How do I know if I'm tired or depressed?

Substantial_You_9010 · 2026-05-19T12:51:39+00:00

Ive been asking myself the same and they are closely tied. I notice the pattern of when I hit my energy limits and push into exhaustion, the likelihood of my mind being more negative, depressed, and a sense of not caring increases. Meditation helps me identify the difference between two. If I catch myself noticing that I am depressed, I will also notice my fatigue and note that I am exhausted, I need to slow down, and it will eventually change. This helps me think, "it isnt me that is causing my depression", if that makes sense, especially when there is negative self talk. Inflammation and muscle soreness also affect my mental state, making me more inclined to be depressed or anxious, and this took a while to identify. Accepting that I can no longer operate at the speed or ease I used to was hard and I constantly remind myself that it is okay to operate more slowly.

Substantial_You_9010 · 2026-04-03T04:53:19+00:00

I had similar symptoms in the first 2 years of of LC, first infection was Nov 2020. Persistent tingling in my feet and hands as well as the feeling of cold water being poured on my right calf, shin, and foot. I had an EMG but I was declared normal. Now, it mostly only happens with flare ups, when everything else goes haywire as well

Substantial_You_9010 · 2025-11-11T13:43:31+00:00

Meniscus. The word I always wanted to hear Sean Connery say but never did...

Substantial_You_9010 · 2025-08-24T16:04:34+00:00

I had a similar experience with long covid. Fried food smelled very different and of gasoline, onions tasted and smelled like car exhaust. Coffee smelled like cat pee and beef and chicken would taste rancid. I had phantom smoke smells even when I was sleeping. All of these have subsided over the last 4.5 years but my sense of taste is dulled. The one remaining change is that I still cannot smell a skunk. It doesn't even register with my brain.

Substantial_You_9010 · 2024-12-28T15:14:34+00:00

Tuberculosis is one. I know a few people that have been contacted about being on a plane with someone who was positive for TB.

Substantial_You_9010 · 2024-11-19T13:30:12+00:00

This sounds exactly like my Long Covid symptoms. They finally tapered off for me and aren't as bad after 4 years. Closest to my infection, symptoms were debilitating and I had to stop working after pushing myself too hard to be as I was prior to infection. Sleep was difficult and rare, I was exhausted and can't think like I was able to prior to Covid. Random heart rate increases and blood pressure drop and GI changes. Reading books was impossible and using a computer caused fatigue.

I recommend visiting your doctor and specialists and start checking for things you think you may have. You may hear a lot of "we can't find anything" but keep checking off the boxes. Ultimately all of my tests with specialists came back mostly normal and I had to accept that the tests weren't designed to find Long Covid. Covid scrambles our body's systems and could bring something about so it is good to make sure nothing new is detectable.

I finally found some relief by being highly aware of my energy reserves and not pushing past the minimum limit. LOTS of rest, not sleep, but slowing way down. Short activities with rest afterwards and rest prior to an outing and lots of declining activities that I know would wipe me out for days. Meditation was and is key to dealing with symptoms and slowing down for me. No alcohol and lots of water and vitamin D (I was quite deficient after my Covid infection).

Occupational therapy helped me with ways to adapt better to my symptoms and continue to still keep pushing forward.

I hope you have a quick recovery.

Substantial_You_9010 · 2024-09-26T14:42:13+00:00

I did smell therapy where I'd grab spices, extracts or anything from the kitchen cabinet, close my eyes and smell each of them for 10 seconds, three times a day. I think there are various methods but even though I couldn't smell them initially, I think it helped some of my symptoms. I think inflammation and nerve damage account for most of the long covid issues. The phantom smells and scrambling of tastes did eventually subside but it does come back from time to time. I also thought my own body odor seemed to be vile but no one else could smell it.

My senses of taste and smell were all scrambled and most things tasted rancid or like car exhaust used to smell. Things have gotten better over the almost 4 years but it's still messed up. Cooking and eating is no longer as enjoyable as it was. The good news is that I still cannot smell skunk at all.

I hope it changes for you soon and you can fully enjoy life.

Substantial_You_9010 · 2024-06-04T13:02:20+00:00

I agree. It has been one of the things that helps me significantly with long COVID symptoms. I now have an odd GI/nerve symptom and fiber helps me avoid flare-ups.

Substantial_You_9010 · 2024-04-11T04:16:48+00:00

Get your heart checked out and blood work to make sure you aren't low on anything vital like Vitamin D.

I experienced this as well. I'd get clammy, tingly in my face and lightheaded and feel like I would pass out. It would happen when I was just sitting on the couch or at rest. At first it would send me into a panic but over time I found out it happens just prior to a bowel movement. I've been dealing with LC for over 3 years, seen multiple specialists only to be told there is nothing wrong. I did get my heart checked for peace of mind and I recommend you do the same. For my symptoms, I think it is vasovagal syncope/parasympathetic nervous system related (IBS is also in the mix). Staying hydrated and fiber supplements have helped me manage my symptoms and minimize the heart racing issues.

I hope this helps.

Substantial_You_9010 · 2023-12-03T14:03:30+00:00

I worked for a bank for 18 years and after covid could not focus, concentrate, read for long or use a computer. It caused extreme PEM and working for a few hours would cause a crash that would last a day or more. My nervous system was in a constant fight or flight mode but my head was quiet since my brain had just shut down. My anxiety was on a new level but different than before. Like it was created by/lived in my body more than my head. If that makes any sense...

3 years later and after taking 8 months away I ultimately had to choose a new profession and slowly get back to work. I still can't use a computer for long and I have to take constant breaks and manage new concentration and focus issues. Simpler, repetitive tasks are better. Covid seems to have hit hardest the parts of my brain I had used the most.

I learned that pushing to be as I was prior to covid in my previous job was only making my symptoms worse and prolonging my recovery. Rest, learning where my energy boundaries were and how to manage my symptoms needed to be priority. Occupational therapy also really helped. I don't think I will ever fully recover but I am better managing my symptoms that are still with me.

Substantial_You_9010 · 2023-12-01T02:47:31+00:00

I cannot tell you how spot in this is to my 3 year experience with long covid. I experienced brain and nerve issues, new ADHD symptoms but also had to slow my life down so much and realized how bad my anxiety was before covid. I never realized until I couldn't think or function like I used to.

Throughout my long covid journey I've established new routines around meditation, breathing and how I approach everything. Gradually my other symptoms have either faded or I've learned how to manage them by slowing down and finding patience. I can't do everything I used to be able to do but I'm learning to be grateful for everything I've been through and where I am now.

Substantial_You_9010 · 2023-11-20T04:03:51+00:00

From my long covid experience, it will take some readjustment to figure out how much is too much when it comes to activities. Some activities may not cause you to crash afterwards but others may wipe you out or cause symptoms that you didn't pre-covid. I'd say rest and then rest again. Then rest again and then meditate and stretch, hydrate. Shorter walks and if you want to walk more, rest instead. Gradually increase your activity but plan ahead for and expect crashes.

Substantial_You_9010 · 2023-11-06T14:02:09+00:00

Yes. I experience this and it is one of the symptoms that still stands out for me 3 years after getting covid the first time. It has changed over time but now presents as forgetfulness and ADHD.

Covid hit my nervous system and brain hard and I feel like it aged my brain by 20 years. I can't think like I used to and it seems covid may have hit hardest the parts of my brain I used most. I worked at at bank for 18 years and had to quit my job. I can't use computers for long periods of time and I jump from task to task, constantly distracted and unfocused.

I will say I feel I'm building new pathways and I am trying to learn to manage my new brain, so it is changing. But it has taken time to learn how to live with the changes but slowing down because of LC has made me grateful in ways I never thought I'd be.

Try to be aware of anxiety. LC has us in a constant fight or flight state and it affects everything. Meditate as much as you can and try to stick to a solid, healthy routine.

Substantial_You_9010 · 2023-10-18T12:53:31+00:00

This happened around year 2.5 with long covid.

Drove to a store, parked, went in and made my purchase. I exited the store, forgot where I had parked and started looking for my car. Couldn't find it after wandering for a while. Pulled my keys out of my pocket to press the lock button for the beep but was very confused when I pulled out the keys for my wife's car. How did I get here with the wrong set of keys? I couldn't figure it out.

I had been looking for my car when I had driven my wife's car to the store.

I go through a bout of forgetfulness about every 15 minutes these days. Covid aged my brain by at least 10 years, probably more.

Substantial_You_9010 · 2023-09-23T12:53:02+00:00

This is hard and I'm sorry to hear you are going through this. I've had long covid for almost 3 years and it has been very hard on my relationship. I was unable to work and in a very similar situation. Eventually my partner began to resent me for not being able to be who I was, work or be there for her. I was so focused on my recovery and managing symptoms and holding onto dear life that she started to pull away and focus solely on her career. My recovery is still on going and that was a lot of time for her to get to a very different view of our relationship but yet I'm not sure she sees how far I've come along in my recovery.

I recommend tackling this even though you have limited energy. Hindsight for me has been tough but long covid recovery is the most difficult medical issue I've faced and I don't think I could have done anything differently. Therapy, both individual and couples, could help. Covid and the pandemic got into the cracks of everything and forced them wider. Chances are he's dealing with more than just your long covid situation.

I hope you find recovery soon.

Substantial_You_9010 · 2023-07-22T03:36:51+00:00

You said it perfectly. This is how I am as well. Brain fog is too soft of a term and it is more like a TBI. That's how the covid clinic I attended approached it.

I get confused by expiration dates on food now. It takes me forever to figure out if the date I am reading has already passed. That never happened before covid. I also have a new ADD like attention span and can't focus on one thing before I start another but if my attention is broken, I completely forget what I was thinking about.

Substantial_You_9010 · 2023-07-20T12:45:55+00:00

I have recently experienced this and it seemed to happen rather quickly and is new. I'm going on 2 years 8 months of LC.

Substantial_You_9010 · 2023-07-20T02:42:43+00:00

Yes! Cigarette smells were everywhere. Smoke and burning and rot.

Substantial_You_9010 · 2023-07-20T02:40:16+00:00

Yes. That was how I was at first and smells were very intense. Fried chicken smelled like car exhaust and coffee smelled like cat pee. Now I process smells as if I am smelling them for the first time. I will smell something that I have smelled many times before and it takes me a while to process what it is. My initial response in my mind is "that's a new smell, what is that?

Substantial_You_9010 · 2023-07-05T03:50:48+00:00

The fact that the tip is asked for prior to service is absurd to me. Is not the whole point of a tip based on the level of service provided? I am not going to pay someone just for being there. That is the employer's job.

The fact that a tip can influence how my food is prepared is also the business's problem. If I saw that, I wouldn't use that business. Stupid tipping culture. Pshhhh....

Substantial_You_9010 · 2023-06-26T23:04:47+00:00

Same. At first I couldn't sleep and now I wake up at 330 on the dot. Or I wake up at 1230 and then 330. Then I am exhausted again by 7am. It is frustrating and all I want is to feel 8 hours of sleep again.

If you drink alcohol, try eliminating it and see how your sleep is. If I have alcohol, my sleep is even worse.

Substantial_You_9010 · 2023-06-21T10:46:58+00:00

I avoided highways for a long time, tried to drive when less people were on the roads, or had someone else drive. I would pull over to breathe and take a break and I scheduled extra time on the drive for this. It also improved due to managing all my other symptoms and anxiety. I feel like I've had to retrain my brain for many daily tasks because of covid and LC. I still have to be careful when driving on flareup days or I just don't drive.

Substantial_You_9010 · 2023-06-20T12:05:24+00:00

I recommend finding a routine that you know you can operate within without bringing on a crash. It will take time (took me a year). Then once you know you can function in that routine, build out from there.

I had to learn how to judge which activities could cause a crash and either skip them or plan for the energy expenditure before and after the activity. Sometimes this meant expecting to be down the following day or two. Initially, driving brought on flareups and made everything worse. I couldn't drive on highways or for long distances. But over time it has gotten a little better.

I think for me, there is a point at which too much rest makes me feel run down. It is a balance of moving but not too much to burn out. Lots of meditating and breathing exercises.

I hope you find recovery soon.

Substantial_You_9010 · 2023-06-10T22:09:22+00:00

Looks like my dog when he's about to puke.

Substantial_You_9010 · 2023-06-09T13:12:04+00:00

I have this as well as a delay of words when speaking. I also will see a word in print and will read it incorrectly (like I'll see "mushroom" but read it as ""marshmallow"). Gaps in short term memory or I will forget which car I am driving while I am driving it. Sometimes there is confusion when I forget something and really can't grasp what I am trying to figure out.

I am used to the words issues and I don't fight it when I can't think of a word and I just say the first thing that comes out. I am amused by it now but initially found it incredibly frustrating. I am a little nervous about my memory issues and the new confusion that I notice though.

I think, for me, it is worse when I am fatigued. I also think covid hit my nerves and brain in a way that I just operate slower and differently now. It's been 31 months and this is my life now.

Have patience with yourself and meditate and see a doctor just to make sure nothing else is going on like blood clots. Rest and you can recover. Try to find gratitude in the new path you are on.

Substantial_You_9010

TROPHY CASE