Easily & Constantly Overwhelmed?

[zbztster]

I have to admit that I flip flop on this one. I work part time in construction (brick layer) with a group of guys that make it a horse race. I can get out there and keep up with the best of them for 10 hours or more a day. However, when I'm not working and trying to get things done in an office environment that just wracks me. I get stressed and fatigued and rarely get anything done worth a dime. It can take me 4 hours to write up some business stuff that I could have written in 45 minutes back in the better days. And 6 hours in the office creates such mental fatigue that I just want to go home and veg on the TV.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

I'm really not trying to be snarky, but I'm having a hard time understanding how it's so bad getting overwhelmed by a full day of work? Am I missing something? I can't even do anything close to that. In other words, I'd love to have your problem. I get overwhelmed with making a single phone call, or even getting to a single appointment. I guess I just see things differently as from where I'm sitting, getting overwhelmed from a full day of work isn't getting overwhelmed easily. But we all suffer differently I suppose.

 

[Traumagirl]

The fatigue is probably the most overwhelming thing for me. It makes me feel helpless, like I'm never going to get better. I know I have gotten slightly better over the years, but the improvements are so small, it really doesn't seem like progress at all. I keep hoping for some energy, but it never comes.

 

[BaRtMaN]

You are not alone! The more stress or more stressful situations I am put in the more overwhelmed I become and I have to take something to calm me down or have to just be left alone until I am calm or it turns into anger or shouting. There is only so much that I can take, I know what my limit is and when I have had enough, I am done.

My wife has to respect it and she knows what is about to come next as I have set a boundary with her, I ask nicely to leave me alone first, the second time is a little louder and the third time I normally am very loud and then she leaves me alone. She doesn't like the boundary thing and likes to try and push me, but it only hurts her feelings and makes me angry as I don't have to be pushed like that and shouldn't have to be pushed like that. Once is enough most times now though.

Does that make sense?

 

[Traumagirl]

Yes it does. Good for you for setting a boundary.

 

[Shellbell]

I get easily overwhelmed too, having noisy young sons doesn't make for an easy life at the moment. I get very tired too.

I do the same as someone above said - I only plan a few things per day, otherwise nothing gets done. I don't plan things that I know will cause anxiety levels to rise a lot. Probably because being a Mum causes enough of that anyway. Putting boundaries on my children is much harder than my sons.

The PTSD Cup Theory was really good for me and for my husband and friends to understand why I'm not buzzing about doing so much every day like I used to.

 

[Red Feather]

I get overwhelmed just by thinking of something that would be stressful. I wish I could be a different person.

 

[Traumagirl]

Shellbell. I have two noisy sons also. They can really wear me out as well. They really fill up my PTSD cup quickly. Sometimes I just want to put in earplugs. HUGS!

 

[Shellbell]

Shellbell. I have two noisy sons also. They can really wear me out as well. They really fill up my PTSD cup quickly. Sometimes I just want to put in earplugs. HUGS!

Thanks, yes my 'cup runneth over' very often having my boys. I try so hard to remember every day that they are boys and they deserve to be acting like boys and doing by things - including running about and making noise. Noise though is something that I just can't seem to handle. My therapist said that is very common with PTSD. Earplugs - now that is a thought, thank you ;)

I have a lot of Mummy guilt having PTSD :( - but I didn't bring this on myself, and it's not forever and I am committed to getting well, however, long that takes.

My worst days for feeling overwhelmed are the day of my therapy (my appts are always 7pm) and the day after. And weekends when the boys are both home all day.

 

[Traumagirl]

Weekend days can be the worst. When kids are home all day and they start getting bored. I get so guilty because when I was feeling better, I could find so many things to keep them occupied. Now, I just don't have the energy.

 

[Venusian]

I have times when life gets overwhelming and just doing things I do everyday can seem impossible. To pull myself out of that I break tasks down into smaller tasks. It may take longer but eventually the smaller tasks get done. I have also adjusted my thinking and what my limits are, my apartment may be a little less organized than it used to be but it is clean. I don't expect things to be perfect anymore and I realized that most people don't expect perfection either. It took a lot of stress from my life when I realized that. One of my most often used mantras now is "You can only do what you can do" .

What you can do now, you may not be able to do all the time, and if you aren't able to do as much as you used to, that will also change.

 

[Anna]

I am exhausted and tired. No matter how many hours I sleep. I am wondering if elevation could effect it?

I used to live at 25m above sea level, then moved to 125 m. On holiday at 15m I felt ok, but back to the 125m and tired again.... Or maybe I am just looking for an explanation??? rambling again! :P

Tired because I don't sleep properly!