Homebody any one else?

[pennstater]

Hello,I don’t care if I don’t leave my house,it is way too exhausting.I just make it for appointments.I take antidepressants.Im wondering if it’s just me?
Do I need to push myself?Dave

In addition to the fatigue MS may bring, depression and some medicines can also afffect energy. You mentioned antidepressants. Do you feel they are working? If you can rule out depression as a cause to not wanting to go anywhere, then do what you feel. But if you think depression is part of the problem, talk to your doc. Maybe not the right med or dosage for you.

I sometimes feel the need to just stay put. Usually when fatigued, but sometimes, I just need to enjoy being home.

[Carlyle]

I will talk to doc. Carolinemf you all have helped me thanks again Dave

[Daisycat]

I stay at home when I am not working my real job or one of my side jobs or working out. Not because I don't have the energy... I just get my limit of people in at work and I would rather curl up with my dog and watch netflix in my 2 hours a day I have free instead of going out and dealing with annoying people.

To be fair though I never really enjoyed being around people much before this. I did used to go to dinner or go have a drink with friends , but since I can't/choose not to do that anymore netflix and my couch are what I enjoy.

[Mable]

I spent 3 weeks shut in recently. I work from home and my partner was away. I used the time to putter around the house. It was cold and snowy, so I only left home to get groceries. Didn’t otherwise see live humans. I don’t even have pets.

It was great in a way, but it also gave me a lot of time to think about how sick I am, and how sick I might become in the near future. By last week, I was clearly becoming dysfunctional and noticed all my resilience was gone when I couldn’t start my car and didn’t know what to do about it.

Fortunately, friends and family figured out what was going on and pulled me through what turns out to have been a deep, deep funk.

This week, I’ve had to travel to the east coast, work at the corporate office, and live in a hotel in the middle of a large city. It’s led to a complete emotional turnaround. Suddenly I feel invigorated! I can’t wait to hang out with my office mates and attack projects.

TL;DR I love to be home alone, but it gets unhealthy mighty quick for me!

[502E79]

Do I need to push myself?Dave

Hi Dave,

Had to think about this thread... simply didn't realize that I've become a "homebody" to an extent! Like other responses I too have no problem being alone. But...

I think using the time properly is key. Idle hands and all that certainly... but also pessimism / depression often announce themselves uninvited.

You ask: Do I need to push myself? I think you do, not always (MS limits!) but this Wm. James* quote speaks to the heart of the matter IMO:

"... Do every day or two something for no other reason than that you would rather not do it, so that when the hour of dire need draws nigh, it may find you not unnerved and untrained to stand the test."

* Principles of Psychology

[rdmc]

I'm a homebody. My MS has made it so hard to get ready and get to and from my apps. that I'm pooped out after one appointment. My social calendar consists of doctor appts and the occasional family get together for birthday, etc.

We were never extremely "social"...so it wasn't a huge change. Early on, because of the heat, or sensory overload, I was kept from doing the things I did enjoy...outdoor markets, fairs, craft fairs, etc. But that went away years ago.

In the last few years, as the scoliosis (I have neuromuscular scoliosis caused by my MS) got worse, it has become such a strenuous physical task
just to get to the doctor and home, we've pretty much cut out anything but doctors apps

I have found that we can still enjoy entertaining, we've just changed the parameters.
We can host up to about 35 folks, but out house. although not huge, has a way of dissipating people.

I order food in, pizza mostly from the best pizza parlor in town, but sometimes burgers or fish (my husband is the chef in that case) and others do the side dishes. I order in drinks, everything paper, and then desserts of some sort. It's flawless without me having to get out of my comfy chair and now we have Instacart for a couple of our grocery store so I can get grocery shopping done easily and delivered to my kitchen counter.

Being a "shut in" for most of the week has made me used to, and most times enjoy, "the sounds of silence."

Folks know I can't do anything, so my task is to order everything in, and assign who will be in charge of what, i.e. a person to deal with the drinks, person to keep up with plates, utensils, etc. I feel no stress and it flows seamlessly. I park myself in one chair, so I'm not tempted to get up and get things.

So although we don't go out much, we have managed a way to have people end.

[MyGirlsMom]

YES! I recently left my job due to MS and find myself home alone now...a lot. Of course my dogs are good company and they absolutely LOVE that I am home now everyday!! Lol!

I too was/am a people person and worked in a job that had a lot of personal interactions (customers and co-workers). Now my fatigue is bad, the weather has been colder with snow/ice and I have found myself home alone most days. I don’t think I am depressed but definitely in a bit of a funk. My thought is that this was such a big life change that I need to allow myself to have time to adjust. Thus, I have been trying to have just one accomplishment a day: a doc appointment, physical therapy, walk with dogs, see a friend, run an errand, go to grocery store, etc. But that is really about it. I guess I am waiting for my body to return to normal....

Anyhow, looking forward, my plan for March is to sign up for an art class at the recreation center and go to a weekly water therapy class too. I need more interaction and I think if I can get out and about periodically with a purpose, that will help quite a bit. I have also been working on one day at a time...reminding myself that just because it is this way today, doesn’t me it will always be. MS has lots of ups and downs...and I am now in a bit of a down cycle. So therefore it will most likely go back up...hopefully soon! 😊

So, those of us that struggle with winter weather need for spring weather to arrive, but for us I’m CO, we will just have to wait a bit longer as more snow is predicted this weekend. ⛄️

Thanks you all for this community of MSers! Very grateful for each of you!

[gargantua]

I spent 3 weeks shut in recently...

It was great in a way, but it also gave me a lot of time to think about how sick I am, and how sick I might become in the near future. By last week, I was clearly becoming dysfunctional and noticed all my resilience was gone when I couldn’t start my car and didn’t know what to do about it...

This week, I’ve had to travel to the east coast, work at the corporate office, and live in a hotel in the middle of a large city. It’s led to a complete emotional turnaround. Suddenly I feel invigorated! I can’t wait to hang out with my office mates and attack projects.

I love to be home alone, but it gets unhealthy mighty quick for me!

This really resonates. To me it says MS wants us to go through the motions even if we don’t feel it. Right now I dread social situations, anything that makes me captive in mixed company. But I go, because going through the motions (barring doctor’s orders) is the only way to push through things. And more and more lately I realize I’m belly laughing at something in those situations. I might not be playing my greatest hits, but so it goes. And the way my life is set up now, people will forget about me if I don’t go out. It’s kind of cynical to go out for that reason, but MS makes things that stark. In the long run staying in and being forgotten is a bad decision.