How to discriminate mental health from physical health issues

[Muttly]

Sometimes when I feel bad it's easy for me to know it's because of anxiety or because I'm injured. Sometimes I really can't tell. I don't know if it's fatigue from physical stuff or it's depression. I don't know if my stomach hurts because of stress or because of ibs or a combo of both.

Today I feel like crap. I do have a cold. I guess, since I'm just a shade over six weeks out from knee surgery (and over five months of knee issues that left me pretty much limited to crutches) that counts too. Especially since I went back to my old, physical job (only 6 hours a day but ended up working 6 days in a row) and that has left me really worn out. But my mood is also super low and am having a lot of triggering thoughts. So, what's what? Or does it even matter?

I think to some degree it does because I'm trying to decide if I came back to work too soon and if I will be able to jump up to 8 hours a day in a week. That would require me scheduling a doctor's appointment.

Sigh. Or maybe I'm just being whiny? Maybe this just an attention seeking post and I want people to feel sorry for me? (and the whole thought cycle repeats and repeats)

 

[Justmehere]

. I have a cold right now and can’t figure out if the fatigue is the cold or depression. So I can really relate.

I can also relate with the struggle: do I try to go for a run because that would help depression based fatigue or do I rest because that would help cold based fatigue?

The cause is probably both. Colds can affect mental health even without PTSD. With PTSD, a cold can be another thing that fills up the stress cup. (So can a lot of other things you mentioned like a new job and recovery from surgery and physical pain.)

I’m trying to figure out self care steps that would help both possible causes of my own fatigue.

I hope you let go of the self blame statements as you figure out what to do to get some energy back. :hug:

 

[Muttly]

@Justmehere Yes, pointed out one of the reasons it matters. Because if it's primary mood based, then taking my dog for a walk (it's actually nice right now) would help. But if it's more that I'm sick and sore, a break would be better.

Also, you said something interesting to me. In my thought patterns, having a cold is no excuse for having a bad mood. Like, unless it's really a major health issue, I feel like it shouldn't effect my mood at all. But then, what would I count as really major?

I'm sorry you are going through the same thing.

 

[Stephernovas]

This has literally been my life. Worker's comp keeps wanting to talk about back to work, but I know I'm not the same and I truthfully don't think it's a good idea. As soon as I try to do things physically as I used to before the accident, my body begins to produce the same pain signals in my injured areas as it did immediately after the accident, and then I'm stuck feeling miserable because that pain then triggers my PTSD. Most times I will instantly start crying/panicking.

It's only when I walk around doing barely anything where my body seems to be 'okay', but then that's depressing to me. I'm starting to wonder if we should just give up in trying to decipher between the physical or psychological pain. At the end of the day it renders me useless anyways. Personally I don't think it's fair to be asked to return to work with all of these ailments. I don't see how we should be expected to suffer through all of this, simply to be employed in a 9a-5p. We are no longer on the same playing field as the rest of the world, so why should the expectations of how we are able to perform be the same? If you vocalize that you can/want to do it - great! But for those of us still struggling and knowing it would take A LOT out of them everyday just to get out of bed...how is this benefitting you? We are supposed to 'live' while on this earth. I don't know about you, but I don't want to willfully put myself into more pain and strife just because somebody who hasn't experienced my life/trauma is telling me what I should be doing with my life.

 

[Fadeaway]

I guess this is a common problem for us. I have spoken to both my T and Pdoc about it and my T says he is more inclined to say it is mental and Pdoc says physical. Go figure.

 

[Justmehere]

T says he is more inclined to say it is mental and Pdoc says physical.

There is also the problem that when you have a hammer in your hand, everything tends to look like a nail.

 

[Changing4Best]

I have been feeling fatigue a lot too. A friend/ client recently died, and I know that part of it is mental, just part of the grieving process I guess. However, the stress has caused one of my chronic infections to resurface which had been in remission, so I am in rough shape twice over now, once for the physical and once for the mental. So even though I had 2 cups of coffee today, (which I rarely do, usually only having a half a one) I was able to take a short nap. THAT is how tired I am.

 

[shimmerz]

I think the two are intrinsically tied. Body and mind. I don't actually feel pain but have feelings of pressure, or issues with biological functions that go insane on me when I am in a tough way psychologically. I look for both, actually and give it equal attention whether my body is spinning out or my mind is.

 

[Muttly]

@Stephernovas @SpiritSong and everyone else, I am sorry you all are struggling with similar stuff

I suspect I am just flat out sick, on top of recovering from surgery and going back to work. I suspect I should have spoken up when I realized I was scheduled for 6 days in a row on my week back. I guess, "just flat out sick" isn't really the best way to phrase it. I am sick. I am dealing with pain from the knee surgery, and complicate that with my chronic pain issue and yeah. I don't feel well. As people here keep pointing out to me lately, that adds to the stress cup (I think I just mangled that) and triggers off PTSD stuff.

I haven't managed to do anything but bare essentials today (which mostly means pet care). I haven't managed to even brush my teeth. I needed to go to the pharmacy and pet store and I just couldn't make myself go. I really want someone to give me permission to call in to work sick. I really don't want to call and have to explain myself. I'm an adult, this shouldn't be so hard.

And I have been sitting here fighting with myself about calling in so long, that now if I do call in, I won't get enough sleep.

Can I please fire my brain?

 

[Fadeaway]

Only if I can fire mine too.

 

[Muttly]

@Fadeaway Well, I'm not quite sure how we'd do that. Hmmm... maybe instead of firing our brains, we should boycott them? Hmm... that probably won't work either. Drat.

So now I'm back to thinking it's all mental. I called in sick. I tried to sleep. I rested but spent the whole time in the place between sleep and wakefulness. So, I must not be sick? Now that I write that I'm not sure where the logic is. I'm not sure why it matters. And I am sick, but maybe I could of sucked it up and gone to work.

I do this to myself over and over and over again. I need to find a way of breaking this cycle. Being miserable is miserable enough without making myself miserable about it. Heh.

I also need to break the cycle of feeling I need to apologize for every post I make. I actually had broken that cycle once before. And that proves I'm not that sick and I'm just being nuts, right? Arrr... my brain never stops. I'm back to wanting to boycott it. I'll even make signs "No more thinking" "Brain are over paid" "Stop the madness" (ok, I just cracked myself up.)

 

[shimmerz]

And I am sick, but maybe I could of sucked it up and gone to work.

Just wondering who you are trying to convince of this?