Fatigue and feelings of unwellness

Have felt the same way for years. In the last 10 years have gone to the GP about this and there is nothing phsical wrong. Only when I found out about ASD did it all add up as to why I was so tired. I sleep 10 hours a night but still can't get up. Sleep is my escape, the place | can be me.

It could be autistic burnout. That would leave you just chronically exhausted and might cause some muscle ache. There is some info on this site.

I'd get a doctor to check you out in case it's something other than that.

Thank you

Yes, I feel like this for days and days even though there is nothing in particular causing this. Sending you a hug

I can relate to all the messages. Until it dawned on me that i had an ASD i couldnt understand why i felt this way. It is difficult to plan when not knowing how i will feel. I recognise when i feel ell and embrace it. Im learning to accept that i feel this way as a result of an ASD and to rest more. I am learning to be open about how i feel instead of trying to cover it up and pretend that i fel ok. What a breakthrough! Although still waiting for an assessment. Embracing me ️

I'm well known for falling asleep on the sofa at night, when we are supposed to watching TV.  I think it's because I'm mentally pooped by the end of the working day.  I've always slept a lot even when I was a baby.

I'm either puzzlingly very well or else very unwell and exhausted. This daily unpredictability stops me from being a regular presence in this community; often, I don't even feel able to write.

I'm glad there are no overtly physical issues causing the tiredness, so the logical next thing to consider is if any medication you use could be causing this - best to talk this over with your GP and see if changing these can help.

On the mental side, are there any things that help make you feel more energised or recharged?

The symptoms you describe are very common and are likely a combination of the medication and the stress that us on the spectrum feel due to our sensory receptiveness.

If you can find a hobby or activity that helps you feel revitalised then try to build time for this into your life and after doing this, try to deal with the issues that are most important or likely to make you stressed.

I like to think of it as powering up to take on the challenge, and in completing each task it gives a big tick in the "to do list" which gives another little power up to take on the next one. The satisfaction of the completion makes it more rewarding (probably a dopamine powered effect, but it works for me).

For things I really don't want to do I find it best to set a time to do them (with an alarm if necessary) and go into doing them on autopilot without thinking about them. Great for stuff like cleaning (maybe put some music on) or even <shudder> doing tax returns.

Breaking the inertia helps so much and at the end the relief of getting the task out of the way is soooo nice.

The problems here are something almost all of us have to live with and the best solution is to find a strategy that works for you.

Yes, most of the time

Yes I've got this. I'm sure it's from all the masking which started at school for me and now all that has caught up with me and I'm paying the price. Every day is the same, exhausted and feeling generally unwell. I take regular breaks and rest throughout the day, if you can do the same, it helps ease the symptoms for me.

Yes, although it does get slightly better if I rest a lot. I started last week feeling so tired and nauseous I had to go and lie down multiple times during the day. By Friday, having not spoken to anyone all week and slept a lot, I was feeling a lot better. So then of course I had a busy weekend and now I'm struggling to get out of bed again.