Can't Get Basic Things Done

[ekane]

Has anyone overcome this? And if so, how? (BTW cptsd here and still contemplating will I ever feasibly be able to return to the work world.)

I want to clean my room but my brain can't focus organize long enough to even tackle a corner. I have been this way for several months and maybe was able to get my room looking presentable 3 or 4 times.

If I do some household chores, I lose energy within 2 hours or less and have to take a long nap. And the next day I am like a different person. Totally blank mind. No real thoughts and no motivation, no excitement, no drive, very neutral/blank/numb and tired. I want-to-want to do something on these days but can't do more than sleep and check the internet. I am very self aware most of the day but have no control, can't force myself to exercise or even leave the house on such days, just sit and think and wonder why nothing is helping me with this issue... So I have to literally sit and wait another day for "the real me" to return so I can continue trying another little chunk of housework, or go drive to run errands... Etc... Get anything* tangible done. So it seems basic tasks wipe my brain out for 36+ hours.

My brain has no space for grooming routine. Like ... I can't do a 5 step daily thing such as wash face+ tone+ apply lotion+ brush teeth+ detangle hair. I can wash face and brush teeth and crash. That's all.

On a very good day I can exercise for an hour but these days are rare. I have to exercise at moments of excitement in order to prevent re-associating exercise with negative feelings such as self-torture, failure, hopelessness and an array of painful flashbacks that are triggered when I try to force exercise regiment.

 

[Robyn Maitland]

Yes. This happens to me, too. Lovely that its a "normal" part of CPTSD. As I any of this is normal. I congratulate myself on the little things when I have a day like that. Today I took a shower and styled my hair and put on my make up. Nothing could make me go to the gym. So, like you, on those days I CAN go to the gym, I do. Some days are easier than others. Surf the net and take care of yourself. Some days we are up and then we backslide a little and then go up. I'm looking forward to being normal again. We will get there.

 

[theotherside]

Me too. I have to force myself to get things done. Sometimes i just let things go. Hard stuff. :(

 

[Sandstone]

Yes. me too. You describe my experience really well After three years at home, it's better sometimes, but right now it's dreadful.

The only practical thing I can suggest is using a timer, and deciding you will do something for 5 minutes. I find the vital thing is STOP after those minutes, otherwise the next time I don't eve start because I don't believe I only mean 5 minutes. Then if I feel able, I try another 5 minutes an hour later. It's surprising how much difference 5 minutes most days makes to my room.

You might want to get your thyroid function checked too. Mine is down, which males me more sluggish, but my GP won't supplement it for fear of causing increased anxiety.

 

[AlmostFellForIt]

Has anyone overcome this? And if so, how? (BTW cptsd here and still contemplating will I ever feasibly be able to return to the work world.)

I want to clean my room but my brain can't focus organize long enough to even tackle a corner....

If I do some household chores, I lose energy within 2 hours or less and have to take a long nap. And the next day I am like a different person. Totally blank mind.....

My brain has no space for grooming routine. Like ... I can't do a 5 step daily thing such as wash face+ tone+ apply lotion+ brush teeth+ detangle hair. I can wash face and brush teeth and crash. That's all.

I'm sorry to hear this, I empathise with you. How long has it been this bad?
I'm no therapist but it sound like your depressed. I know that sounds obvious but what I mean by that is it sounds like your stuck in a depressive episode. It sounds like for some reason you're freezing and your body is retreating from it all.

What do you mean by you are triggered if you try and force exercise?

I notice you saying you have to wait for the "Real me" to return. Just a thought, if when you feel like this you're being critical of yourself try not to be, a PTSD survivor has the right to go through the phases and it's OK to flounder even if it doesn't obviously feel OK. What I mean is it's one thing to let the body take its course but be wary of self abandonment and being critical of yourself. Try as much as you can to remain self nurturing, you'll get better!

 

[Fadeaway]

Yup, it is a horrible cycle because I don't do those things, so I feel bad because of it, and because I feel bad, I am even less likely to do them.

Someone mentioned low thyroid, I would look into adrenal fatigue as well.

 

[AlmostFellForIt]

I would look into adrenal fatigue as well.

Agreed, this is particularly important if you have been the adrenalised type in the past. The correct amount of Vitamin C can help with repair.

 

[ekane]

@AlmostFellForIt it's not the fault of depression. Its this way whether or not im depressed. This is what happens when you have too much trauma on your brain. Can't explain it any better, sorry. And when I say triggered by exercise I mean triggered just like anyone else means triggered with ptsd. Its a trigger and it sets off a string of flashbacks. No different than a war veteran may be triggered by a loud firework show and may have to run for cover and end up in a bad emotional state. There are others with cptsd who have the same problem I have noticed as I dig back into years in this forum.

@Fadeaway yeah I know I have some low thyroid and adrenal fatigue. I have tried many things but I will try more.

 

[illusionist]

I've been there.....I would go to do something that I've been putting off, then as I started the adrenaline and panic would set in, then emotional flashbacks. I'd end up in a heap, crying my eyes out. I've learned to stop myself getting into those situations...by keeping things under control...Really, really do need to push myself at times as I know the consequences further down the line. Things like my house.....I give the place a quick Hoover every day, stick on a wash every day, or every other day blah blah....so it takes me a half our a day rather than say 3 hours in the one go, once a week. I just can't handle things when they have mounted up, it makes me less likely to face them as I know what kind of state I'm going to end up in. Even when I worked 12 hour shifts, I forced myself to keep to the routine.

 

[shimmerz]

I drastically reduce what I expect o myself. It took me ages though. I feel like continually keeping the bar high up is like a form of self harm. I started by challenging myself to do one thing a day. It wasn't until I was able to congratulate myself for doing the one thing that I got to two things....and so on and so on.

 

[KwanYingirl]

You describe me to a t. I work but can only tolerate a couple of hours, then I go home and nap and return to work for two more hours. It took me a month to summon the motivation to paint one wall in my bedroom. I used to be busy, busy, busy. Active lifestyle and lots of friends and hobbies. She seems to have taken a train to Siberia because I don't have any of her positive attributes. I'm hoping when I'm stable enough for EMDR, it will help me reclaim some of my energy and ambition. My dresser looks like a hoarder lives here.

 

[ekane]

@shimmerz I am going to try my hardest to do that. One thing followed by self-celebration. Again and again. Sigh*.. now if only I were rich so that I could afford to celebrate with fancy splurges and vacations.... I am certain this would become known as a cure for all forms of PTSD lol (joking). If 5 minutes of activity were followed by 5 minutes with a kitten or 5 minutes with a favorite celebrity surely my room would look better and my hair would be styled.