Why is there so much fatigue in CPTSD/DID?

In this video from The CTAD Clinic, Dr Mike Lloyd (Clinic Director) discusses a question asked by a subscriber, "why is there so much fatigue in Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Dissociative Identity Disorder?" (also seen in OSDD).
These conditions often co-exist, and fatigue is a very common symptom seen in clinical practice among people with these. Mike looks at one key reason for this, in the absence of a medical explanation. There are other reasons as well, which may be explored later on.

#otherspecifieddissociativedisorder #osdd #dissociativeidentitydisorder #did #therapy #complexposttraumaticstress #cptsd

[Rat_Queen]

It’s also worth noting that processing trauma is exhausting too
It’s all so tiring

[maxde]

I really needed to hear that, the connection between fatigue and cptsd. Every time I complain about having no energy, no motivation, about failing the simpliest daily chores, I'm always told I'm lazy. I've heard that so often that it's getting harder and harder to not start believing it. It takes more and more energy to find excuses for everything...

[rhael]

can confirm: the unending fatigue is the worst aspect of having cptsd. Brain fog gets a close second place, but the fatigue is constantly making my life worse.

[Cathy-xicb]

Sleep disorders are so commonplace in DID that it could be a diagnostic feature.  Parasomnias like sleep paralysis and sleep terrors, insomnias, nightmares, and more. Add in addictive and self-harm issues, and it is a miracle that anyone with DID gets enough healthy sleep at any point in their lifetime not to be exhausted most of the time.

[struthyruth]

We can go weeks ok but then unable to function for days can't even get out of bed. Thanks for explaining it all today

[curiouslyme]

Thank you for your video, sir. I'm C-PTSD, DID, OCD, Social Anxiety, & Major Depressive Disorder, along with Severe Persistent Asthma, Hypertension, & life-threatening food & drug allergies. (I carry an epinephrine auto-injector everywhere I go.) I'm battling severe fatigue daily. It makes it very hard to work full time & do activities of daily living. I often crash & wind up in bed for up to two (& sometimes three) days straight. I'm ashamed to admit this. I'm doing my best. 😢

[sarahjensen]

Yes, and also trauma impacts the microbiome and increases the risk of autoimmune disorders. No amount of talk therapy will fix the damage that's been done, but it can protect you from more damage. A good therapist may also be able to help you access actual health care in a system where having a mental health diagnosis can be life-threatening.

[lycorisaurea]

this topic is so important to me since fatigue is what makes it difficult for me to function in every day life

[onemorecatplease]

as a trauma survivor the crushing unexplained fatigue is so terrible and never ending. I never thought about baby trauma. I died for an undetermined time as a baby when my airway blocked up with pneumonia complications. It took my older brother all night to get my mother to get out of bed and check on me. I was dead but paramedics were able to bring ne back but they did declare me dead on arrival, i never thought of that as inflicting trauma until this video

[kenny]

I needed to hear this!!!
I have CPTSD and possible other parts that I’m working thru in therapy…. I was also diagnosed w chronic fatigue syndrome. I was constantly told I’m just lazy. I have no drive. When the drive is in there, but my mind and body can’t pull through for me… I’m exhausted all the time. This explains so much. Thank you. ♥️

[ajb]

Talking about how we lug trauma around and how exhausting it is, it reminded me of how I visualize the weight I carry. For me it's like thick, heavy chains locked to my ribs. Dragging a massive boulder ripping at my flesh and cracking my bones. How scary it is to stop and tend to those wounds! Something in me tells me I just have to keep pushing, keep dragging it behind me even though it's hurting me

[sad_doggo]

Thank you for always explaining things in a way that makes sense. As you mentioned, even if someone is so brave as to sprint towards trauma resolution there are so many dissociative mechanisms in place by that point that it's not so simple.

[iahelcathartesaura]

Being shoved down being told we're 'lazy' etc, after already dealing with what allbwe're dealing with, is simply re-traumatizing us again and again our whole lives.

Also people whose systems react differently to cptsd who may become overdriven workaholics etc, will say well I had trauma too but I'm doing so and so and you're just lazy!

Different people's neurological systems react differently to shock and trauma.

One of the kindest things we can do for each other in life to help us all be healthy, able to cope and function, is to simply avoid re-traumatizing one another!!

No one who isn't going through it can imagine that not being able to do things, being inactive, not being able to reach your goals, finding your dreams die by the hundreds one by one because of cptsd and other things (ME/CFS, living in Moody homes because you can't work enough to get a decent place to live, always struggling to get people to allow you to live with them because you can't work and don't fall under disability requirements, on & on), that is not fun, doesn't feel good. Is that something you're going to want to try to do because you're lazy and you enjoy being inactive. Quite the contrary 😢

[mksparrow]

Well great, I guess I will be exhausted and fatigued for the rest of my life. I am too old for trauma therapy (61), can’t afford the financial costs for having to go years before an alter can trust someone enough to share their trauma with. I was misdiagnosed for over 45 yrs, now it’s too late. I think at this stage of my life I need to try and be happy, even without much energy or sleep, rather than sleep because I am dealing with the abuse all over again. It’s really a no win situation for me now. DID has ruined the first 58 yrs of my life.. I only have maybe 10 years left.. if trauma therapy could be done and over with in let’s say 2 months, I would be all in.. but I know it’s a long long process and not a quick fix.

[Kuruflower]

I'm in the states. I have not found anywhere, anyone that understands this. I've been doing this on my own for 23 years. I have found no one that can hold the space. I'm so tired I don't even care anymore. I've lost hope. I appreciate your videos. Im learning alot. But it's also showing me that I haven't found support, and I have tried.

Thank you.

[fredadufaur]

It’s crazy isn’t it.. we have so many projects and skills, so many wonderful things on the go… but we’re consumed by fatigue Someone will say “I haven’t done anything useful, I’ve been sleeping I’m lazy. “ Then they look around and there is so much being created & done; Beautiful things. Amazing things. We get exhausted but the payoff is incredible. It also only happens when our lifelong nightmares settle down.

[jazminebellx]

As so often happens your video has perfect timing. I have hit the wall with a dangerous level of burnout (again), have had this many times in our lives, far too many to list. We are involved as a victim in two major court cases we have been told by the crown prosecutor and the OIC and others that there will be a lot of media attention with these cases so I need to be prepared for that, this is adding to the vast amounts of stress we already feel.
One of the ways we have processed is by writing, as it is a powerful tool. Sadly these two court cases have name suppression orders (trying to get them lifted, but not a simple process), this means cannot write (we write for magazines and blogs) and have to be careful how we speak.
Losing the main tool in our toolkit that we know works, especially since we have only been seeing our new clinical psychologist since November last year, meaning the rapport building is happening far faster than normal, but has to happen as the cases are too big. It is the biggest leap of faith in our lives.
We all just want to sleep and sleep and sleep.
Thankfully we are having sessions twice a week to keep us going. These videos make a world of difference to help make sense of what happens. Thank you so much.

[walklingk]

I am very frustrated because I’ve been working on my cptsd for 2 years. I’ve done a 12 step program, weekly EMDR therapy for a year straight, and adopted healthier habits (eating, sleeping, yoga, meditation). I am no less tired than I was prior to beginning this work. The EMDR was helpful in alleviating the emotional heaviness of childhood trauma, but the chronic fatigue has remained or even gotten worse. I am at a loss of what to do. I don’t want to have to take stimulants in order to stay awake during the day. I sometimes worry I’ll fall asleep driving. It’s as if the trauma is relentless in interrupting my life, even after I feel I’ve healed layers and layers and layers of it.

[syenite]

Thank you so much for all of your videos! I am just always tired, always always so tired! It makes it hard to have the energy to do the therapy work needed, and it becomes a vicious feedback look of "fatigued because of unaddressed trauma" and "unaddressed trauma because too fatigued to address it." thank you for providing accurate, empathetic, and accessible information and providing answers for questions we have that usually fall outside of the "101 level" fact sheets and info pamphlets that are lost often given out but deal with the nitty gritty of daily living. Your videos have helped me so much over the years and I find myself sharing them with my therapist prior to our sessions asking if we can talk about it. Thank you thank you!

[viktorcordyceps]

Another perspective that I believe is important to take into account is the extremely high percentage of people with dissociative disorders that are autistic, because, more than 50% of autistic people have some form of hypermobility disorder, whether it be generalized hypermobility or Ehlers–Danlos syndrome. I became interested in this as somebody with Ehlers–Danlos syndrome, who is also autistic and has a dissociative disorder. Autism frequently is caused by hypermobility in the atlas vertebrae of the cervical spine causing neurological variance throughout development. Having an unstable atlas (c1 vertebrae) can cause many of the “negative” symptoms associated with autism. Due to its effect on nervous system function, because of the impact of hypermobility of the cervical vertebrae on the vagus nerve which controls most functions of the body. People experiencing the autonomic nervous system dysfunction that goes hand-in-hand with vagus nerve dysfunction and due to the vagus nerve being in control of the autonomic nervous system tend to have an altered stress throughhold compared to people who don’t experience it. Our bodies even make extra cortisol. It can cause autonomic nervous system dysfunction that leaves us living in fight or flight 24/7. So experiences some neurological, healthy kids could handle without developing DiD, are completely overwhelming for us. Unless you have lived with a brain and body that functions this way, it’s very hard to understand. Everything is extremely intense. This programming was created for the times we were chased by bears or something. It’s supposed to be brief, temporary. But it’s constant. Also it impacts dopamine pathways, serotonin, gaba and many other important neurological functions. The pathways throughout the body, that play important roles in maintaining energy, so alongside a significant amount of physical health issues due to the dysfunction of the vagus nerve, which inoculates most of the body, we are also dealing with a condition that is known to cause It causes a constant state of severe anxiety. As neurodivergent kids we can be extra creative when it comes t developing coping mechanisms. It’s been shown that neurotypicals subconsciously experience a kind of uncanny valley effect interacting with neurodivergent people that’s making us more likely to be alienated and experience abuse from peers and parents. Alongside a frequent side effect of severe pain that is also traumatic. Health conditions that are comorbid with this cause extreme fatigue and other side effects, I have several of them. The way your shared body is built can be the largest factor in your fatigue so it’s a really important thing to (demand) find answers for. Because while switching can be exhausting, doctors will use any mental health excuse to delegitimize health issues in people like us after seeing our medical records. I’ve almost died from this a few times this year but am still not being taken seriously. All this to say, if you’re experiencing neurodivergencey/a dissociative disorder, and fatigue, look into cervical instability and vagus nerve dysfunction before writing off symptoms like this as purely mental