Dear Reader,

Glad to hear you went to your doctor to investigate your chronic tiredness. You covered many of the bases that Alice would have suggested: sleep, diet, exercise, and blood tests that check for anemia, hypoglycemia, Epstein-Barr virus, mononucleosis, Lyme disease, and other serious energy-drainers. You might consider seeking a second medical opinion.

You did not mention your psychological health. Are you pleased with your home life, job, friends, mates, finances, etc? Even occasional and mild sadness, not to mention stress, can cause prolonged fatigue. Dysthymia, the clinical diagnosis for mild depression, is common and claims tiredness as one of its primary symptoms. Mild and more serious forms of depression affect millions of people of all ages in every career, financial bracket, and lifestyle. Unfortunately, only a fraction of depressed people seek help in the form of counseling and/or medication. For too long, this common and highly treatable disorder has been stigmatized by our society, and unfairly dismissed as moodiness and laziness.

You may not be "down and out" or depressed, but Alice thinks it's worthwhile for everyone to think about these issues now and then. Talking with a counselor can be useful.

At Columbia, Counseling and Psychological Services (x4-2468) provides this type of assistance. Elsewhere, you can get referrals from your primary care provider and/or HMO, the American Psychological Association, the National Association of Social Workers, or in the phone book under "psychologists," "psychotherapy," "psychological associations," or "social workers."

Alice

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