Autistic fatigue?

We've created a monster

Ditto me. 

AuTriker said:

Now I have the energy to go cycling two or three times a week and for a bit else, but I struggle a lot with motivation and do not have the abundant energy I had hoped exercise would give me! I do prioritise going cycling, although the weather can be a problem, and it is a rare week if I don't manage at least twice, but i could really do with finding a way to exercise when the weather is bad. I think it would ideal if i could exercise 5 or 6 times a week.

Cycling is about the only thing I do too due to ankle injury. It's so good for my mental health.

Due to this injury though I was struggling and was fortunate enough to afford an e-bike which enabled me to commute on 15 mile a day a few times a week and that was great.

Is your trike a rear single wheel model. I use a turbo trainer sometimes over the winter with Zwift, not sure if you're aware of the platform but it is a very interactive online platform with other people virtually riding..

Might be worth a look?

Definitely....it has happened WAY to fast for human evolution..we created something beyond our means at this pace.  Insightful and prophetic.

Yes you are right. In my case I think it’s the internet too. I never get a break in between anything throughout the day because I automatically pick up my phone, to research something, emails, fb groups, here. I don’t have any friends or colleagues so I have even less in my bubble. Which is maybe why I turn to the internet. But I do think the world is too fast paced now, and it happened far too quickly for humans to evolve to be able to cope with it. 

I'm in the same boat, Mate.

I get worn out, easily, by housework. Little else gets done; other than online stuff. 

My friend gave me good advice. Stick to your own little bubble of work, family, pets,  friends, colleagues. The world is too big and complicated for our primitive brains.

out_of_step said:

I wonder if some of it is down to becoming deconditioned during lockdown to a world which was more suitable.

This would make so much sense. I guess as well as the vast difference to the lockdown period some of us enjoyed, there is so much that seems to be going on in the world, one thing after another. 

Yes you’re probably right. I’m not in a position to take any time off anyway but I suspect nothing would change. I feel guilty on the weekends if I don’t get anything done. I think one of the issues I have is having to do things at certain times for one of my self employed jobs. During the lockdowns (as retired user mentioned) I found life so much easier in general, even though I was probably the busiest I’d ever been in my work. But i could structure my day as I saw fit, rather than sticking to the regimented mon-fri 9-5. It doesn’t seem to work for me. And life in general was so much quieter, I guess I wasn’t being overwhelmed with every day life ‘out there’ too.

Wise words again, thank you, Number. 

Thankyou for your lovely message Number.  It is deeply appreciated.  Life on the spectrum can feel long for sure.  Kind regards and best wishes. 

Well, snow is forecast!

I feel fine, not doing anything strenuous, and yet I'm experiencing such bad fatigue that I simply have to sleep whenever it (unpredictably) strikes. A real mystery to me.

So that must mean that (a) Hell is freezing over (b) the moon is falling out of orbit and (c) one of the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse is actually riding an inflatable lama ! 

I agree to what you have said! (For a change!)

I was diagnosed AS in lockdown.  I now know fatigue is different to tiredness. I now know the feeling I had pre-diagnosis was fatigue. I know this because there are some comparable feelings between that and a health condition I now have which is a bit like cfs.  They feel quite  similar. I wonder if some of it is down to becoming deconditioned during lockdown to a world which was more suitable. I also wonder if some of it comes as some sort of post-diagnosis release. Have you looked into spoon theory?

AuTriker said:

But I find there is a difference between feeling physically tired and other forms of tired. Lack of sleep feels different from after exercise, mental exhaustion is different again, as is fatigue from emotional stress. Socialising causes another different kind of tired. I wonder how many different tirednesses I feel? Never really tried to count them before. 

Very well put - and I agree entirely.

I have very poor energy levels. I do also have a physical disability and always used to assume it was related to that, until I was diagnosed with stress/anxiety which also saps energy. But even when I reduced stress I still have energy problems. Then a couple of years ago I realised autism was likely the reason underlying it all.

Because of my physical disability I thought I was unable to exercise, which led to a downward spiral. But then I had a medical kick up the backside forcing me to find a way to exercise and that did turn things around slowly. Now I have the energy to go cycling two or three times a week and for a bit else, but I struggle a lot with motivation and do not have the abundant energy I had hoped exercise would give me! I do prioritise going cycling, although the weather can be a problem, and it is a rare week if I don't manage at least twice, but i could really do with finding a way to exercise when the weather is bad. I think it would ideal if i could exercise 5 or 6 times a week.

But I find there is a difference between feeling physically tired and other forms of tired. Lack of sleep feels different from after exercise, mental exhaustion is different again, as is fatigue from emotional stress. Socialising causes another different kind of tired. I wonder how many different tirednesses I feel? Never really tried to count them before. 

Hello Malojian.  Not seen you around until recently, but you have obviously been around here since before my time.  I'm sorry that you are on the down-dip.......but as you will know, you have the up-tick coming soon enough.  Glad that you have decided to pop back on the pages to be with us for a while.  I look forward to knocking into you again.  Kind regards - Number.

I'm absolutely knackered here.  Burnt out from weeks of intense focus.

I feel like I need a good month or two off of life but that’s never going to happen.

Well Zoe, when I hit the stage that you describe, I was able to take a few months off.......it didn't help at all to be honest......those few months became 6 months.....then 8 months.....it was a VERY good rest (a VERY expensive rest)....but I don't think it actually did much for my recovery time to be honest.  I was in no fit state to face the world at the time, I just needed to hide under a rock.  After about 10 months of literally doing sod-all, the guilt (and expense) forced me to get back out into the world.  It was hard and exhausting, but I actually think I was better-off "doing" things(and feeling knackered) rather than not "doing" things (and feeling knackered.)

At the end of the day, and with the benefit of hindsight, I think what I needed was "time" to recover and recharge.........I didn't need a rest per se, I needed time to process my thoughts properly.  I don't know about you, but I think better when I am "doing."

I tell you the above in the hope that it will make you feel less alone - I certainly know what you speak of here - but also to reassure you that the horrible feeling will pass....eventually....and if you are anything like me (and the indications are that this is so), you will come out the other side MUCH happier and MUCH calmer.

Best wishes mate - stay sane in the meanwhile.

Number.