Don’t you wish we had a visual gauge for our energy level?
What is fatigue?
Fatigue is a feeling of exhaustion, tiredness, weariness or lack of energy. After TBI, you may have more than one kind of fatigue:
- Physical fatigue: “I’m tired and I need to rest. I’m dragging today.”
- Psychological fatigue: “I just can’t get motivated to do anything. Being depressed wears me out; I just don’t feel like doing anything.”
- Mental fatigue: “After a while, I just can’t concentrate anymore. It’s hard to stay focused. My mind goes blank.”
Why is fatigue important?
When you are fatigued, you are less able to think clearly or do physical activities. If you are overwhelmed by fatigue, you have less energy to care for yourself or do things you enjoy. Fatigue can have a negative effect on your mood, physical functioning, attention, concentration, memory and communication. It can interfere with your ability to work or enjoy leisure activities. It can make activities such as driving dangerous.
How common is fatigue after TBI?
Fatigue is one of the most common problems people have after a traumatic brain injury. As many as 70% of survivors of TBI complain of mental fatigue.
https://msktc.org/tbi/factsheets/fatigue-and-traumatic-brain-injury
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