to those who still function, how do you find the energy?

[nembutal]

"function" as in being able to hold down a job, go to school, etc.

this next part is about myself so you may skip to the final paragraph if you don't want to read. i dropped out of school after freshman year of college and i've been unemployed for 3 months now trying to muster up the energy just to attend an interview. it's hard. i can't walk up the stairs properly without having to catch my breath, i rarely go outside as i did in the summertime, my bulimia and theorized complications from drug use aren't helping me either.

so is there some type of miracle drug giving everyone the motivation to get out of bed or is there something extremely wrong with me?

 

[jodes2]

Antidepressants can help a lot

 

[Vitya]

It is okay to feel this way. Your feelings are valid. Oh how much I wish there was a drug that would do such thing. Unfortunately many of us are weakened whether it be from birth or as a result from the environment we live in. But circumstances just make you live in this fight or flight response all the time. The stress from society makes most people restless. Since high activity is just required for us to survive. I don't think I "function" because I am able to but because I don't have a choice and dying is not really that easy. There is no easy way in life.

 

[TransilvanianHunger]

For me, it's the little things.

My cat wakes me up every morning to ask for breakfast. It doesn't matter how I'm feeling, I decided to adopt this boy and he needs his breakfast every morning, so I get out of bed. I enjoy talking with my therapist, so that's a weekly appointment that I need to make. I've come to terms with the fact that most of the things I was taught about education and careers are a load of bollocks, so I'm learning to ignore them. I am self-employed, so I don't need to put up with managers, bosses, or any of that nonsense. That also means I don't have a retirement fund or anything like that, but I have plan for permanent retirement, so I'm OK with that. I lead a fairly simple life and I don't care about having material things, so I don't need a lot of money to live comfortably, which means I can afford to take time off work if I need to. After working with my therapist for a while, I've started to come up with goals and things I'd like to do in the future, but I'm not married to them. If I get there, great. If life gets in the way, whatever, I have an exit plan.

Essentially, I've stopped thinking about it and I'm just doing what feels right. It's not going to result in a life of fame and riches, but I couldn't care less about those things if you paid me. The one commitment I won't renege on is taking care of my cat. He's an innocent being and any problems I might be dealing with are not his problems. He deserves the best life a cat could have.

 

[thx1138]

If you feel out of breath, there might be a physical cause for the fatigue, have you talked about that with a doctor? You should prioritize getting some sleep, eating more, and doing some very mild very easy exercise, for example stretching for 30 seconds, at least imo that can help. You can't motivate yourself or drug yourself if your body is exhausted. Take care and be gentle with yourself <3

 

[Grav]

I function on auto pilot mostly. I've worked and it's something I couldn't stop unless I CTB due to responsibilities to family (house, bills, etc). It doesn't make living any more fun or worthwhile, actually the opposite usually. But I don't want to leave my family in a shit spot so I keep moving, one foot in front of the other. Pretty much raised that way, keep going whether you want to or not.

 

[VioletNight]

Mostly just the fact that other people depend on me. Never tried SSRIs or anything before but maybe one day if I get the motivation to see a doctor I'll let you know haha

 

[toro]

big post incoming! sorry for the ramble but this post set me off on remembering it all lol

i was honestly the same way, i dropped out of college because i couldnt bring myself to get out of bed and had a chronic fear of even being seen by other people, it took a lot of pestering on my mums part but eventually i saw a doctor and therapists who eventually formally diagnosed and prescribed me aome antidepressants. even with the meds it was a slow road to getting to this point, a solid 6 months of me working through my issues and taking meds regularly.

i ended up facing my biggest test (a big camping trip with my mum, brother, and all of my cousins + aunty n uncle), it was a HUGE amount of people so it was EXHAUSTING, but i had so much fun for the first time in ages and i wasnt terrified to be seen like i used to be.

once we came home i begin looking for jobs because i got bored of having nothing to do (which was insane considering the way i used to spend all my time just staring at my ceiling lol). so i looked for a job and now im here!! theres days where its awful and i just want to sleep the whole day like i used to, but the routine keeps me stable and honestly ive learned to enjoy the travel and consistancy that having a job brings.

it helps as well that the whole time my mum was just amazing, sending me so many cute messages to motivate me lol, it all depends on your situation and support system i think, though you can recover alone i think that if i didnt have my family i wouldnt have even thought of seeking treatment, wouldve just accepted my new life as a NEET

 

[never mind me]

Talking about drugs you may wish to try amphetamine. It certainly gives you plenty of energy and motivation. You probably won't be able to sleep, if you take enough. And you won't have any appetite. However, after coming down you then need time to sleep, but it might still be preferable to just hanging around with no energy at all.
Personally I've never suffered from low energy (even before taking drugs), but I've also never suffered from depression. I guees it's because when I still lived with my parents it was no option not to function as it would have made my situation much morse. It was just not possible to appear weak, because my abusive father went after every weakness he could find. So I got used to functioning no matter what. I continued like that when I lived by myself, because I had seen for years how my father's depression got worse and worse, because he did nothing but give in to his feelings and either behave like a madman or lie in bed all day and I was extremely scared to be like him. So I always forced myself to do stuff, no matter how low I felt. Consequently being able to function and get stuff done regardless of circumstances became a big part of miy identity.

 

[SeeminglyFine]

Before and if deciding to read keep in mind i've broken the rules of this post, i dont really function, no energy, not even on drugs at this point, just some knowledge of what worked atleast a little bit for me or works for others and in general

Mostly by avoiding food untill noon/afternoon, eating gives me debilitating comas, i have digestive issues and by observation im affected like 10folds since i cant keep my eyes open but i also cant sleep, but ive been told by others that they also get tired after eating a very heavy meal.
if i could eat at all without major symptoms id make fruits my habit.

stopping with the compulsion of bettering my life by following a typical cirdcadian rhythm probably helped, i later on figured out theres something called Delayed sleep phase syndrome, and people who are Nightowls, which is apparently often a comorbidity of add/adhd, not sure its what im dealing with but im so exhausted at mornings, no exceptions, ever.

Ritalin was too good untill it stopped being too good, which is when i started snorting and got too hooked.

Havent tried it but i read about a drug called modafinil
aswell as other non-stimulants

Regularly checking thyroid, iron, blood count, and vitamin d,
im anemic and often dealing with hypothyroidism, and vitamin d deficiency
it causes fatigue and depression.

I used to be unable to walk upstairs a few years ago due to overtaining and low thyroid hormones, im assuming anything that releases too much cortisol is having a negative effect on the endocrine system.
Holistically, usually remidied with adaptogenic herbs if relaxation techniques or lifestyle changes arent an option for the sake of lowering stress.

 

[chloramine]

I'm careful with where and how I use what little energy I get and function on autopilot as much as possible. I also just kind of. Stop existing? I don't know how to describe it but it's like pretending and dissociating combined? I can't maintain it forever and it has consequences, but it gets me through day to day. Whenever possible I take breaks or make things easier. I don't know that I'm really functional, but I apparently fake it well enough to fool most people around me.

 

[nembutal]

bumping

 

[imnotokay]

Never feel like I function as well as I should, but it helps to take antidepressants, focus on small and good things when overwhelmed (like a sliver of blue sky), put myself in positions where people depend on me.

 

[Regen]

Difficult! I know times of complete lack of energy, even breathing I found exhausting.

I'm not sure what makes it a little bit better at the moment. I guess:

1) Drive-enhancing medication
2) Vitamin D
3) Seeing and listening to my inner child. I try to understand what is really needed deep down and try to give it. The main thing is: being seen at all, feeling connected to others.
4) have hope
5) get help
6) doing nothing else then helping me, all the other stuff have to wait for one year
7) Meditation
For 4 and 5 (and 7) the 12 step program and many videos on YouTube help me.

 

[sleepydreamer]

i'll have to go through other people's replies cause i struggle with this as well but basically, i think what i do is really unhealthy. i either have energy for my passions (mostly art), keeping up with friends, and other pleasant things or to function, and functionality is divided into personal hygiene, work, chores etc. so what i have to do to stay afloat is sadly pushing all the positive things aside to be able to function, and even then a lot of the time i end up not being able to keep my apartment clean or other things from having to go to work. not doing the things i enjoy just makes me even more miserable and that turns into this shitty cycle of sacrificing joy to stay alive, and getting more miserable with time. i kind of had a meltdown a few months ago and i just couldn't bring myself to do anything or leave my apartment for several days until i was almost reported missing. if i get on meds i think i'll be able to do better without slowly killing myself (shit, sorry for turning this into a rant. this is just my shitty experience, pls don't get discouraged)

tl;dr i am basically dysfunctional but surviving, do not recommend

I'm careful with where and how I use what little energy I get and function on autopilot as much as possible. I also just kind of. Stop existing? I don't know how to describe it but it's like pretending and dissociating combined? I can't maintain it forever and it has consequences, but it gets me through day to day. Whenever possible I take breaks or make things easier. I don't know that I'm really functional, but I apparently fake it well enough to fool most people around me.

holy shit, that's kind of what happens with me too. i end up just daydreaming most of the time

 

[noname223]

Honestly pure anxiety and desperation. I think I won't survive long on welfare. However motivation was never my main issues. My medication gives me a little bit of resilience.

I think I am a person who barely can rest. Even during major depression I was agitated as fuck. Though I could not do anything productive at that time.

 

[girlsboysthems]

"function" as in being able to hold down a job, go to school, etc.

this next part is about myself so you may skip to the final paragraph if you don't want to read. i dropped out of school after freshman year of college and i've been unemployed for 3 months now trying to muster up the energy just to attend an interview. it's hard. i can't walk up the stairs properly without having to catch my breath, i rarely go outside as i did in the summertime, my bulimia and theorized complications from drug use aren't helping me either.

so is there some type of miracle drug giving everyone the motivation to get out of bed or is there something extremely wrong with me?

i take some from a green substance (to relax) and energy from energy drinks. its quite an expensive habit /:

 

[archiemex]

good amount of sleep at night and a positive attitude + friends and yt

 

[flesh object]

I have struggled with motivation for awhile, and I've just been drained of energy completely. I have been walking around just with my mind blank, however when I actually need the energy to do something, I usually preform that task while intoxicated. Alcohol has been the one motivating thing in my life for me.

 

[Zulu]

Fear has been a very powerful motivator for me. After enduring multiple traumatic experiences simultaneously, coming to the realization that no one would save me, I fought tooth and nail to regain my independence. My fear of the hell I was once in motivates me to hold down a job and keeps me stuck in a survivalist mindset, even though the urge to ctb can be quite strong somedays. Zoloft helped for a while, but I eventually got off of that. Vitamin B12 also helped with low energy issues, which I still take.

 

[eleanora]

Sertraline helped me a lot to get my emotions and my life more under control. Now when I am taking tests/exams, I don't feel as terrified as before and I don't experience panic attacks anymore. I have somewhat difficult situation at home, but thanks to these pills I am not as bothered by it as I used to be. In past I would get triggered into severe breakdowns way easier than now. It feels like these pills turned off all extreme emotions in me and I am no longer able to experience them unless in really rough situations (which still sometimes happen, but it's not that often). I really recommend giving them a shot. They won't make you magically productive, but at least it will create conditions in which you will find it easier to get out of bed and perhaps try doing something to fix your situation. I hope you will find something that will help you, take care.

 

[CompanyOpossum]

Only other choice is death

 

[Source Energy]

I have a job I love and I derive professional satisfaction from. Once I'm in there, I get in the vibe. it's like stepping on a treadmill

Only other choice is death

not necessarily...for more the other choice is making my life way harder and miserable...as if, I could succumb to my sadness and lose my job, my home, and end up homeless on the streets, not dead but in a way worse condition. so I do my best to function, until I am ready to lie down and drink my poison

 

[Valky]

Sometimes you just gotta hit your depression with a broom and tell yourself that that's not you and you are stronger than this.

 

[Alcoholic Teletubby]

Wellbutrin, distractions, and hope.

 

[starrvingstar]

"function" as in being able to hold down a job, go to school, etc.

this next part is about myself so you may skip to the final paragraph if you don't want to read. i dropped out of school after freshman year of college and i've been unemployed for 3 months now trying to muster up the energy just to attend an interview. it's hard. i can't walk up the stairs properly without having to catch my breath, i rarely go outside as i did in the summertime, my bulimia and theorized complications from drug use aren't helping me either.

so is there some type of miracle drug giving everyone the motivation to get out of bed or is there something extremely wrong with me?

i suffer from anorexia and its so hard to carry my knees up the stairs or open my eyes without feeling tired especially get up shower look pretty go to school talk to people go to work talk to customers...

i just have to pretend that everything is fine and normal even when i feel like i am about to faint and dissociate my way through my days, i follow a "script". most days i take a few hits from my dab pen to try and make the time pass much faster.