Lost a friend ... Extreme fatigue

On March 21 a close friend of mine suddenly died. I went to see him in the hospital Thursday and he died Saturday. I've never lost somebody so close, and my heart is shattered. Of course, this means increased pain, which I expected and am trying to deal with. However, the past few days I have experienced extreme fatigue. I got a full night of sleep, yet I am currently fighting to keep my eyes open. It is awful. Is fatigue part of TMS? Any help would be appreciated. I'm expected to graduate college May 9 but am having extreme difficulty pushing through.

Thanks,
Andie

 

Hi, Andie. Dr. Sarno says fatigue is definitely a TMS symptom. It seems to me that it is a result of your
feelings of loss since your friend died. It's normal to be depressed because of that, and fatigue and
having trouble being awake comes from that loss. You'll get over it. It takes some time, and you
should try to concentrate on "pushing through" to graduate college.

 

Andie, I am sorry for the loss of your friend. We lost a friend in Feb and another in March. As I am 48 I have lost quite a few people in my life, but this is the first time since learning about the mindbody connection. I found a lot of my feelings were being expressed physically. Not pain very much, but little things. Fatigue was one. Also, I felt like I was sinking into my mattress. It really felt like it was a trough. As though it was the matress being weird and not me. During stress like you are in right now you could have lots of strange things, including emotional feelings that seem crazy.

Music that is positive can be very helpful to keep your focus in a good direction. Likewise music that is negative won't help you right now.

You will feel better, but allow yourself some time.
All the best, Lizzy

 

My heart goes out to you. One can never prepare for such a shock. Fatigue is totally normal. And yes is a TMS symptom probably in this case. Take some time for yourself and recharge with a hot bath or something that will nourish you. Keep your loved ones close for hugs and support. You are not alone. You will get through this. One step at a time. One class or homework assignment at a time. Breathe deep.

 

Also you might reach out to your teachers and let them know what is going on. I had a lot of trauma in college too. And it didn't occur to me to let people know.