6 Types of Fatigue and How They Might Affect Us

by Jessie Ace | November 3, 2020

31 Days of MS, MS episode, certainty, gratitude, unique, symptoms, the circle, affirmations, fatigue, depression, progress, presentable, disclose, dog, temperature, end of the year, uncertainty, online community, conflict, bloated, enabled, caffeine

Did you know that there are various types of fatigue, and each makes us feel slightly different than the others?

A long while ago, I was at an MS seminar listening to a nurse talk about fatigue. She spoke about different types of fatigue and how our symptoms might vary after we’ve experienced each kind.

She listed six types of fatigue: social, emotional, physical, pain, mental, and chronic illness.

Of course, this number may vary depending on which source you consult and how each type is classified, but the following is an explanation of the six types of fatigue that the nurse discussed that day.

Social fatigue

This is the fatigue one might feel after speaking to a person (or many people) for an extended period. Fatigue might occur after speaking in person, especially when going out or traveling to meet up, which requires more energy.

Responding to text messages or comments on social media can also cause a person to feel fatigued.

Additionally, video calls are a new way of communicating and require a whole new level of energy, especially for those who aren’t tech-savvy. Setting up a call and appearing on screen might cause someone to feel stressed.

Social fatigue can make us feel overwhelmed, stressed, and wiped out, which affects our energy levels.

Emotional fatigue

Emotional fatigue entails the times we’ve felt sadness, anger, depression, or frustration for an extended period. It’s like those times when we are sad and cry a lot, and our eyes hurt afterward. The body is affected because so much energy is used to experience those feelings, and it can leave us feeling pretty wiped of energy.

Physical fatigue

This type of fatigue follows physical activity. It can come from having a shower, prepping a meal, or going for a run. Many people like the feeling of physical fatigue after doing an activity because it can have benefits, such as better sleep.

Often with a chronic illness like MS, we can feel exhausted, even when we’re not doing anything. Ironically, more physical activity over time improves fatigue levels.

Pain fatigue

Pain may have caused a bad night’s sleep, leading to fatigue the next day. Trying to explain that pain to someone else can be tiring, which can prompt emotional fatigue. Sometimes the mental aspect of having pain can make us feel depressed, and therefore, exhausted. When every movement hurts, it becomes harder and harder to find the energy to move.

Mental fatigue

This comes from expending a lot of mental energy. Examples include doing puzzles, problem-solving, and answering questions. After this type of activity, it’s common to feel more cognitive symptoms such as brain fog. In my experience, if I do these types of activities late at night, my brain sometimes finds it hard to switch off. Then, a lack of quality sleep can cause fatigue the next day.

Chronic illness fatigue

Sometimes there is no other explanation for what makes us feel fatigued than chronic illness. Damage to the brain or spinal cord in different areas might result in fatigue. Research using MRIs has shown that people with MS use more energy than the average person because our minds must work twice as hard to find new ways to send messages, which causes fatigue.

Damage to the central nervous system can lead to what is called primary fatigue. Secondary fatigue, which is caused by factors related to MS, could be to blame for a lack of energy. Bladder problems and incontinence cause us to use more energy to get to the bathroom, especially at night. Muscle spasms, stiffness, pain, or depression also use up energy and may affect our bodies differently. Additionally, medication side effects can cause fatigue.

Are any of these issues causing your fatigue today? Please share your experiences with fatigue in the comments below.

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About the Author

Jessie Ace Jessie is the host of the DISabled to ENabled podcast and author of the "ENabled Warriors Symptom Tracker" book. She's also an illustrator working with MS charities and magazines worldwide. She’s interviewed paralympians, radio DJs, chronic illness bloggers, marathon runners, and more. Jessie, based in the U.K., was diagnosed with MS at 22 years old and was told by a doctor to "go home and Google it" to find out what MS was for herself. Her own experience of being newly diagnosed so young was negative and scary, so she fills the internet with positivity for other anxious MS Googlers to stumble upon.

Comments

Leanne Broughton

When I was first diagnosed with MS my Japanese Neuro said there were not enough words in the english language to describe the fatigue of MS. Of course there are different types of fatigue as you described, that helps.

Jessie Ace

Oh wow, a Japanese Neuro? It sounds like they were right!

David Wynsen

I think (for me) that two of my main hurdles are 1) Having the energy to 'give a damn' and 2) Having the energy and motivation to do something about it.

I haven't given up but it's a constant struggle. I should add that I have an enormous amount of guilt over what I am putting my wife through.

Amy Bell

I have the same fatigue experiences as you described. It also leads to depression in me and all I want to do is stay in bed at times.

Mona Jacquez

Hello. My name is Mona Jacquez, I have severe fatigue, I have constant pain every day it's hard for me to do my job.I work as a care giver for disabled people. It's been very hard for me to do my job sometimes I wish I could just quit go home and sleep all day I have addressed this to my Dr all labs come back normal. Please help.

Sinza Godigodi

Thanks for the lesson! Well presented!

Leisa

The fatigue is unreal and the brain chemistry feels off. Working full time has become almost impossible especially when the fatigue makes you run a little late trying to think of everything you need before you leave the house!!! Then you arrive, and you are so exhausted and the work day hasn't even officially begun. THEN, you have accommodations and they don't matter because no one really can show an ounce of compassion. Being berated also rips out your energy and causes stress which creates a cycle of fatigue and feelings of defeat.

victoria pitcock

I have been suffering with chronic fatigue for about a year, I have terrible neck and shoulder pain everyday esp after I wake up in the mornings. This of course makes me worry all the time.

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