Chronic Fatigue and Hyperactivity : Psychoanalysis in Lyon or via Teleconsultation

When hyperactivity becomes a way of keeping certain tensions at a distance, it may be useful to explore what lies behind this inability to stop.

Some people work excessively, fill their time with activities, or constantly look for something to do because stopping is difficult to tolerate.

The question may then become: “Why do I find it so difficult to settle down when I am already exhausted?”

Psychoanalysis provides an opportunity to explore one's relationship to rest, activity, and solitude, as well as what may emerge when one is no longer occupied.

Stopping may seem simple in theory, yet become very difficult in practice. Even when they are exhausted, some people feel the need to find something to do.

They may experience guilt when they rest, or feel that they are wasting their time.

This difficulty may be linked to very high personal expectations, a fear of not being useful, or difficulty simply being present without feeling the need to produce or act.

Exploring what happens internally when activity comes to an end can help us understand why it is so difficult to slow down.

Exhaustion and the inability to slow down may seem contradictory. Yet continuing to act can sometimes serve as a way of keeping anxiety or inner tension at a distance.

A paradoxical situation can then develop: the more tired one becomes, the stronger the need to keep doing things; the more one does, the more exhausted one becomes.

Understanding this cycle means that the situation does not have to be reduced to a matter of poor time management or organization.

Psychoanalytic work can seek to understand why stopping is so difficult and what hyperactivity may serve to keep at a distance.

Constant activity may be associated with strong self-imposed demands, a need to perform, a fear of wasting time, or difficulty being alone with one's thoughts.

For some people, it may also constitute a way of avoiding certain concerns. However, this hypothesis cannot be generalized.

The meaning of this hyperactivity must be explored in relation to the uniqueness of each individual.

Some people experience guilt when they are not working or being productive.

Rest may then become associated with the idea of wasting time, not being useful, or failing to meet expectations.

A psychoanalytic approach makes it possible to explore one's relationship to rest, performance, demands, and the gaze of others.

Persistent concerns and certain forms of inner tension can contribute to a feeling of exhaustion. However, persistent fatigue can also have medical causes and, when necessary, should be assessed by a healthcare professional.

When psychological factors play an important role, psychoanalysis can provide an opportunity to explore the tensions that shape everyday life and the demands to which a person subjects themselves.

Psychoanalytic sessions provide an opportunity to question one's relationship to work, achievement, rest, and personal limits.

Why does there always have to be something to do? What happens when we no longer meet the expectations placed upon us? Why is it so difficult to accept our own limits?

These questions can open up an analytic exploration of what lies behind the constant need to stay active.

As a psychoanalyst in Lyon, I offer consultations in my practice and by video consultation for those wishing to explore their individual relationship to activity, rest, work, and personal demands.