Hi Spoonie,

Sorry you are going through such a rough time. It certainly can be exhausting and makes it hard to focus. We all feel overwhelmed at times. I take it you dropped some classes to lighten your load? Never anything wrong with that, it will give more strength to your other efforts. Have you talked to the Office for Students with Disabilities? They may be able to help with extended project time, allowing pass/fail on some classes etc. Are there counseling services at your school? Having a therapist to take things to can be very helpful. I find that I feel better when I have "a plan". It gives me something to focus on and a reminder that there are still options that might help. For instance I'll remind myself that I haven't seen specialist X yet or we still haven't tried neurontin/lyrica/TCAs etc. or if I am waiting for results of any diagnostics or just waiting to get something ordered I can remind myself that there is help and information coming. Somehow I find this useful in quieting my overactive mind on an intellectual level and it makes me feel more in control. Do what you can and need to do to lessen your stress and DO NOT feel guilty about it. Relieving stress brings down hormones and neurotransmitters that can worsen pain. Wearing yourself out does not help you get better. It can be very hard to take a step back and care for yourself when you want to push too hard but you have to strike a balance of too much and too little activity. Keep fighting but remember to do it gently.
Sending more healing love, Littlepaw