ADHD and mental exhaustion (Xpost)

[Tiramisu]

My dd has a new interest and yesterday we went to visit someone to find out more about it. She got a lot of information and came out telling me she felt mentally overloaded. When we got home, she was exhausted and slept for a couple of hours. 

 

Recently, she commented to me after doing some work that she had maxed out her "mental capacity". 

 

Now that she is homeschooling again, and working more actively than she had for her years in school, I see how it tires her out. The new schedule is going really well but she still gets tired out easily in a way that seems more mental than physical. I see that it's different than my older dd who has physical fatigue.

 

I'm wondering if anyone else has dealt with this in themselves or their family members.

[Catwoman]

That's a new one on me, but I'll give your thread a bump in the hope that someone else will have some advice for you.

[Pink and Green Mom]

Interesting question.  I was diagnosed with severe inattentive ADD after having gone through high school, college, law school and passing the bar exam.

 

I am not sure I ever would have articulated it the way your daughter has, but yeah, I could absolutely see that.  I am willing to bet I experienced it as well.  I think I was so used to having to come up with ways to cope with my issues and so busy trying to hide them because I knew something was wrong but didn't know what, and it was mentally exhausting.  It is hard coping.  I was the queen of working hard but not smart, KWIM?  It is tiring and at some point your brain sort of shuts down.

 

I did find that being medicated helped.  As a grown up, the book Driven To Distraction helped with a few "a-ha" moments.

[heartosunshine]

Have you incorporated "brain breaks" (short 10 minute breaks doing a physical activity) throughout the day? Sometimes a quick walk/run around the block, playing with a pet, or some other short, physical break can work wonders. Also, maybe alternate high focus subjects with ones that don't require as much concentration.

[trulycrabby]

Makes sense to me. I think it is great that she is self-aware enough to recognize her fatigue and need to recharge. I am dyslexic, and just being out in the world can be tiring because my brain has to work extra hard to keep everything in order.

[Tiramisu]

Have you incorporated "brain breaks" (short 10 minute breaks doing a physical activity) throughout the day? Sometimes a quick walk/run around the block, playing with a pet, or some other short, physical break can work wonders. Also, maybe alternate high focus subjects with ones that don't require as much concentration.

 

She gets lots of breaks. She has nearly as much break time between subjects as total work time. Otherwise, nothing would get done.

[JumpyTheFrog]

This is your 4th grader? Some ideas:

 

-growth spurt requiring extra sleep

-being introverted and needing more quiet time

-brain fog from some medical condition

 

I had fatigue and brain fog so bad that I couldn't drive for two years. I didn't trust myself to drive safely even for the one mile to the grocery store. As I found ways to improve my health, I was able to focus enough to drive again, and now my brain is mostly back to what it was.

[Zinnia]

I, too, would not have thought to articulate it in this way, but I feel this. 

I am forever telling my dh that I've made enough decisions for the day, can not make another one, and that he needs to take over.  Sometimes, I am just done with information.  I am exhausted at that point. 

[JumpyTheFrog]

Yes, decision fatigue is a real thing. So is "using up" your willpower for the day, especially if you are hungry. Thinking takes a lot of glucose.

[Tiramisu]

This is your 4th grader? Some ideas:

 

-growth spurt requiring extra sleep

-being introverted and needing more quiet time

-brain fog from some medical condition

 

I had fatigue and brain fog so bad that I couldn't drive for two years. I didn't trust myself to drive safely even for the one mile to the grocery store. As I found ways to improve my health, I was able to focus enough to drive again, and now my brain is mostly back to what it was.

 

It's my 8th grader, but my fourth grader might be the same someday, as her work ramps up.

 

I am a foggy type, but I've also thankfully got better over time. I completely relate to your concerns about driving. Hydration and exercise have helped me.

[Tiramisu]

Yes, decision fatigue is a real thing. So is "using up" your willpower for the day, especially if you are hungry. Thinking takes a lot of glucose.

 

Maybe this is why my blood sugar tends to run low. Hmmm. And two of my kids seem to have rather frequent blood sugar lows.

[JumpyTheFrog]

Maybe this is why my blood sugar tends to run low. Hmmm. And two of my kids seem to have rather frequent blood sugar lows.

 

I would recommend a two week experiment of having all three of you eat more often and ramping up the protein, especially for breakfast. I've had blood sugar issues for years (due to problems with my cortisol levels) and often my main hunger symptom is fatigue, not feeling hungry.

[Tiramisu]

I would recommend a two week experiment of having all three of you eat more often and ramping up the protein, especially for breakfast. I've had blood sugar issues for years (due to problems with my cortisol levels) and often my main hunger symptom is fatigue, not feeling hungry.

 

I almost never feel hungry either. Suddenly I'll just start to feel weird and irritable. 

 

Exercise has helped my blood sugar issues a lot. But I should really increase my protein.

 

I tried to do LC in the past and it was a disaster. I could not form a coherent sentence. I need to eat every few hours and include carbs. I give my dd who is in outside high school protein bars to keep with her.

[JumpyTheFrog]

I almost never feel hungry either. Suddenly I'll just start to feel weird and irritable.

 

Yes, this happens to me sometimes, too. In fact, about an hour ago I announced that we were stopping school because I needed to eat immediately.

 

I started drinking 2-3 Vega One protein shakes per day a few months ago and it has helped quite a bit. It is expensive, but helps me feel a lot better. http://www.amazon.com/Vega-Nutritional-Shake-French-Vanilla/dp/B00R0Y0V94/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443806537&sr=8-1&keywords=Vega+one

[Tiramisu]

Yes, this happens to me sometimes, too. In fact, about an hour ago I announced that we were stopping school because I needed to eat immediately.

 

I started drinking 2-3 Vega One protein shakes per day a few months ago and it has helped quite a bit. It is expensive, but helps me feel a lot better. http://www.amazon.com/Vega-Nutritional-Shake-French-Vanilla/dp/B00R0Y0V94/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443806537&sr=8-1&keywords=Vega+one

 

That looks good. Thanks!

[SporkUK]

When I was younger this would happen to me a lot - my brain just went nope, too much, and...it would be like trying to focus on small print without my glasses. Might be doable but it would still be quite fuzzy and actually just make the tiredness worse. 

 

Now, as adult, it doesn't happen as often but both I and my family know my cycle. I will do intense in-depth work on something during my work time sometimes for weeks and then I'll be done. I'll feel so very relieved and satisfied, but I'll also be edgy emotionally unless I can just step away for a bit on anything requiring more mental input. It took me a while to realize it was the same issue as before, just grown up as I did. My brain is overloaded and needs a break. Now I make sure to give myself that room and working on setting up my environment so I can be on autopilot as much as possible during those times. I push myself a bit more in the fuzziness for my kids and the family than I did as a kid where the wall when my brain went nope felt unbeatable, but it's still quite hard and I think I only get there with help from my kids and the other adults here. 

 

Information overload is a big issue (and a current hot button research topic) that affects everyone differently. Everyone has their own limit in what they can take in and how fast they can process. It's pretty great that she's already self aware enough to be able to both realize it and communicate it with you. It takes some well into adulthood if ever to realize and express their own brain limits. 

[WinsomeCreek]

Actually using the brain, as opposed to passive work, burns a lot of calories. I used to get super hungry after doing tasks requiring intense brainwork. If the basics of food, sleep, stress etc, have been covered then it could just be a sign of brain workout. That's a good thing. I would still be watching closely for any medical issues though. I have one child who gets exhausted easily a few days before he gets sick.

[marbel]

My ADHD  kid has this problem; I know exactly what you are talking about.  He just reaches a point where he can't take in more information.  He gets exhausted.  Medication has helped him. 

[The Girls' Mom]

My oldest has this issue too, as do I.  Neither of us have an official diagnosis, but we have the symptoms of ADD.  Protein does help a lot.  And sleep when we can get it (my oldest in particular has a hard time sleeping though).  

She had a spectacular example of this yesterday.  She is in college full time, works 20+ hours a week, tries to volunteer at a raptor rescue once a week, and this week a friend/co-worker passed away in an accident.  Yesterday after school she stopped by where I work and you could see in her face that she was mentally toast.  Her words were "I have to go home and not think for a while".  I was trying to explain to her how to defrost some brats when she got home, and it just wasn't processing AT ALL.  (Something she's done many times before) She just needs to recharge for a bit.  

I personally get decision overload.  It gets to the point that I'm almost in tears just trying to get through the grocery store.  That is when I realize I need a brain break, and I usually hole up in my bedroom with Netflix or sleep.