What Causes Constant Fatigue, Inability To Concentrate And Restlessness?

Posted on Thu, 11 Jun 2015

Question: Hello,
Been under a large amount of work-related stress for several months. Feeling a variety of symptoms:
Near constant: fatigue, restlessness, inability to concentrate, fuzzy-thinking, insomnia
Fleeting, or when "about to face" a high-stress event (e.g. public speaking): increased heart rate, nearly impossible to concentrate, unsteadiness, anxiety

XXXX

Answered by Dr. Dr. Chintan Solanki (50 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
some anxiety disorder is there,it can be treated

Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX

Thanks for writing to us.

You are feeling stress of work.All symptoms you mentioned are related to some anxiety disorder. Panic attacks are there. You are at 33 and less possibility of any physical problem at this age. Likely differential diagnosis are panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder.

For confirmation and exact diagnosis detail history, physical examination and mental status examination are to be done by psychiatrist.
After that treatment can be started.

Treatment of anxiety disorder includes both medicines and cognitive behavior therapy(CBT).

In mild cases only CBT is sufficient. In moderate to severe cases initially medicines and then CBT is added. And later on medicines stopped gradually.
If medicines alone are used chances of relapse are there after stopping the medicines.

In medicines SSRI group of drugs(fluoxetine,paroxetine,sertraline, escitalopram) are main stay of the treatment.I prefer paroxetine. Benzodiazepines group of drugs(clonazeapm,lorazepam or etizolam) are used initially for short duration for fast symptomatic relief.

You can visit a psychiatrist and can come out of your problem gradually.

Hope I have answered your query, I will be happy to help further.

Regards,
Dr.Chintan Solanki.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Chintan Solanki (3 hours later)

Of what does CBT consist? How long can recovery take? Is there any non-CBT, non-medication-based treatment/behavior I can initiate immediately?

-XXXX

Answered by Dr. Dr. Chintan Solanki (3 hours later)

Brief Answer:
CBT is behaviour therapy

Detailed Answer:
HI XXXXXXX

Thanks for follow up.

CBT is cognitive behavior therapy. It is non medicated treatment approach.

You can find more about CBT with this link:

http://www.beckinstitute.org/q-n-a/

You can go for CBT immediately if you find such specialist. Recovery depends on severity of your problem, rapport between you and therapist and motivation and intelligence from your side during CBT. Approximately it will take around 10 weeks in your case I guess.

All the best and take care.

Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad