My physical stamina isn’t what it used to be. I’m not sure how much to blame on age, how much to blame on the fatigue from PTSD or if there’s no blame to place at all. I have two workouts a week (Thursday evening and Saturday morning) and it sometimes takes the rest of the week for me to feel not so damned tired anymore. I joke with my husband that my ‘snap back’ is broken. I take one day per weekend (usually Sunday) and do as little as possible other than rest and nap. I’ve never had to do this before. And then my Yankee/New England work-ethic gene kicks in for me not doing chores or something constructive while I’m home. Gotta love that deeply instilled guilt.

When my symptoms were really high, I could understand why I did this because my emotions just slap wore me out. But nothing’s changed on the physical side and a lot has changed on the emotional side (for the better). If something’s really bothering me emotionally I know why it knocks me down physically for a couple of days. When I’m feeling good (physically and emotionally) you’d think that my stamina would increase. No such luck.

I feel that way too. It is like that part of depression never really got out of the way. I figure a lot of it for me personally comes from I used to drink so much caffeine and was put on zero suddenly and the they put me on xanax at the same time.

I am what seems to me lazy, but hubs says not ever, since. He blames little ones. I am still gaining. I am back on a wean from xanax (2 days in) to try to finish kicking it. I hope once it is out maybe I can sneak a cup of coffee now and again and see if it helps put a little spring back in my step and lose some of the weight I have gained.

If you are on any sort of meds I would look at that first as to why, so many of them make you just... Blah.

I found out from my doctor that the lack of stamina is realated to the meds in a way. Since I was medicated for a year and have only been off of them a short time, my body is readjusting and relearning how to deal with all of the little stresses of life again. And in doing so my physical reserves get drained much quicker than I'm used to. So I'm hoping that when this happens (timetable-who knows?) that I'll get some physical stamina back again.

Something else related to this issue, and that is driving me nuts, is my startle reflex. It's like someone put the setting on super sensitive. My husband walks behind me and touches me, I jump. Someone opens a door unexpectedly, I jump. Something is dropped on the floor, I about come out of my skin. For the year I was on the klonopin I never dealt with this. Now it feels like my body is making up for lost time.

I'm hoping both of these issues resolve themselves quickly...especially the twitching and jumping. I've gotten so tired of them that when I jump now, I usually follow it up with nifty swear word.