How I Fight Off the Depression Caused by Fatigue

How does one deal with depression moving in when fatigue is fighting you every step of the way?

• What is Fibromyalgia?
• What Are Common Fibromyalgia Symptoms?

I am often wondering that these days when the fatigue is getting to me more than the chronic pain. It’s hard to fight off depression when you have no energy to bolster the troops. Fibromyalgia sometimes gives you exertion malaise at just the slightest amount of activity. I used to not get this except when I overdid an activity. But lately, after my last surgery, it doesn’t take much and I am out of it for the rest of day. Even after just taking a shower, starting some laundry or even some mild stretching, I am ready to crawl back into bed. And leaving the house at all is basically impossible.

How do you spin this into a positive and keep your mood up while spending most of your day in bed or pent up at home?

 

I would be very lost without modern technology. With my Android smart phone I am still connected to the world beyond my house. I have most any book I want to read in my hands because of my Kindle app. I can observe any artwork I would like to see through the various images available on the internet without stepping foot in a museum. I can even create my own artwork on my phone if I don’t feel well enough to go to my art room to paint. If I feel like watching a movie I can pull up just about any movie I want from movies available on Netflix or Amazon Prime thru my phone or on my own TV thru a SmartTV, Roku, Playstation or Xbox. Sometimes these movies had just left the theaters. If it is a friend I want I can chat with them thru a regular phone call, text, instant message, Skype or Snapchat. I can feel like part of a community thru joining or following groups on Facebook or Instagram. The only thing I cannot get thru technology is physical touch, but I still have my husband and the rest of my family that visits me for that.

You see, I have a whole life of adventure at my fingertips. I may have dreamt of going places and doing these things myself, but at least thru technology I can still experience them. I am able to battle the encroaching shadows of depression by keeping my mind occupied with these many experiences. There are many other apps or services out there than I listed, but I have only named those I have used.

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Thinkstock photo via monkeybusinessimages.