do you have problems with logical info proccesing when you do NOT feel anxious ??

[rbm]

i've been diagnosed for over a year, i take meds i try my best...

today i was watching the news and dind't fully understand what they said, the information kept coming, they were showing images not related to the event....i got so confused!! i deal with the fear of dementia as i am not always able to remember things or keep a straight thought...my psych says i am fine, but these things keep happening, i can't make plans cous i can't remember all the variables...
anyway, what i'm saying is at that point, i was not anxious nor restless, simply watching the news adn when i realised i couldn't make sense of the information presented, i was beside myself..

do things happen to you anxiety related, when you feel fine, no anxiety ?

[MyNameIsTerry]

Yes, I've had loads of this and you will find it is common, I know I've seen many people talking about these issues on here since I joined.

The thing is anxiety & depression affect your neurotransmitters and some of these are required for cognitive functioning such as short term memory, cognition, etc. The Serotonin in your brain has various functions, and two are regulation of memory and learning. Low Serotonin levels are associated with anxiety/depression hence why we have issues like you are describing.

Being anxious has no function on this, you don't have to be having a panic attack or be much more anxious, it could simply be that you are experiencing these issues because your Serotonin has been decreased hence why these issues can be more constant or come & go independently of anxiety at the time.

I've had many good mood days where the cognition issues and memory problems have still be there. You can get them when you have things like brain fog.

[rbm]

thank you so much for answering !!

i am truly afraid (go figure :roflmao:) that i'm going crazy, i do (almost) fine at work but everytime i "miss a beat" everything goes downhill.surely i'm not the only one who missplaces things, misunderstands things or can't think strait, but i happens to me every day, i seem to be thinking of 2 things at once on 2 different levels...

still, there are moments i am calm, got it all together, sharp, present minded and i get confused about some minor thing that immediatly triggers panic...i take zoloft and xanax , i don't know how else to get through this but ask you whether of not this is ok or just a silent symptom of a muck larger issue?

[MyNameIsTerry]

Well you have raised a fear of dementia with your psych and he/she has assured you there is no issue. I know how you feel, I've been through that stage of wondering about all this but with not having HA I could more easily accept it as anxiety as it wasn't a problem for me until I had anxiety.

I can definately say I've had many thoughts about losing my mind over the mostly the last 4 years. OCD was all new to me and when your entire day is spent performing compulsions which feel so strong you don't believe you can resist them, you think you are going mad. You are not though. I remember reading a NHS leaflet about that which I picked up in one of their community offices where they treat more severe mental illness. It said if you think you are losing your mind, it's very unlikely you are because people with those issues don't realise it and it's normally people around them that flag it up.

Dementia is a serious degenerative disorder, it's getting lots of press in recent years and so you are bound to worry about that BUT it's worth understanding how anxiety/depression cause issues with memory & learning so that you can try to accept it along with your assurance from your psych.

I've walked into rooms and not known what I've gone in there for. Someone has said things to me and I can't remember it seconds later. I've spent ages trying to think of the right word. I've felt confused. I've had difficulty processing information and making decisions. I've had mental blocks adding up (and I've always been good at maths). I found all of these decrease as you start to recover.

Honestly, I started playing the games on here last year and couldn't think of words to post in them but months of doing that and it's much easier. So, I think a bit of "brain training" helps too.

[rbm]

I've walked into rooms and not known what I've gone in there for. Someone has said things to me and I can't remember it seconds later. I've spent ages trying to think of the right word. I've felt confused. I've had difficulty processing information and making decisions. I've had mental blocks adding up (and I've always been good at maths)

i am literally crying tears of relief right now, reading this and realising i am not alone and there is hope.the thick of it is i can't acces information when i need it , i have to pay attention to be able to get through the day,i feel clumsy all day, it's exhausting, but at least i sleep at night...

thank you so much for giving me hope, maybe i will try harder to find peace of mind and the symptoms will subside...

[MyNameIsTerry]

Well what I've written there I can promise you I've seen loads of times on here. There are certainly threads about confusion and memory issues on the Symptoms board, I've posted in some I've seen in the past.

I used to get a bit of it too when I took Diazepam occasionally. Perhaps some of the others who take Xanax on here will say it has similiar effects on them?

Honestly, what you are saying is so common. It's a very big symptom for people with depression for a start and that brings the Serotonin link back into it all. We suffer low moods, mood swings, etc and again it's going to be lowering our Serotonon levels so it will have a knock on effect to memory & learning.

Concentration is a well known one to suffer with anxiety disoders. One I missed out above is feeling like my brain is not processing what my eyes are seeing. It's like my brain has slowed down. Again, it's another anxiety issue. I've seen people talk about this one of her numerous times.

Trust in your psych about this, they would know the big differences between cognitive problems seen in mental health disorders and the more serious cognitive decline of a degenerative disorder like dementia.

[jayb1]

Terry to the rescue !!! I think I might have to start a fan club for you! My memory and concentration are completely shot at . I can be having a conversation and lose thread of what I was saying within seconds. I forget every day words. I even have to have mum watch me take my morning tablet so I've remembered I've took it even though I have one of those daily pill things. I've learnt now to stop talking think and start again rather than getting frustrated

[Sparkling_Fairy]

I have the same thing. The walking into rooms and not remembering what I'm there for. Or going to get something in the kitchen, stop by the bathroom on the way there, and then go back to the living room remembering a half hour later I was supposed to get something in the kitchen. I can forget things within 3 minutes. I was really worried about early onset dementia, but now I'm not anymore since the symptoms are so common!

I also find that some days I have the hardest time forming a coherent sentence! Or situations are happening around me and I can't process them fast enough. These days are rare for me.
But they do happen.

Nothing to worry about. More annoying than anything else, but pretty normal when you have anxiety

[MyNameIsTerry]

Terry to the rescue !!! I think I might have to start a fan club for you! My memory and concentration are completely shot at . I can be having a conversation and lose thread of what I was saying within seconds. I forget every day words. I even have to have mum watch me take my morning tablet so I've remembered I've took it even though I have one of those daily pill things. I've learnt now to stop talking think and start again rather than getting frustrated

Thanks Jay, I really appreciate that.

We all help each other on here and I've seen you giving some excellent support which you should be proud of. :yesyes:

I think I noticed my issues in this area more because I've always had a really good memory. In my job I had to remember a lot of facts & figures to be any good at it and I mean hundreds of data items & what they meant. So, when I started having trouble working something out that was minor compared to the complex technical specs I would have been working through before, I knew something was wrong. It is just anxiety though. Anyone with depression will tell you how their minds seem to slow down and it makes total sense as Serotonin is very important in these areas. Getting more L-Trytophan might be a good thing to try as this is a precursor to Serotonin but not in a high protein format because Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) compete for priority and they win so the L-Tryptophan doesn't head for the brain. Taking carbs at the same time is supposed to alter this competition in favour of the L-Tryptophan hence it heading for the brain otherwise taking it without other amino acids is supposed to work too. We have to remember that all SSRI's do is help us keep more Serotonin and reduce our receptor sites so less is used. But what if you don't get enough L-Tryptophan in your diet? The answer is, the med isn't doing as much as it can as it has less to work with.

[rbm]

I think I noticed my issues in this area more because I've always had a really good memory.
me too ! i can remember phone numbers and birthdays of people i went to school with.i deal with numbers at work, i need to stay focused but if i get sidetracked...that's it ! i've always been worried about things since i was a child, now i worry about my child, my job, etc...friends say no one could deal with such stress with a clean mind! i know i put a lot of pressure on myself but it feels like everything is happening when i am calm and focused and i can't get a break...ever ! i'm glad you guys are here, you helped me so much !

[23tana]

I have to make lists/notes of everything and post them by the computer where I am sure to see them. I forget even the things I'm doing that day.

As for words and maths, I find it so frustrating not to remember them. My grandson is now of an age where he asks how to do or spell things and I feel such an idiot when I can't remember primary information.

I've learnt to live with it as a part of my overall condition, but it is annoying.

[rbm]

I.m shaking right now!! I think I forgot to use deodorant today, why?? I use this everyday, not sure about today and I.m back to 1 : I.m going nuts! Forgetting things you do everyday isn.t normal is it?? I.m breathless, please help!

[Sparkling_Fairy]

It's very normal!
I take my handbag with me every day. No exception. It's routine that when I leave for work, handbag in hand.
Last week I left it at home. Noticed all the way to work something didn't feel quite right, but couldn't figure it out.

I have days where I seem to forget how to even speak! And other days where I'm fine. Anxiety is a bitch!