Low energy and extreme tiredness causing major depression

[[Ra...]]

I wake up and I'm exhausted every morning. I feel like I need a good nights sleep for my nights sleep. So, I've just been staying in bed a couple hours extra since I'm out of school for the summer, minus one class that I have that starts at 1:20 P.M. I got to bed at around midnight and get up around 11 AM. The tiredness has only been happening for a couple weeks, before that I couldn't sleep and was probably too amped up. It's causing some really serious depression, because I just want to get up and have the energy to do some things. I can't drink caffeine, because it tenses my body up too much now. I revisited this site after a couple months of pushing myself on my own yesterday and found a lot of people talking about it taking them 18 months to feel nearly fully healed. That's a really, really long time to be feeling this down and I honestly don't think I can do it. I'm only at month number 5, that means I'm looking at 7 months if I'm lucky and 13 months if I need extra time. I've tried reinstating some Prozac and before that I tried some Zoloft, which I had negative reactions to. I would sweat uncontrollably, diarrhea and extra anxiety. I've tried so many supplements your head would spin. Natural ssri's have been tried such as 5HTP, St Johns Wort and Sam E. L-theanine and magnesium seem to be the only ones that really do anything and yesterday I learned l-theanine works on gaba so now I'm unsure if I should still take that. Just really sad and feel really close to losing control and doing something dumb. 

[[Bh...]]

Stay strong...it will get better! I have the same issue as you do...extreme tiredness and low energy.  I battle it everyday....even if I get a decent night sleep. 

 

I have been taking l-tryptophan...it seems to work well for me at times. It really does boost my mood from time to time...other days are tough.  I would keep plugging along if I were you. Try to get some Vitamin-D outside in the natural sun. Mild exercise is good too! That always seems to help. 

[[BG...]]

@RatedRKO16 Hang in there! I hit 12 months off benzos earlier this month and I, too, suffer from (albeit now only occasional) restless nights and fatigue, which is the last real hurdle for me at this point as far as my residual, physical symptoms, anyway. In my case, the fatigue may or may not be related to sleep apnea or some other form of sleep disorder. I've a sleep study scheduled for later this evening and hope to have some answers real soon. Regardless, regular exercise (e.g. walking 45-60 minutes 4-6 days a week) and decaf coffee (which still has some caffeine in it, but a VERY small amount) have been a big help for me. Sunlight and exercise, as Bhealthy17 stated, really does help to ward off depression. I also see a therapist who specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy, which has been rather enlightening (at least to me, anyway). Good luck, and Godspeed to you.

[[Ra...]]

Thank you both for the positive words.

[[se...]]

Hi Rated: I posted about my massive fatigue today, it's on the list now, if you would care to read it. You will get through this, I promise you. I have been dealing with massive fatigue for many years and I never put it together it was the benzos. I'm thinking you are younger than I am and you will get through it. What I do is meditate and listen to positive affirmations and visualizations - if I didn't have that? I don't know what would have become of me. Truly. This fatigue and insomnia drives me nuts and is so depressing. It has affected everything in my daily life for years. But, I do have good news that I hold on to. It gives me hope. Some of the symptoms of withdrawal have gotten much better. So, the fatigue and insomnia is holding on (I'm in the middle of a wave right now) but I'll get through this hurdle, I got through today where earlier it was so bad I had to finish my posts in two sessions, just a couple of paragraphs, because I didn't have the energy to finish in one setting. That's how slammed I was/am...after this, I have to go lie down. But a month ago I could do more, and I hold on to that. I hold on to all the people who were suffering like us but now have most of their energy back, if not all of it. Hold on that sweetie, it will come for us, too. Take carre...