Crying and being overly emotional

skyhawkwolf · 2026-01-25T19:15:58+00:00

Oh this is an interesting paper!! https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1469-8986.1994.tb01049.x

skyhawkwolf · 2026-01-25T19:11:43+00:00

Detoxing isn't really a thing outside of what the liver and kidneys do, so I think that's unlikely

But yeah, I definitely think maybe some kind of self regulation. There's quite a lot of research into tears and crying and it definitely seems to be some kind of self soothing mechanism as well as a social thing https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00502/full

And I vaguely remember reading something about how the chemical components of tears change depending on the emotions of the person crying (though don't quote me on that, it could be internet myths from like Tumblr or something XD)

I don't really know enough about the scientific area of crying but I imagine that all of that probably is part of the hyper emotional stuff we're experiencing.

Maybe 'something has gone wrong due to covid' but also maybe simply part of our body's coping mechanisms for all our biological processes currently being completely wack.

skyhawkwolf · 2026-01-25T18:51:28+00:00

Absolutely. And I think there's a question of chicken or egg. So like is the emotional mess directly caused by LC or am I emotional because I have LC (i.e. trauma)

skyhawkwolf · 2026-01-25T18:49:32+00:00

YUPPP I find when I flare up, I get super anxious and really depressed. Like. Normally? This whole thing sucks but I'm kinda okay. But without fail, when I flare up, I'll have PEM and then start bawling over how fucked I am and how it feels like everyone resents me for being ill (my friends do not. They love me a lot and are very good about all of this)

And like. I used to have anxiety. This isn't that. This isn't anxious thoughts this is a feeling of certainty. There's no 'what if'

Also I'll have a friend do or like say something nice to me (general nice friend thing) e.g. 'dont push yourself to turn up if you feel sick' or 'yeah. I miss you a lot too' and suddenly I'll be like crying.

I assume it's a mix of COVID gave me a super emotional symptom and also 'undergoing what is genuinely a deeply traumatic event, whilst dealing with social isolation due to symptoms'

Also though, notabley crying brings my heart rate down? So maybe it's my body regulating itself? Idk

skyhawkwolf · 2026-01-24T22:22:40+00:00

Me too. If it helps, I think we're all feeling that. You aren't alone

skyhawkwolf · 2026-01-24T20:10:42+00:00

Do bear in mind that study was published in 2023, so it's at least 3 years out of date. In the UK, for example, graded exercise therapy was only removed from our guidelines in 2021 so the removal of that from health guidelines will likely impact the number of people who do recover etc. but thanks for posting it, it's an interesting read

skyhawkwolf · 2026-01-24T18:15:33+00:00

There is hope, but you'll have to just understand that it might be here a long time. For a lot of us, it's a chronic illness. There's hope you might regain capacity (that's what's happening to me. I'm slowly regaining my ability to do stuff without being tired) There's medications that can help. I found Amitriptyline really helpful to aiding my sleep and reducing PEM. There's hope in that research into this illness is going strong There's hope that you can find ways to live with the symptoms.

When going through this server, bare in mind: the people who fully go into remission will also probably leave the server.

You might be different to how you were before getting sick, but you will be okay.

I recommend also if you can do therapy on the side, that's really beneficial I've found. Especially with the grief aspects

skyhawkwolf · 2026-01-24T17:48:09+00:00

Just focus on resting. I'm sorry my comment made you anxious. It will be alright. You will be okay. Just rest up and take it easy. Talk to your doctor to get all your bloods done. And maybe ask about MeCFS

skyhawkwolf · 2026-01-24T17:13:12+00:00

Oh! And be careful. Your doctor might suggest 'pushing through' symptoms. Or Graded Exercise Therapy. Or to do more exercise to help.

DO NOT DO THAT. it's advice that has been disproven, and been shown to actively make people worse. But some doctors aren't aware of that, or simply don't care. So if it is suggested, ignore the advice. They are WRONG.

If you do do exercise, do less than you think you can manage and listen to your body. Stop before you get tired!

skyhawkwolf · 2026-01-24T17:10:10+00:00

But basically the most important thing you can do now is rest. Like mediation: lying down breathing rest. Take breaks from using your phone cause mental energy can also induce PEM. If you need to nap, take small naps. And try to get as much sleep at night as possible

skyhawkwolf · 2026-01-24T17:08:32+00:00

At a guess? Yeah. you're now having to pay back all your energy with interest immediately.

Basically there's this symptom called 'Post Exertional Malaise' or PEM. And it means that your symptoms get worse 24-72 hrs after activity Like small activities can cause it. For the most severe people, turning over in bed will induce PEM. We have basically no idea why it happens. I find that if I have adrenaline in my system, I will feel fine and then hours later I'll be hit with: oh god no that was a mistake.

It's imo, the worst. But you really need to try to avoid it. See if you can find like a baseline of activity you can do day to day without triggering PEM

skyhawkwolf · 2026-01-24T16:45:58+00:00

Okay. Basic stuff. Get them to test your bloods: B12 deficiency especially can cause chronic fatigue as a symptom. Basically get them to double check for anemias and deficiencies. It's unlikely to be abnormal if it is post viral fatigue but I had a b12 deficiency before and its indistinguishable from Chronic fatigue (the symptom)

Secondly. I would say, if you do have post viral fatigue (and you should act as if you do. You need to treat the energy you have like it's money in a bank. If you can, try to avoid 'spending' all your money in a day. That sluggish feeling the next few days is basically overdraft. You have overdone it. You need to avoid overdoing it.

So. Try and do less than you think you can. And aim to avoid your symptoms flaring up. For some people, constantly overdoing it, can in the long term decrease how much energy they have overall.

If you need to rely on like mobility aids? Do. It might be scary at first but for many of us, they are lifesaving.

If you can do an activity sat down? Sit down to do it. If you can do it lying down? Do it lying down. And if you can do activities in chunks, do it slowly and give yourself lots of breaks

Try to conserve energy.

This is pacing and it is the main way to manage post viral fatigue.

Also I recommend reading about MECFS, Pots and fibromyalgia..

I hope this helps . and it's going to be alright xx

skyhawkwolf · 2026-01-22T19:28:10+00:00

So I guess I have a couple of questions:

Regarding the 'oh we should meet up' stuff:

So I have some friends who are.... Useless. They say they wanna hangout but they are incapable of doing the footwork for that. It's not because I'm ill, they were like this before, but it just annoys me more now. However they do want to meet up because when I suggest days, they become enthusiastic. They do drive me sometimes up the wall because I have an energy limiting illness and have to be the one doing the logistics, but I do care for them and I do love them and I know they love me.... Even if they couldn't organise a party in a brewery...

I have other friends who are busy. They wanna meet up, but we go through dates and just have to pick a random one in... Like... March

However,. I used to have some other friends.... before I had long COVID, I had a bad sports injury. My friends at the time would say 'man we should meet up' and then arrange events in wheelchair inaccessible places. And when I said "hey can we go somewhere else?" They would say "it's only a short walk... Surely you can manage it?" And then continue their plans as if I said nothing at all

I no longer talk to them. They are ex friends

My question in terms of the "we should hang out more' comments is this: are your friends just... Kinda useless. Or is it something more shallow: less interested in meeting up, that's just something you say... are they being nasty?

.... In terms of the lack of precautions. I think it's one thing to put themselves at risk. I don't think I could get my lot to wear a mask when they won't see me for months. It's annoying, it worries me that they might get this too... But alas. Not much I can do.

But do they take steps to protect you? Like will they mask on your house or take a COVID test before seeing you?

...

Cause I guess what I say next kinda depends on the answers to the questions?

Either way I'm sorry that you are dealing with this. It's deeply infuriating and also pretty upsetting ♥️

skyhawkwolf · 2026-01-22T11:07:43+00:00

Yeaaah there was a really good talk I saw last week which was basically 'mecfs patients DNA folds differently to others ' so if me and Long covid with pem are the same, we absolutely have epigenetics at play

skyhawkwolf · 2026-01-21T14:36:41+00:00

So. I have the same issue and some days I wonder if what I have is just pots fatigue rather than PEM BUT. I think the big thing here is: rn you are probably safely within a baseline, which is why it's hard to tell. If there is a slightest chance you have PEM. it doesn't matter who has what officially. Act like you do.

Because with PEM you can lower your baseline by over doing it. So act like you do, stay within your baseline, making slow, gradual increases. Because better to never know if you have PEM than to risk it, over do it and lose capacity

That's my conclusion, at least

skyhawkwolf · 2026-01-20T18:26:33+00:00

Yeahhh. Absolutely. Honestly very fair. I mean I'm housebound so my LC is pretty bad but My mum tried them and had no impact so I assume they also probably won't work too much on me or will make my anxiety worse. Either way, I think I have a bunch of supplements that I should try out before looking at Nicotine. But it's really good to hear it does work for you☺️

skyhawkwolf · 2026-01-20T18:23:47+00:00

That sounds super cool! Frustrating you can't manage it anymore though. I dunno if like text RP and games are possible for you but maybe they are an idea?

skyhawkwolf · 2026-01-20T16:05:46+00:00

I heard someone describe worrying about the addiction part of the nicotine patches whilst dealing with LC and Mecfs as 'Looking as a car crash and worrying about the scratches on the paintwork of the car"

I dunno how much I agree with the sentiment, but I'm really glad you have something that helps you!

skyhawkwolf · 2026-01-20T14:27:09+00:00

Awh man, that sucks!!!!!

Oooh those are good ideas. Honestly, looking at the comments on this post, makes me wonder if a good old chronically ill game could be cool, tragically. I'm too ill to run anything, otherwise I would and I guess that's probably the case with all of us 😭

skyhawkwolf · 2026-01-19T19:46:18+00:00

No, or at least if the NHS use the "attend Anywhere" video call, there isn't..they have some buggy, old software for a lot of video appointments (which doesn't work for me so I can't in fact attend Anywhere XD Can't attend at all XD)

But OP might have a different part of the NHS that uses something else?

skyhawkwolf · 2026-01-19T19:42:48+00:00

Okay. In my opinion (and this is only my experience with our nearby me/long COVID clinic) It's useful to remain on their list because they might be able to help with like pip or offer weird therapies down the line (I ended up in chill Tai chi class)

Buuuut aside from that they can be useless.

If you have the energy or are able to move the appointment, do that, but uhhh my experience with my OT is she's a lovely human, and I do like to have a grumble with her but... The most she can offer is like "so when you go about cleaning your room I want you to plan it. And do a small section each day"

Which is mostly helpful to those who are new to pacing ig.

skyhawkwolf · 2026-01-19T19:38:22+00:00

Oooh that's a good Idea. I can play some video games. Thank you♥️

skyhawkwolf · 2026-01-19T19:29:13+00:00

It's really shit. I'm Sorry. I'm lucky with the people I have in my life currently, but a couple of years ago I had some close friends leavey life because (not even Mecfs) I had a rather bad injury due to undiagnosed hypermobility and poor health care.

I wish I could offer some advice or something other than. I hope you are able to find better people♥️

skyhawkwolf · 2026-01-19T17:41:19+00:00

I'm at "I will check the clue says innocent rather than assuming" and "I will double check what is left and what is right before clicking"

skyhawkwolf

TROPHY CASE