Fatigue
Fatigue is characterized by difficulty concentrating; anxiety;
a gradual decrease in stamina that is out of proportion to energy
expended; difficulty sleeping; increased sensitivity to light,
noise, taste, and touch; a feeling of being cold and off balance;
an increase in nausea and diarrhea; and the limiting of social
interactions to activities of particular signifi cance. Participants
who reported fatigue said that they “pushed on” despite these
problems. An important feature of fatigue is the increased effort
required to manage the changes described. The requirement to
do so comes at a time when individuals have less energy available.
Fatigue is hypothesized to indicate a declining ability to
adapt to stressors that occur during the resistance phase of the
GAS. The antecedent of fatigue is a nonadaptive response to
tiredness. If an effective adaptive response can be mounted at
this stage, an individual can move back to tiredness and, eventually,
to no tiredness. If adaptation is not effective, the outcome
is eventual progression to exhaustion.