdiehl! xx

[martinerd]

Hi there. I know exactly what you mean about triggers draining, wht feels like, the life out of you. I'm still trying to work out what my triggers actually are, I can be alright one second and the next I'm snowed under with my symptoms.

I don't know if you relate but it can feel like as you work through one thing another crops upand before you know it you are completely defeated. This leads to you being unable to cope with even the simplist of things. Sleep is even less likely and before you know it one day leads into the next.

If your support group helps please keep trying to go,even if you do nothing else. Maybe there's another way they can support you if you cannot make the group?

Thinking of you. Keep going and you can always write here. I've received lots of support and advice this week after joining. Hope you find the same. Best wishes.x

[stwdiehl in reply to martinerd]

Thanks for the replies. It's nice to be heard and validated. I manage to go from air conditioned home to air conditioned car to air conditioned building, etc. etc. through the day. That is my coping strategy for now.

[Stuck1 Pioneer]

And you are definitely heard and validated here,stwdiehl! . And if aircon is your current strategy for coping, that is fine! You are in the process of getting other strategies in place to assist healing, despite how you are currently feeling!! That is strong and courageous! Keep up the great work. xx

[johnsmith]

How much salt are you taking? Salt is lost in sweating and needs to be replaced. My experience of being low in salt is feeling lethargic (feeling wiped out).

Hope this helps

[stwdiehl in reply to johnsmith]

I get about a 1/4 teaspoon of salt a day. I try not to sweat if I can help it. At night I sweat the most. I know I crave salty foot daily and indulge a bit too much at times.

[johnsmith in reply to stwdiehl]

Thanks for the reply. I am not a nutritionist so I am unable to talk about recommended amounts. Although their is no such thing as a recommended amount as our needs will vary from day to day according to the environment and our health.

1/4 teaspoon of salt a day during extremely hot weather with a hot of heavy physical exercise will not be enough, but it will be too much during cold weather and no physical exercise.

One has to investigate oneself. Record the amount see what happens. Change the amount see what happens. Vary the vitamin B uptake see what happens. Change the diet and see what happens. Note: B vitamins need to be taken all together.

I am part of a growing number of people who see a lot of mental problems as physically based with physical solutions.

“Cracked” ISBN: 9781848315563 a book written by James Davies Senior Lecturer Social Anthropology and Psychotherapy at The University of Roehampton (London UK) details some of the misleading and dishonest research results that have been presented in Professional Journals and conferences.

“Bad Pharma” ISBN 978-0-00-735074-2 a book written by Ben Goldacre in 2012 details how drug companies mislead doctors and harm patients.

Symptoms can have many different causes. Often it is impossible to determine what causes lead to what symptoms. So it becomes a matter of investigation to see what works and what does not. The only people who can do the investigation is ourselves with the health disability. Scientific investigations done in the past have a tendency to be very limited dependant on the conditions of the grant stipulations.

Sometimes it can be a simple matter of determining what our stress breakdown point is and taking actions to keep our stresses within our stress breakdown point limits.

Hope this helps

[stwdiehl in reply to johnsmith]

Thank you. The last two years I've pushed myself to earn a living working half time. This year I almost cracked under the stress. I cut back work to 1/4 time and that helped me manage my stress level. I may need to do less in the fall. I see a naturalpathic doctor..and am enrolled to see a functional medicine doctor to see if there is a physical cause to a number of my symptoms. I hope to see more changes for the better in the future for myself.