This is why some people with mental illness say they're 'tired'

Mental health illnesses are wide and varied and sufferers have a broad spectrum of symptoms.

However in many cases, navigating every day social interactions while suffering from a mental health illness can be, quite frankly, exhausting.

Art director and mental health advocate PJ Palits wanted to share with people why mental health illnesses can "make people exhausted".

This is by no means an attempt to simplify mental health issues - there are many and different kinds of illnesses. It's a way, instead, to look at a common thread that for many sufferers is a very real part of their lives.

Palits' thread, which was written in January but has once again gone viral, has been revived on social media for its insight.

She used her platform to share what it's like to have a mental health illness for those who might have friends or family suffering.

To help them understand.

Sometimes, for people suffering from mental health problems, it's difficult to 'switch off' their brain from thinking. And thinking. And thinking.

It's hard to fall asleep.

Lack of a good night's sleep means being constantly tired throughout the day.

Sleep deprivation can lead to other issues during waking hours - like memory issues.

Sensory overload.

Palitz admits that it''s like "living on a rope bridge swaying in the wind":

It's like living on a rope bridge swaying in the wind over a canyon while you're afraid of heights, and hearing 'I don't understand what you're complaining about, the bridge is secure. Suck it up and deal with it. I can do it so you can do it too.

These are people who are tired from side-effects of medication, or self-medicating to cope with the symptoms of their diagnosis and the expectations of society. 

She added: "There are ppl who are struggling w/their brains to differentiate what's real and what's not, bcoz their brains present everything to them as reality. These are people who have physical manifestations from their mental struggles bcoz being on high alert takes a physical toll on a person.'"

Her message is a simple one of empathy.

Her post has been shared tens of thousands of times as people praise her honest and informative thread.

One person responded to the thread with gratitude: "This entire thread is 100 per cent me. All. Of. It. Every single freaking day of my life. Even when I was on meds with the other stuff, I was exhausted from the meds. I think I've had ONE DAY in my ENTIRE LIFE where I woke feeling rested."

"You are so not alone," another Twitter user added.

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