'Social Exhaustion'?

[Marco]

This is an interesting blog and comments over on Health Rising :

http://www.cortjohnson.org/blog/2015/06/21/social-exhaustion-mecfs-and-fibromyalgia-dilemma/

That's me to a T. Socialising and 'phone calls wipe me out totally and leave me overstimulated and prone to PEM.

 

[Battery Muncher]

Yes, too much social interaction causes me the highest degree of fatigue, and often makes me crash. It seems to require a huge amount of cognitive resources.

 

[alex3619]

Social interaction puts a high demand on wide regions of the brain. To me this is just more of brain overactivity causing issues. When socially interacting you have to think about your stuff, their stuff, what they are saying, what they are doing, what you are saying, what you are doing, possible implications of such things, voice, sound, language ... on and on and on. No wonder its causing issues.

 

[soxfan]

This is exactly me....social interacting as wonderful as it is can be is the one activity that always makes me crash. Even if it is just an hour or two lunch with friends totally wipes me out within hours afterwards. Shopping...phone comversations...etc. can have devastating effects.

Unlike the author in the blog...when I crash it's lights out...laying in bed...dark room. I could never read etc...my mind by that time is toast. Then it will also lead to physical symptoms...vibrating insides...burning eyes...muscle pain gets so much worse.

 

[Marco]

Social interaction puts a high demand on wide regions of the brain. To me this is just more of brain overactivity causing issues. When socially interacting you have to think about your stuff, their stuff, what they are saying, what they are doing, what you are saying, what you are doing, possible implications of such things, voice, sound, language ... on and on and on. No wonder its causing issues.

Exactly that Alex. For something so seemingly natural socialising is one of the most intense intellectual muti-tasking activites you can engage in.

 

[Effi]

Exactly that Alex. For something so seemingly natural socialising is one of the most intense intellectual muti-tasking activites you can engage in.

On top of that there's a lot more random sensory impulses when there's a lot of people in one space, so even more stress on the brain. No wonder we crash.

 

[Denise]

The original post is here: http://livewithcfs.blogspot.com/2015/06/social-exhaustion-in-mecfs.html

I am sure the author would appreciate the traffic to her blog.

 

[minkeygirl]

I find talking (on the phone or in person) to be almost more exhausting than doing something others would consider physical. Talking is a different level of fatigue that leaves my lungs aching and my throat sore.

 

[Effi]

I find talking (on the phone or in person) to be almost more exhausting than doing something others would consider physical.

Talking on the phone is harder because of the noise that goes right into your ear, and the fact that you have to sit with your arm up the whole time. Talking on skype via my laptop while laying down is also hard, but a lot less bad than regular phone calls.

 

[belize44]

I remember when my mother was dying and I went to see her; she was staying at my sister's house and being given Hospice care as well. Family members from all over were arriving, the din was incredible! I couldn't find anyplace to lie down, and when I did, I couldn't get to sleep until four am. By the time I got home, I crashed for two entire weeks. I couldn't even make it to my mother's funeral.

 

[Effi]

@belize44 I'm so sorry to hear that. Just goes to show how this illness gets in the way of everything, even the most important moments in life...

 

[Lotus97]

I was never good at social interactions to begin with, but now that I'm sick they're especially difficult. I have a Youtube channel and tried live streaming for the first time and felt really bad afterwards.
Edit: I read the article and that's very true. I'm a wired and tired so it's more than just exhausting.

 

[Horizon]

I find talking on the phone to be much easier than in person interaction because I can be laying down with my head in pillow. I think the fact that I do not need to be upright or make eye contact makes it much more manageable and it is also on my terms (if I make the call).

I find socializing very wiping too, some people who are more mild mannered speaking and more homebody are easier for me but definitely can't handle the high energy, dramatic type (see my post on psychic vampires).

I also find endless texts and messages to be highly stressful because I cannot relax knowing I have a message in my box and feel the need the respond even though I cannot continue the conversation. I am trying to learn to just be able to ignore things and put them off till later without feeling so anxious.