Physical exhaustion: Is it from depression or something else?

How long has it been since you have seen a physician? So, important to rule out any medical issues. There is an abundance of support here and a willingness to share experience and suggestions. Are you seeing a therapist? Hang in there.

@fatigued13 Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Fatigue, even extreme fatigue as you've described can be a symptom of depression. That loss of energy, the feeling that you want to sleep is something that people who are very depressed often talk about.

I agree with @gravity3 While the fatigue could be related to depression it's wise to rule out anything thing else that could be causing the fatigue. If you were my granddaughter (I'm 72) I would hand you your phone and stay right there while you call your doctor for an appointment. I would go with you to your appointment and, if you say it's ok to go into the exam room with you, I would tell the doctor how worried I am about you.

Do you see a mental health therapist? If yes, have you discussed your loss of energy with your therapist?

Will you call your doctor's office today?

Honestly, if you don't have a Dr., go to a good hospital emergency room & tell them how you feel.
That's no way to live.

@sadies1mom I agree that depression makes life very difficult. I had my first depressive episode at about the same age as @fatigued13 and at the time I thought I had no future and would never feel good again. I'm here today to say that my thinking was affected by the depression and I did get better. It took some time and making changes in my life but the depression did go away.

Hospital Emergency Departments in the U.S. are very busy and often crowded. You usually have to wait a long time to be seen. This is the case in Canada too because of an extreme shortage of GPs and specialists. In the U.S. the ED is very expensive so it's best to reserve going there for dire emergencies such as when you're bleeding, have unexplained chest pains or abdominal pains. For mental health, there usually aren't any staff who are present who can see you for depression. Mental health staff members in psychiatry, or from community mental health will be on-call but again it's likely a very long wait to be seen.

@fatigued13, depending on where you live, there might be a community mental heath agency that is available. That might be a better option for you if you do not have a primary care provider/general practitioner (GP).

Here is a good place to search for mental health professionals:

Psychology Today: Find a Therapist:

-- https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists

Thank you all so much for your support, advice and genuine worry < 3 I greatly appreciate it. I did try therapy a year ago but it wasn’t quite suitable for me, back then. But I am willing to give it another try. As for now, I am trying to find it in me to somehow fix my sleeping schedule, eat more and go out in the sun more. I reckon I don’t put in the effort to be healthy to be complaining. @naturegirl5 and especially thank you, Helen for being so sweet ❤️

@fatigued13 Thank you so much for letting me, and us, know that our messages were helpful and appreciated. I hope you will find one thing, one action you can do each day and will build on that. Will you come back and let me know how your plan works for you?

I'll start with the basics, which seem to have helped me through my eight decades. start with that You can do without external help. You got it: food! Am I eating nourishing food? If not our bodies will one day let us know. Look up Harvard Health, for example. Run away Fast from advice from friends/ social Media. I start my day First with Two glasses of cold water; we lose water when asleep.

Physical Activity: Our bodies NEED to move. Remember the toddler you were? You made out of the crib crawling on four On Your Own. Magical beings we are, ain't we? Soon we are straining to stand against anything vertical even as we fall Every Time! Let's remember THIS: we are meant to move. You Know your limits. Respect your Current level. ENJOY the little steps of progress in exertions. You'll get stronger before you knew it!

You'll sleep better As a Result. It works for me. With no meds, no visits to medical visits and no tests ( Actually I avoided my colonoscopy despite reminders; after all I was living the healthiest I could to keep myself in, but that's My philosophy of life For Myself). Of course I've issues with age as poor far sight and a few aches and stiffnesses but I can still walk with 20 lbs of grocery for ten minutes. I also walk up often ten floors huffing and puffing half way up if I did not get to have much exertion in the day.

let's do what WE can do For Ourselves First, and then look for help outside if problems still persist. This way YOU will feel Proud of Yourself!

I find getting on a sleep schedule as well as eating meals around the same times each day, being active and going outside all help with my depression. I too have felt exhausted no matter how much sleep I got. As far as therapy it took me four therapist until I found one that really fit my needs- I’m a lot to deal with- so I recommend trying it again. Know that you are not alone in this I’m glad you reached out.

@fatigued13 Are you reading these posts? What have you seen that sounds doable for you? As you read, even a "baby" step, just one small change, will be be a step in the right direction! We aren't meant to make huge differences all at once, so please don't get discouraged. I bet you will find it easier and easier to make healthy changes as you go along. Good for you for wanting to figure it all out.

Yes, depression can indeed cause physical exhaustion. Putting effort into challenging that depression can be hard. But remember you are worth it. You wouldn't have come here if you didn't want some information and shared experiences from others, right? What works for one person may not be the right combination for the next person. But you get some ideas to try out, and get the right combination for you. I know from my own experience that what @sisyphus said about good diet is true. And what @misssuezq said about sleep is true.

I gotta ask you, what is up with the smoking? Will you try to quit? Give that some serious thought, okay?
Ginger

I take a stimulant that helps in the morning