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I’m terribly tired, but still can’t sleep. In recent months no longer than two or three hours; I wake up around two o’clock. During the day I sometimes sleep five to ten minutes. I am becoming more and more forgetful and feel helpless and tired. I also suffer from a dry mouth. Doctor’s treatments, the sleep center and acupuncture did not help. Only sleeping pills work. Can I consult another specialist?
Joris Bartstra, journalist with a medical degree.
I think a psychologist. You are tired and listless, you do nothing during the day, and you wake up very quickly at night. I suspect that in addition to fatigue, you also have a continuous feeling of restlessness, tension, stress and sometimes real fear, while you do not know what you should be afraid of. Dry mouth is caused by stress hormones. Forgetfulness is also often a sign of stress. You probably don’t do a lot of fun things anymore. You are mainly concerned with feeling bad and therefore unable to do anything. The best approach is distraction: focus more on the outside world and don’t listen too much to the body. Try to do things that you find fun and/or meaningful. If that is successful, the symptoms will subside on their own. If you feel that way, it’s not easy; a psychologist can help with this.
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