Psoriatic Arthritis and Mental Fatigue

Fatigue is a noteworthy symptom of PsA. With fatigue, most people immediately think of its physical effects, but it's just as important to mention the mental impact as well. Fatigue is a symptom that precedes and coincides with my flares. So not only does it hurt to get around, but I physically feel like I can't.

Personally speaking, fatigue has had a profound effect on my life. In addition to my body being tired, so is my brain. My brain feels fried, and I drop the ball... a lot. When I wake up with some energy, I know the worst of it is over.

Brain fog, mental fatigue, and burnout

Brain fog is common when our pain and fatigue levels are through the roof- it's hard to concentrate or remember things when our physical issues demand attention. When you have brain fog, it can make word recall, short-term memory, and problem-solving more difficult.

Sometimes, it makes for silly mistakes but it is often very frustrating for the person affected. Lately, I prefer using the term mental fatigue; brain fog is a cute phrase, but it doesn't convey how drained I feel. I'm very forgetful, my attention span is short, and I can't muster the energy to do better.

Everything gets more challenging when I'm flaring, physically and mentally. Handling things I normally do, especially the mental load of running a household and working, feels impossible, and things start slipping.

Putting things into perspective

I've heard that it's unfair to judge how much another is dealing with without knowing everything on their plate. But it's also important to consider what their plate looks like; their capacity may be a sturdy dinner plate or a thin paper plate.

That can change quickly based on their physical, emotional, and mental health. My plate can look like a sturdy dinner plate or even a large charger when my health is generally okay.

If my condition worsens and the pain wears me down, my plate changes to a thin paper plate, where nothing is well supported, and something heavy is likely to slip off it immediately. Thinking about what my plate looks like helps me be kind to myself.

Beating brain fog means self-care

I acknowledge that normally, I'm a lot more capable. But for now, I need to slow down and deprioritize whenever possible. Because just like we rest the body, I also need to give my mind a break.

Deprioritizing meant learning to prioritize my self-care. For me, that means speaking to a therapist - it helps to have someone to spill everything to and who can help me organize my thoughts in a way that makes sense. It takes a load off of me to know I have help.

I also had to learn to ask for help and drop my perfectionistic tendencies. Because while it seems like pushing on is the best solution, I promise you that it makes it worse. Not taking a break or easing your mental load makes it harder to bounce back.

I've had to learn the hard way it's better to ask for help than to drop everything completely. Mental fatigue can be hard to beat and is one thing I've struggled with for years. There's no easy cure for it (but if you know one- please tell me). I've found that with a new mindset, it's been easier to deal with.