Chronic tiredness: symptoms, causes and treatment

A disorder related to our nervous system that affects more and more people.

We have all, at one time or another, felt tired, fatigued or lacking in energy.. The causes of this can be varied, for example, a day of hard work or a bad night. Generally, in these situations it is enough to get a good night's sleep or to recover the normal rhythm of work.

However, some people feel tired all day long and for most of the time, and are unmotivated, exhausted, weak, have difficulty concentrating... When this feeling is constant and lasts for a long time, then we are talking about chronic fatigue..

In this article we will go into the most important aspects of this phenomenon and we will learn about its symptoms, causes and treatment.

What is chronic fatigue

There are many individuals who would like to stay a little longer in bed before going to work at the office, or enjoy a nap for its physical and psychological benefits. However, there are people who spend all day in "off" mode, tired, off-center, unmotivated... When this feeling of tiredness does not disappear and manifests itself over a long period of time, there may be a problem that feeds it (depression, burnout, insomnia, etc.).

Chronic fatigue causes the person to feel very tired throughout the day and have difficulties in carrying out daily tasks. It is similar to spring asthenia, which usually usually appears together with a decrease or alteration in the immune system due to different causes, such as typicalsuch as allergies typical of this time of year. However, chronic fatigue can occur at different times of the year producing a physical and mental weakening of the subject.

In reality, chronic fatigue is considered a symptom of underlying problems, often due to physical but also psychological illnesses.

What are its symptoms?

This phenomenon is characterized by the presence of a great variety of symptoms related to fatigue and lack of motivation. At a general level it is observed:

• Feeling of constant tiredness and heaviness.
• Lack of motivation
• Lack of concentration and attention
• Lack of energy
• Weakening of the immune system and appearance of physical illnesses such as colds.
• Memory problems
• Irritability
• Hypotension
• Slowness in performing tasks
• Lack of sexual desire

Causes of this phenomenon

As I have already mentioned, chronic fatigue is usually considered a set of symptoms that have their origin in other types of problems that can be physical or psychological. Among them, the following stand out.

Depression

Chronic fatigue is common when a person suffers from depression or is going through a difficult period in his or her life, such as a bereavement process. such as a bereavement process. In addition to the symptoms of sadness, in this type of situation a person feels tired, unmotivated and has difficulty concentrating and paying attention.

Burnout

Burnout is what is known as chronic stress and causes the person to feel burned out.. After suffering a period of prolonged stress, the person exhausts his or her resources and then demotivation and extreme tiredness appear.

Lack of motivation

Depression or burnout can cause a lack of motivation.However, demotivation can also occur because a person does not have realistic goals or does not see his future clearly, so he can enter into an existential crisis that ends up exhausting him mentally.

Insomnia

Sleeping problems and poor sleeping habits cause a person to be tired throughout the day. In these cases, it is possible to follow a series of tips such as the ones in this article: "Combat insomnia: 10 solutions to sleep better".

Diseases

Various physical illnesses can cause chronic fatigue, including diabetes, allergies or a weakened immune system.

Poor nutrition

Poor nutrition or nutritional disorders such as anemia can cause a person to feel tired for long periods of time. for long periods of time. The relationship between psychology and nutrition is a reality that is increasingly accepted. While our emotional state affects how we eat, how we eat also affects how we feel.

• In this regard, you may be interested in our article: "Psychology and Nutrition: the importance of emotional nutrition".

Neurological disorders

Some neurological disorders or tumors may also be at the root of the problem. In our article "The 15 most common neurological disorders" we talk about the symptoms and consequences of the most common neurological disorders.

Use of medications

The use of some medications as a side effect can cause symptoms of fatigue.For example, benzodiazepines or antipsychotics. It is therefore necessary to inform the physician or psychiatrist if symptoms appear after the start of drug treatment to enable substitution.

Treatment

Since there are many causes of chronic fatigue, this phenomenon requires different ways of treatment. In most cases, subjects go to their family doctor for a diagnosis, but the diagnosis should not only focus on physical illnesses (urine samples, Blood tests) and the treatment should not always be the administration of drugs, but psychological therapy and sometimes, a visit to a dietician and nutritionist can help to treat chronic fatigue..

Logically, when the causes are of psychological origin, such as depression or stress, it is necessary to see a professional psychologist to treat the underlying problem. There are different types of psychotherapy that can be effective, for example, cognitive behavioral therapy, Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) or acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).

In cases where poor nutrition is deficient or the individual suffers from anemia, it is appropriate to see a dietitian nutritionist to solve the problem.