Starting The Day - Exhausted Already

[seeeker]

I guess it won't make much sense without knowing the endless complexity of one's personal history - years of on/off depression, unrealized goals, ADD, borderline misanthropic, family loss, rinse, repeat...

Right now I'm actually on Adderall which, compared to years on SSRIs, is really quite useful. However it leads to insomnia, for which I then take Ambien, which leads to grogginess, etc.

But jeez- lately I am starting out my day just plain exhausted already. I get out of bed, shower, have breakfast/coffee, check email - and then all I want to do is go back to bed. Or lie on the sofa and watch a long movie. I'm drowsy and the day hasbn't even begun.

I'm not expecting some quick remedy from a website. The drowsiness is probably at least partially resulting from having little to look forward to or be excited about every morning. But wow I just had to at least state that I start my day very tired! And it's really annoying me.

Edited May 10, 2010 by seeeker

[Avian86]

I assume your on Adderall XR. It takes 10-14 hours for the drug to get out of your system. Don't take the drug past 11:00 am if you plan to sleep at night.

[dbradho1]

the mornings are definitely the worst part of the day - i totally hear you on that. but if possible, get out of the house. staying at home all alone is a recipe for more depression. the worst thing a person can do when he/she is depressed is to isolate. i know i know, you may not feel like going out. but what's the alternative? keep staying in bed and watch life move on with you? no way man (or woman). you've got too much talent and too big of a heart to let that happen. you also got way too much potential to waste.

oh yeah, watch out for that ambien - the amnesia can be gnarly

brad

[seeeker]

Thanks very much for the replies.

I assume your on Adderall XR. It takes 10-14 hours for the drug to get out of your system. Don't take the drug past 11:00 am if you plan to sleep at night.

It's generic amphetamine salts, not XR. But true, although my doc said it lasts about 4 hours, I notice it lingering for 12+/- hours. I've experimented with taking a dose at different times of day then eventually taking Ambien. Things have been more or less manageable like this until recently.

Another thing I've noticed is that if you stop the Adderall cold turkey for whatever reason after taking it regularly, there is a withdrawal period of a few days that is a deadening, fatigued lethargy - like what I'm feeling. This is another possible cause, as I've been trying to detox from all this meds nonsense lately to see where "normal" is (energy and mood). Whatever the cause, if I take 10mg of Adderall before 11am and that's it, or nothing at all, I'm hoping this will pass in a few days.

the mornings are definitely the worst part of the day - i totally hear you on that. but if possible, get out of the house. staying at home all alone is a recipe for more depression. the worst thing a person can do when he/she is depressed is to isolate. i know i know, you may not feel like going out. but what's the alternative? keep staying in bed and watch life move on with you? no way man (or woman). you've got too much talent and too big of a heart to let that happen. you also got way too much potential to waste.

oh yeah, watch out for that ambien - the amnesia can be gnarly

brad

You're absolutely right, I hear ya. After the breakfast/email routine described above, it's like the day is a wide open vacuum of nothingness. (I am an independent contractor so have the choice to "work" from home or go to the "office"). I will try and head in to work regularly and see if I feel any optimism or energy boost from the psychology of that.

As for potential and talent, I just don't know. I've heard that, and tried to convince myself of it. But seriously, life - every single day, just seems like swimming against a very strong tide. I've been having trouble getting the enthusiasm to just make a bagel lately or get up and do anything at all. I'm 38 now, and I can guarantee it'll be a blinding lightbulb when I'm like 65 and it's too late. "Why didn't I do more!" "What was I doing all those years!"

I'd like to cut out the Ambien altogether, but with the Adderall I just don't know how to get to sleep. OTC products are prety weak in comparison. Warm milk and meditation doesn't cut it.

Thanks for the comments though!