QUEZON City, Philippines (February 8) – Have you been so tired lately? No, not tired but you have no drive towards work, lack of motivation and energy. You feel depressed for no reason. You think you are tired, always tired.
According to Dr. Amithava Chaudhury, a general physician, “everyone goes through periods of feeling worn out, lacking in energy and generally run down at some point in life. The feeling may be caused by overwork or general stress. If it becomes chronic condition, and the victim wakes up every morning feeling drained out and tired, unable to concentrate or to take an interest in events, it is sometimes diagnosed as TATT syndrome”
TATT (tired all the time) syndrome is a milder stage for chronic fatigue syndrome. The patient that suffers from this condition is always exhausted which is made worse by daily activity. The patient is not relieved with rest or sleep, has poor concentration, difficulty in making decisions, and feeling depressed without reason. According to study, one in every ten people suffers from TATT. Also, the percentage of women affected by this is higher than men because they do multi-tasking.
One of the factors that may contribute to this syndrome is the high level of stress. Scientists believe that stress is a burst of energy that tells us what to do. With a little dose, it helps in motivation to reach goals and even boost memory. According to an article by ulifeline.org, people who experienced moderate levels of stress before surgery were able to recover faster compared to those who had low or high levels. Stress can be damaging at high levels, if it’s not manageable, it can cause heart disease. The chemical produced by brain, the epinephrine, can be affect how the cells of the heart arteries regenerate.
Disturbed sleeping pattern can also prolong the TATT syndrome. Sleeping is involved in repairing and healing cells, especially the heart and its blood vessels. Sleeping helps in learning, it enhances problem-solving skills and creativity. Sleep deficiency is linked with depression, suicide and risk-taking behavior. Children who suffers from sleep deficiency are impulsive, have often mood swings, shorter attention span and lower grades. Lastly, there are diseases that add to a person’s exhaustion like obesity, anemia and insomnia.
Pointing the factors that may cause the TATT syndrome, it is best to prevent it before it’s too late. Have a second opinion by consulting experts. It’s normal to be tired and have a break. Even successful people went to gaps of unproductive days. What’s important is that we know how to get back on the track.
References:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/casenotes_20051011.shtml
http://www.medindia.net/patients/lifestyleandwellness/tired-all-the-time-syndrome.htm#ixzz3zHCGVXyU
http://www.ulifeline.org/articles/450-good-stress-bad-stress
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sdd/why
(written by Karen Llacuna, edited by Jay Paul Carlos, additional research by Lovely Ann Cruz)