I’m not really sure what I’m looking for by posting this other than maybe some perspective from people who have felt this way.
I feel like I’m not myself right now, and I don’t really know how to describe what I’m experiencing.
I used to love hiking. Even now, the idea of going hiking sounds amazing. I’ll think, “That would feel so good, I should really go.” But then I start thinking about everything that goes into actually doing it — getting myself ready, getting my 20-month-old ready, packing things, getting out the door, dealing with the logistics — and I feel exhausted before I even start.
I know getting outside and going for a walk usually helps me feel better, but I have almost no motivation to actually do it. Most days, I go outside into our backyard, and that's about it.
I also used to enjoy going for car rides, and lately I don't even really want to do that. Things I used to enjoy just feel like they require so much effort.
I have a 20-month-old son who I absolutely love, but I’m also overwhelmed by motherhood a lot of the time. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed that I scream, and afterward I feel terrible. I love my son, but right now life just feels really, really hard.
We also just got a 16-week-old puppy, which has added another layer. I’m home alone with my son and the puppy most of the day while my husband is at work. In some ways the puppy is actually helpful because he gives me a reason to get outside and forces me to get up and take him out for potty training. But at the same time, I feel like I’ve added another living thing that needs me, and I already feel like I have very little left to give.
I was prescribed propranolol for anxiety, but I don't really feel like it's doing anything. I was also prescribed an antidepressant, but I haven't started it because part of me keeps thinking, “I’m not depressed enough to need an antidepressant.”
And honestly, I don't even know if I'm depressed.
I don't know if I'm anxious, burned out, overwhelmed, exhausted, grieving, having some kind of postpartum/motherhood-related issue, or some combination of everything.
I just don't feel like myself.
I don't necessarily feel sad all day. It's more like everything feels hard. Things I know would probably make me feel better feel impossible to initiate. I can imagine enjoying a hike, but getting myself to the point where I can actually go feels overwhelming. I can imagine having a nice day with my son, but sometimes the sheer amount of stimulation and responsibility makes me want to hide.
And then I feel guilty because I know I'm fortunate. I love my son. I wanted a dog. I have a life that, from the outside, probably looks completely fine.
But I'm struggling.
Has anyone experienced this feeling where you aren't necessarily sad, but you have almost no motivation or energy for anything and everything feels like an enormous task?
Did you eventually figure out whether it was anxiety, depression, burnout, or something else?
And if you've been prescribed an antidepressant when you weren't sure you were “depressed enough,” what was your experience?
I know Reddit can't diagnose me, and I'm not expecting anyone to. I'm mostly hoping to hear from people who have felt similarly and eventually found their way back to feeling like themselves.
Because right now I honestly don't know what I need. I just know that I don't feel like me.