Ranjit constantly felt exhausted. He attributed it to the increased demands of finding a job after being laid off coinciding with his daughter moving out of state for college. His stress level was high, he told himself, and once the move is complete and he finds a new job he will feel better. He waited for months for his exhaustion to improve and it did not.
His wife attributed his exhaustion to him not exercising. Every evening after work he would come home and sit on the sofa watching TV until dinner. After dinner, he would wrap up some things at work and then watch some more TV until he could no longer keep his eyes open. She urged him to start walking during the day but he retorted by saying he had no energy to exert beyond his daily necessities.
On weekends, Ranjit found himself become tired in the afternoons. Though he was not one to nap in his 30s and 40s, he now found himself craving naps almost regularly. Engaging in any activity that required more than minimal effort left him feeling deflated.
To compensate for his fatigue, Ranjit began to rely on more caffeine throughout the day. For most of his life he drank one cup of tea in the morning and was satisfied for the rest of the day. Now he had increased his tea intake to 3 cups during the workday with another one in the evening if he needed to be at a social gathering or a late meeting. Drinking tea late in the day would not keep him awake like it did to his wife. His fatigue could trump anything.
“He doesn’t do anything anymore,” his wife complained to her friend. “I try to get him to come on walks with me, go shopping, watch a movie…he always says he’s too tired or not interested. He hardly laughs anymore and just seems very low.” Her friend suggested that Ranjit visit his doctor for physical examination since men also experience hormone and body changes in middle age.
“His physical came back completely fine. Other than still needing his cholesterol medication, his doctor said his body is in good condition,” Ranjit’s wife said.
Ranjit’s symptoms began during two major life transitions for him: losing his job and his daughter moving away to college. Each of those life events alone can trigger a strong emotional response. Experiencing both together can be even more devastating. Fatigue is a very common symptom of depression, especially in South Asians who tend to exhibit symptoms of depression through their body and not through their emotions.
Depression can also be a result of fatigue as well. The stress from his job situation and upcoming family changes could have taken a toll on him. The stress from these experiences could have increased his fatigue which acted as a risk factor for developing depression.
Research has shown that people who are depressed are more than four times as likely to develop fatigue. Similarly, those who experience unexplained fatigue are three times as likely to become depressed. Though fatigue and depression exist as two separate problems to address, they both have some overlap, namely physical activity. Being active can improve mood and protect against depression. It can also have a positive effect on unexplained fatigue in that activity boosts up the metabolism as well as increases energy, which in turn reduces fatigue. Leading a sedentary life not only increases the risk of developing depression and fatigue but experiencing the former acts as a risk factor for the latter and vice versa.
If you find yourself fatigued frequently without a physical explanation, it is possible the fatigue is due to depression. Try to include some activity in your daily routine. Cleaning the dining table or walking to the mailbox can be great first steps to becoming more active again. Speak to a mental health professional or a doctor before you begin any extensive exercise routine.
This story is purely fictional and is not intended to represent a real individual. Any similarities between this family and a real life family are purely coincidental.
What do you think about the connection between depression and fatigue? Please leave your comments below.