Memory problems making anxiety worse

[breeze25]

I've pretty much gotten on top of my anxiety problems in the past few years, but the one area that really concerns me is when I get forgetful.

I have quite a stressful job in a school where I work 1-1 with children with severe behavioural needs. About 3 weeks ago I had a very stressful day at work where I was attacked, not severely hurt but I was on high adrenaline charge mode for at least 30 mins till the situation calmed down. It was a welcome relief when two weeks ago the school holidays started so I could relax. Since when I have not been good, I've been over thinking and noticed that my memory isn't fantastic, I keep speaking and saying the wrong word, I'm finding it hard to recall certain things which then sends me into a panic. Anxiety has pretty much taken hold again and I have the old symptoms like pins in needles in my hands and feel and the feeling of feeling shaky, I can talk to myself and let myself know that it's a symptom of my anxiety and the fact I'm panicking and not breathing properly, so why can't I do it with my memory issues!!

Anyone else suffer with memory/confusion problems.

Thanks in advance :)

[KeeKee]

My memory is ridiculous lately. I can't even get my words out half the time as I forgot what I'm saying mid sentence. I think mine is due to a few stressful factors I'm dealing with at the moment.

After recent events, no the wonder you are feeling how you're feeling.

When you are highly stressed I think it's very common to experience memory problems. I also can't think straight a lot of the time too so reading is often difficult as I forget what I've just read.

[breeze25]

Thanks Keekee that sounds exactly how I feel. I find reading really hard too, I read words that are not there and the sentences don't make sense so I give up.

Thanks for commentating x

[Carrie8484]

I have a terrible memory. I sometimes i'll struggle to remember something simple and think 'oh no, what if i have early onset dementia?!' but when I speak to people, they also say they have bad memories, my boyfriend's memory is absolutely shocking.
Anxiety definitely makes your memory worse but only while you are experiencing it. Try nt to worry, its very normal.

[GadGirl]

I have a terrible memory too,, when you are highly stressed memory goes to pop. My Psycologist explained it in a certain way with parts of the brain but low and behold haha I can't remember it x

[Darwin73]

I am the same. I try to rationalise it by reminding myself that I am trying to keep so many proverbial balls in the air at the moment, that my brain is prioritising those things and not focusing on the refinements of language (I often find myself putting the wrong word in a sentence, for example, and not realise till afterwards that I've done it. Often the word I substitute is a word relating to one crisis or another that I am trying to deal with at the time.).

[breeze25]

Thanks for all your replies, dementia is what I think of too! But to be honest it's only since an early onset dementia storyline has appeared on a soap opera I watch.

[MrsDavies]

When I had HA I also had a terrible memory and would often mix up words or say them wrong, it's was all a symptom of my anxiety as it stopped once I regained control :)

[blackbroom]

My memory's particularly terrible at the moment because of the perimenopause, but I've always found that I forget stuff and can't concentrate when I'm stressed. My mind is so focused on what I'm worrying about that its ability to perform any other function is severely compromised. I end up reading the same sentence over and over and still having no idea what it says.

The other thing about my memory that scares me when I'm anxious is that I do things on autopilot and then get worried because I have no conscious memory of having done them. I got myself in a real state one day because I knew from the fact that there was a newspaper in the house that I'd been to the paper shop, but I had no recollection whatsoever of having gone.

I also work in education and I find that the sudden change from being insanely busy in termtime to having way more time than I know what to do with in the summer holidays is really disorientating. As you say, you have time to overthink and I sometimes feel like I'm literally going mad. Also, your body is still pumping out the same amount of adrenalin that you have in termtime and you're not burning it off, which can make you feel on edge all the time.

[breeze25]

I feel so much better after reading your replies, hopefully this is what I need to push forward.