Fatigue, Allergies, and The Power of Self Compassion

Fatigue is not something I have necessarily always struggled with. However, through my teenage years, as I developed more allergies, more skin issues, and other chronic health changes, that quickly began to change.

Worsening health and fatigue

When I was in high school and during the beginning years of college, I was pretty energetic and social. This all changed as I got more sick during college, though. I started to miss classes and even fail some because I wasn’t able to show up or complete my work due to worsening health issues. Eventually, I had to drop out altogether when I started going through TSW (Topical Steroid Withdrawal) at 23 years old. I spent many years bedridden during that time, and even now that I can function somewhat, I still deal with fatigue daily. I developed new allergies during TSW, and my body went through many internal, as well as external changes.

The burden of exhaustion

To this day, I am still unable to work a full-time job due to all of the chronic health issues put together. I have missed most of this spring and summer and spent it in my room due to new allergies I have developed, as well as skin flare-ups. This is such a difficult situation, as I find myself wanting to do more but not being able to and feeling guilty for that. I have felt like a burden to those around me for quite some time now, and that guilt is buried deep within me and something I carry daily.

On top of the mental and emotional drain and exhaustion all around with having to deal with allergies and other health conditions, there is evidence to support that allergies do cause fatigue on a biological level as well.

Why does this happen?

When we come into contact with an allergen, our body releases chemicals to protect us from it. One of those is a type of immunoglobulin called immunoglobulin E. Immunoglobulin E is located throughout the body on mast cells, which are present in all areas of our body. In short, mast cells store histamine and are released in response to an allergen. This leads to an allergic reaction, which is why antihistamines are typically the first line of allergy treatment. The release of these chemicals can cause symptoms such as congestion, coughing, sneezing, itching, and tiredness.

In addition, experiencing allergy symptoms such as congestion, itchy eyes, skin rashes, etc., can cause sleep disturbances and insomnia. This disrupts our sleep cycle and interferes with our circadian rhythm, leaving us more depleted and fatigued. Personally, I have dealt with insomnia since quite a young age, and it continues to be a battle for me, especially during the times I have worse flare-ups with allergies or my skin (as I have been the past few months).

Learning acceptance and self compassion

It’s difficult to surrender to all these symptoms, accept our bodies' tiredness, and get the proper rest we need, especially in a culture that often glorifies being busy and “on the go” all the time. This has been extremely hard to balance in my life and something I continue to work on. I do my best to be productive on the better days (and the definition of that has certainly changed for me on my journey). At the same time, I am also learning to give myself self-compassion and grace when I don’t feel so “productive.” It is certainly a lesson in taming our inner critic and showing ourselves more love, and it is not always easy to learn.