Crying at the drop of a hat & always tired

[cuppkake]

I hope this is the right place to post this. And this isn't going to be one of those woes me posts I see so often in some of the other places, I am looking for genuine insight and help.

I am 26 years old. Have had a history of mild depression in the past, have been on small doses of anti-depressants most of my life. ~a year ago I stopped taking my meds (due to financial reasons) and honestly am alright not taking them-do not feel at all depressed. I exercise, have many hobbies, spend a lot of time outside, etc. Not having any symptoms of depression that I have had in the past.

Yet, I find that I am seriously tired a lot of the time-have always been throughout my whole life. Despite changes in a variety of mental/physical/environmental factors and trying to actively address this problem, it has never gone away. I average 9-10 hours of sleep a night and wake up tired every day. I had always assumed it was the depression-but would this still be happening without having any other depression symptoms?

Also, I cry very easily. Not over normal things either, silly little things and I can't stop myself. It's very frustrating and I feel like I have no control over it. Any thoughts on why this is happening?

Thank you so much all, I have tried talking to doctors in the past to no avail :| so hopefully I can get some guidance here!

 

[KIAman]

...snip... Not having any symptoms of depression that I have had in the past...snip...

There could be many reasons why you are tired when you wake up in the mornings; nutrition, stress, hormone inbalances, illness and even... depression.

Sudden crying at a drop of a dime is also a symptom of many things and even depression.

Just because you never had these specific symptoms before doesn't mean you won't develop them later.

A doctor would simply look at your history and match the most likely scenario which is depression. You mentioned you already spoke to doctors, what type of doctors did you speak to?

Without knowing anything about you and the limited amount of information you have given, I would say you are relapsing to depression.

 

[Smoove910]

So a year ago you stopped taking your meds.... Have you noticed the an increase of being tired and crying about anything since dropping the meds? That could be the problem... but I'm no psychiatrist.

 

[JellyBaby]

You might actually be oversleeping, 9-10 hours is likely more than you need and could be contributing to your tiredness. Shoot for 7-8 hours.

Exercise helps with depression and tiredness. I strongly suggest getting in regular exercise as it will help (plus you get all the associated health benefits!). No need to go crazy but it's important to get in at least 20-30 minutes most days of the week. This can make a huge difference in how you feel but you'll never know if you don't give it a whirl.

Let's see...get out in the sun for 10-20 minutes each day to get some vitamin D (or you can go with supplements).

Crying as you described could be due to some emotional pain you're suppressing. A good therapist would be the way to go there. And btw there's absolutely nothing whatsoever wrong with crying in general. It's our bodies natural way of moving emotions naturally yet we've been systematically taught not to cry as soon as we're born. I swear this is why women have a longer average life expectancy compared to men.

 

[cuppkake]

First off, thank you for taking the time to read and reply. I know there is not a lot you can offer but I appreciate outsider perspective and opinion.

There could be many reasons why you are tired when you wake up in the mornings; nutrition, stress, hormone inbalances, illness and even... depression.

Sudden crying at a drop of a dime is also a symptom of many things and even depression.

Just because you never had these specific symptoms before doesn't mean you won't develop them later.

A doctor would simply look at your history and match the most likely scenario which is depression. You mentioned you already spoke to doctors, what type of doctors did you speak to?

Without knowing anything about you and the limited amount of information you have given, I would say you are relapsing to depression.

I have spoken with regular docs & psychologists. I have a BS in Psych myself as well, so I find it highly unlikely it is depression. I am going to look further into a possible hormone imbalance, as the other possibilities I have eliminated. Thank you for your input.

So a year ago you stopped taking your meds.... Have you noticed the an increase of being tired and crying about anything since dropping the meds? That could be the problem... but I'm no psychiatrist.

No, I have not noticed an increase. I actually noticed a decrease in other aspects of depression, which is why I have not pursued meds again-I feel I no longer need them. I have been on and off meds for over 10 years, and have never felt better-except for these two things, of course.

You might actually be oversleeping, 9-10 hours is likely more than you need and could be contributing to your tiredness. Shoot for 7-8 hours.

Exercise helps with depression and tiredness. I strongly suggest getting in regular exercise as it will help (plus you get all the associated health benefits!). No need to go crazy but it's important to get in at least 20-30 minutes most days of the week. This can make a huge difference in how you feel but you'll never know if you don't give it a whirl.

Let's see...get out in the sun for 10-20 minutes each day to get some vitamin D (or you can go with supplements).

Crying as you described could be due to some emotional pain you're suppressing. A good therapist would be the way to go there. And btw there's absolutely nothing whatsoever wrong with crying in general. It's our bodies natural way of moving emotions naturally yet we've been systematically taught not to cry as soon as we're born. I swear this is why women have a longer average life expectancy compared to men.

I have tried sleeping 5 hours, 6 hours, 7 hours...etc over the years to try and combat the tiredness-to no avail. If I only sleep 7/8 I am still dragging in the morning, tired throughout the day, and unable to keep my eyes open by 9 pm. Unfortunately, the same is true getting 9 or 10 hours as well.

I do exercise, about an hour a day. Living in FL, I am frequently outside, taking the dog for walks or at the beach.

I do not believe it is emotional suppression, I have seen counselors in the past and have overcome those feelings. Even still, if I could afford it I do enjoy being able to talk to a therapist. Any other alternatives for emotional dumping, besides expensive therapy??

 

[Smoove910]

What does your diet consist of?

 

[cuppkake]

What does your diet consist of?

I do not eat processed meats. Mainly vegetables, raw or stir fry, veggie sandwiches or subs, fresh caught fish (SO is a commercial fisherman), pizza, a lot of almonds and nuts, rice

 

[blackdogdeek]

do you snore?

just because you are in bed for 8 hours doesn't mean you are sleeping for 8 hours. it's possible you have sleep apnea and never actually get restful sleep. one way to find out is to go to a sleep clinic and have them observe you overnight. if you have sleep apnea they will probably prescribe a cpap machine.

 

[Exodist]

I hope this is the right place to post this. And this isn't going to be one of those woes me posts I see so often in some of the other places, I am looking for genuine insight and help.

I am 26 years old. Have had a history of mild depression in the past, have been on small doses of anti-depressants most of my life. ~a year ago I stopped taking my meds (due to financial reasons) and honestly am alright not taking them-do not feel at all depressed. I exercise, have many hobbies, spend a lot of time outside, etc. Not having any symptoms of depression that I have had in the past.

Yet, I find that I am seriously tired a lot of the time-have always been throughout my whole life. Despite changes in a variety of mental/physical/environmental factors and trying to actively address this problem, it has never gone away. I average 9-10 hours of sleep a night and wake up tired every day. I had always assumed it was the depression-but would this still be happening without having any other depression symptoms?

Also, I cry very easily. Not over normal things either, silly little things and I can't stop myself. It's very frustrating and I feel like I have no control over it. Any thoughts on why this is happening?

Thank you so much all, I have tried talking to doctors in the past to no avail :| so hopefully I can get some guidance here!

Have you been tested for Sleep Apnea?
I ask because I suffer from it. Although I am getting MUCH better, before I started using it I would sleep 4 hours or 12 hours, no matter what I would wake up like a drained battery. Nothing I did or took could really get me going. That alone was depressing. So I went and got tested after a LT good friend of mine mentioned it. I was skeptical but went along with having the sleep test done. They told me that I would quit breathing many many times during my sleep and that to keep breathing my brain would have to stay awake and keep my lungs started back up. So they set me up with a mask and machine to wear at night while I sleep. And WOW.. It freaking works.. Used to without my mask I could fall asleep mid sentence while talking to someone, no matter what time of the day. I have even wrecked my car while changing a radio station. I fell a sleep mid station and hit a curb and blew my tire. But with it, I feel fantastic. I can drive with out falling asleep or any other issues.

As far as crying over stupid stuff. Its called having a heart. I can watch a super hero save someone in a movie and get tear-eyed. If someone lols at you just punch them in the jaw.

 

[Whisper]

If you're waking up tired after 9-10 hours of sleep, I second the recommendation to consider undergoing a sleep study. Could be a matter of apnea, restless leg syndrome, or at least a few other things.

Chronic fatigue can lead to reduced stress tolerance (e.g., increased crying, irritability, difficulty concentrating), which might explain some of what's going on. These are also symptoms of depression, along with probably a hundred other things. If you haven't spoken with a primary care doc in a while, you might consider getting a check-up (physical, blood work, etc.). The above types of problems can show up in a variety of hormonal (hypothyroidism) and other conditions.

As for the BS in psychology, I'll say this--I'm a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology, and if there's anything I've learned in my grad school career, it's that objective and accurate self-diagnosis is generally never possible. It sounds like you've spoken with therapists before; if they thought you had depression at the time, then perhaps it was just their particular style of therapy that didn't work for you. Then again, it's also quite possible--as I mentioned above--that the depressive symptoms are being caused by an underlying sleep disturbance/medical condition.

 

[cuppkake]

Great points guys, this has really helped. Had not considered a sleep study before, I will look into options for that. Also, I start a new job Monday and get full benefits after 90 days so I will definitely take your advice and get a full workup at that time.

Thank you, this at least gives me some alternatives to look at as I was feeling like I was out of ideas!

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Has your doctor checked for thyroid problems? Your symptoms are often experienced by by folks with both hypo and hyperthyroidism. Hashimoto's may also be a possibility.

 

[SP33Demon]

Are you overall happy with your life? Everything is fine? If not, I would see a therapist just to talk things over with them. It sounds like you have the physical fitness part down pat by working out an hour a day.

 

[ichy]

When you said you woke up tired my first thought was sleep apnea.

 

[Jeffg010]

I felt tire too and took some test for a diet and it said to eat more beans such as black eye peas and other beans. After a few months of my new diet it lost a about 15lbs of weight and my tiredness went away.

Let me ask you this are you over weight and do you exercise?

 

[tedrodai]

I felt tire too and took some test for a diet and it said to eat more beans such as black eye peas and other beans. After a few months of my new diet it lost a about 15lbs of weight and my tiredness went away.

Let me ask you this are you over weight and do you exercise?

Just wanted to point out the OP's already answered yes to the bolded part of your question.

But yeah, diet might possibly be part of it. Make sure you get all your nutritional needs such as iron.

 

[angminas]

In addition to the above, you could try monitoring your blood sugar.

 

[cuppkake]

Has your doctor checked for thyroid problems? Your symptoms are often experienced by by folks with both hypo and hyperthyroidism. Hashimoto's may also be a possibility.

I have been checked before for this, it runs in my family but I was not found to have it.

Are you overall happy with your life? Everything is fine? If not, I would see a therapist just to talk things over with them. It sounds like you have the physical fitness part down pat by working out an hour a day.

I am absolutely thrilled with my life, has never been better in all honesty. I am looking into a therapist once I start getting benefits at my new job, I don't know if they cover that.

I felt tire too and took some test for a diet and it said to eat more beans such as black eye peas and other beans. After a few months of my new diet it lost a about 15lbs of weight and my tiredness went away.

Let me ask you this are you over weight and do you exercise?

Interesting, what kind of test did you take? I will try this, it doesnt hurt to incorporate more beans anyway. Not overweight- 5'2 and 120 lbs. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[KingstonU]

Haven't read the whole thread, but as soon as I saw that you mentioned that you are tired but you are getting 9-10 hours of sleep per night I had to post.

Like someone else said, 9-10 hours is over sleeping, and I know that for me if I get 9-10 hours, I have overslept and will feel tired. But getting back to 7-8 hours brings back my energy. Note that it could take up to a week for your sleeping pattern to fix itself and you start feeling the effects.

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

Have you checked for anaemia?

Haven't read the whole thread, but as soon as I saw that you mentioned that you are tired but you are getting 9-10 hours of sleep per night I had to post.

Like someone else said, 9-10 hours is over sleeping, and I know that for me if I get 9-10 hours, I have overslept and will feel tired. But getting back to 7-8 hours brings back my energy. Note that it could take up to a week for your sleeping pattern to fix itself and you start feeling the effects.

That's for you. Some people do fine on 6 hours, some need 12 or 13 hours. It depends on the person. Seriously. Why do people automatically assume their situation is applicable to everyone else?

 

[KingstonU]

Have you checked for anaemia?


That's for you. Some people do fine on 6 hours, some need 12 or 13 hours. It depends on the person. Seriously. Why do people automatically assume their situation is applicable to everyone else?

The guy asked for advice, I gave him advice worth checking out, chill.

 

[warr666]

.....

 

[kinev]

Judging by 5'2" and 120, I'd say the OP is probably female, so anemia is a possibility.

If you are a female are you taking any iron supplements? Judging from your diet, you don't eat much red meat. Being female and I'm assuming of reproductive age, you lose a significant amount of blood monthly. It's important for females that don't eat a diet with significant red meat to replace that lost iron.

Lots of assumptions on our parts, but it's something to consider. As others have said, sleep apnea also sounds plausible.

 

[interchange]

I know this thread is a month old, but I was reading through and couldn't help but reply.

Talking to your doctor about what's going on is not a bad start. A simple H&P can reveal a lot. I doubt there's much appropriate lab analysis for your situation.

However, I was struck by something in your post that no one else seems to care about. You have a history of depression treated successfully with antidepressants. Now you went off antidepressants. Now you have symptoms which can easily be attributable to depression. This doesn't seem like rocket science to me. As you should well know, you don't have to feel depressed to meet criteria for depression (whether it be dysthymia, minor depression, major depression is another discussion).

The best question is, why did you stop taking your antidepressant medications?
Edit: I see that you answered your question in the OP. Many antidepressants are on $4/month prescription plans and the others typically have patient assistance programs through the manufacturer. Financial issues shouldn't stop you from being on medicine that you need.

 

[Nebbers]

Not sure if you're still checking this, but if so, just curious... do you drink coffee or anything caffeinated? Sorry if this was mentioned already but I searched and didn't see it.

I'm not sure why this is exactly -- but I've found that while moderate amounts of caffeine boost my mood, overdoing it day after day actually seems to cause really weird, downward mood swings with crying over little things included in that.

And as interchange said, there are definitely ways to get free or cheap meds for this sort of thing. If you have no insurance odds are you can get virtually any psychiatric-oriented medication for free or just a few dollars if you get in a patient assistance program.