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Wait, was that MMO binge hypomania? Plus, dizziness and passing out

Discussion in 'Physical & Sexual Health' started by Tetraquark, Jun 14, 2012.

  1. Tetraquark

    Tetraquark Guest

    Sorry that it's a bit long. I'm wordy.

    I've had a rough year so far. I was going to go see a psychologist over the summer, but I talked myself out of it (with help from my mom, who is loathe to think that there is anything wrong with me). I usually do okay, but every week or so I have a half a day, sometimes a full day, where I just crash. Today was one of those days.

    What makes this time interesting was what preceded it.

    Last week on Wednesday I passed out shortly after getting up in the morning. The doctor concluded that it was probably hypoglycemia from not eating enough. Fair enough -- I've only had two meals a day with almost no snacking in between for almost three months now. Thing is, I've had similar problems for years, even when I'm sure I was eating enough. I've never passed out before, but sometimes I'll suddenly get dizzy and my vision will go partially black. It only lasts for a second or two before going away. Since last Wednesday, however, it's been happening a lot more frequently -- once every other day at least. And yes, I have been eating more.

    Meanwhile, the day after that (last Thursday) I got back into one of my favorite MMORPG's. I started a new character on a new server and started playing. A lot. I've probably played this game for 8 to 10 hours every day since then except Sunday, when I was prevented from doing so by going to see a movie (still probably clocked upwards of 5 hours). Also, it's free-to-play, but, like most such games, it has some things that you have to spend real world money on. I did buy something for $5, and I found myself wanting to buy all sorts of things from the shop -- new clothes, new hairstyles, pets -- all for characters I don't think I'll play past this summer. This is not normal for me.

    This has mostly gone away now. I'll have to log back in to it periodically because I have some commitments (selling stuff I told other people I'd give them, keeping the guild in order), but I feel like I'm done with it. Actually, I feel like I'm done with pretty much everything. I only care about anything insofar that I know I have to care about it in order to function. I also just generally feel depressed and lonely.

    I'm curious what your thoughts are about any of this. Is it worth seeing a psychologist about my fluctuating mood? Does anyone have any idea about what could be causing the dizziness/partial blackouts?
     
  2. TraceElement

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    I have a few questions. How did your doctor conclude that it was "probably" hypoglycemia? Did he check your sugars, or give you a lab slip for blood work? And if that was the case, the dizziness and blacking out should theoretically be deminished with eating more.
    I woud at least check in with your general doctor about your moods. The mood and dizziness may have a simmilar underlying problem, so a chat with doc will help sort things out a little more... and if not, you may need to see a psychiatrist.

    KB will probably be on in a while to give more in depth advice/suggestions.
     
  3. Tetraquark

    Tetraquark Guest

    Thanks TraceElement. The doctor did blood work and didn't find anything unusual, so she made her decision based on my reported eating habits and weight loss (was at 130 in November and am at 120 now; not a huge drop, but I also didn't increase my increase my exercise and wasn't trying to diet).

    I don't have a general doctor. The one I went to for the passing out was at an urgent care facility. I'm on my mom's plan, and she has horrible insurance. And she makes sure to remind me of that at every opportunity, too.
     
  4. samizer0313

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    I would go see a psychologist for your fluctuating moods and he shouldn't really make assumptions because just like you, my vision comes partially black and I passed out once, which was pretty recent. I hope you'll be okay.
     
  5. suninthesky

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    from adrenal burnout

    Problems with a adrenal glands are more common than people think. Totally not a doctor so I'm not saying that it's what wrong, necesarily. But I can speak from my own experiences with the condition, and it seems a lot like it.

    If you read parts of the article, please note that there is a difference between primary hypoadrenalism, which is quite rare, and having adrenal burnout, which personally I believe is very common.

    I've passed out about 3 times, was fatigued, my vision went black a lot, some of the emotional stuff too. And I lost 8-10ish pounds. I didn't really have any of the compulsiveness symptoms.
     
    #5 suninthesky, Jun 15, 2012
    Last edited: Jun 15, 2012
  6. KaraBulut

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    Two meals a day is not enough for most people. The weight loss is also an indication that you're not getting enough nutrition to maintain your basic body function.

    During periods where the body is not getting adequate nutrition, it begins to turn off unnecessary processes to reserve energy. This is why dieting can be counter-productive- it results in feeling tired, low energy and many of the symptoms that you're describing.

    The real question here is "Why are you eating two meals a day?".
     
  7. Tetraquark

    Tetraquark Guest

    When I get stressed, my appetite disappears, and there are certain foods which I just can't stomach. Unfortunately, most breakfast foods are on the list of foods that make me want to throw up, so during the school year, when all I could usually get for breakfast was traditional breakfast food, I stopped eating breakfast. Once summer started I usually slept so late that it made sense to go straight to lunch anyways. I've been eating more recently, having another small meal before bed and snacking throughout the day, but the dizziness hasn't gone away (of course, it also started long before I reduced how much I ate).

    This has been an unbelievably stressful year so far. Doesn't help that right as I was starting to feel a bit better (most days) I got kicked out of the house.
     
  8. KaraBulut

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    Feeling a bit queasy after breakfast is not an uncommon complaint.

    What often helps is to have a light snack when you wake up - a slice of toast or a small amount of fruit. Then finish getting ready and have another more substantial snack afterward. Usually this helps.