Very weird 'brain fog' feelings

[Panda22]

Hi, i've been noticing for the past few months i often have strong brain fog feelings. My mind feels overly tired, slow and a bit spaced out. It's like my head is full of cotton and i can't think clearly and can't concentrate. I also often yawn when i have it. Nothing i do seems to make the feeling go away, sometimes it feels the more i try to feel better the worse it gets.

I don't have panic attacks anymore, but this feeling is really upsetting. What can i do about this?? I've noticed that it clears when i lay in bed for 10mins, or when i go on a walk by myself... But it comes back whenever i do pretty much anything else.

[LittleLionMan]

This is basically my default setting these days.

[Panda22]

What helps you? For me it's so weird how it comes and goes seemingly randomly

[LittleLionMan]

The only time I feel better is when I almost forget to feel rough (if that makes sense), and the second I notice, it comes back again.
So I’m just trying to throw myself into work and life, hoping filling my head with other stuff works, almost try and move in on my behaviour.
I’ve been actually ill for the last week or so, but the second that passes I’m going to start exercising again too, see if that helps.
How about you?

[NoraB]

Default setting for me too. (Fibromyalgia) but anxiety also causes brain fog...

[fishman65]

Is this brain fog in any way similar to DP/DR? I get that quite a lot, to the point where it becomes my default setting. Grounding techniques help, that and focussing outward and not inward.

[LittleLionMan]

Is this brain fog in any way similar to DP/DR? I get that quite a lot, to the point where it becomes my default setting. Grounding techniques help, that and focussing outward and not inward.
I’m pretty sure mine is. Just not grounded and thinking clearly. It’s a struggle to say the least.

[NoraB]

Apologies, I had a bit of a 'moment' there..

Normal service will be resumed shortly. :yesyes:

[LittleLionMan]

Apologies, I had a bit of a 'moment' there..

Normal service will be resumed shortly. :yesyes:
Haha, you’re allowed to have a ‘moment’!

[NoraB]

Haha, you’re allowed to have a ‘moment’!

Thanks PHR. I definitely do have my moments, but the aim is to help people deal with their shit, not dump mine lol :blush:

[fishman65]

Thanks PHR. I definitely do have my moments, but the aim is to help people deal with their shit, not dump mine lol :blush:You're deserving of help too though Nora, so dump away.

[NoraB]

You're deserving of help too though Nora, so dump away.

Ta fishman,

I was just having a 'moment' about the brain fog I experience with fibromyalgia. It's by far the worst symptom of this condition. I'd take pain any day over this, and the type of cognitive issues I experience with this obliterates the level of brain fog that I've experienced with anxiety alone. (Or the menopause). Amongst many things, I can't be the grandmother I want to be because I'm not safe to look after the little ones on my own. I can't drive myself to my son's house anymore. I can't give him the help that my mother and mother-in-law gave me. The independence I've fought so hard to achieve is slipping away from me, and that's not easy for me to accept. It upsets me. But I know I have to learn how to live with (and accept) this condition, and I do the work. I do what I advocate to people on here. (I'm not just a gobshite lol) But I'm also human, and I have days (and moments) where I feel very sorry for myself.. :weep:

Then I tell myself to stop titting about because, as shit as things are, they could be a lot worse, so onwards forever onwards!! :)

[fishman65]

Ta fishman,

I was just having a 'moment' about the brain fog I experience with fibromyalgia. It's by far the worst symptom of this condition. I'd take pain any day over this, and the type of cognitive issues I experience with this obliterates the level of brain fog that I've experienced with anxiety alone. (Or the menopause). Amongst many things, I can't be the grandmother I want to be because I'm not safe to look after the little ones on my own. I can't drive myself to my son's house anymore. I can't give him the help that my mother and mother-in-law gave me. The independence I've fought so hard to achieve is slipping away from me, and that's not easy for me to accept. It upsets me. But I know I have to learn how to live with (and accept) this condition, and I do the work. I do what I advocate to people on here. (I'm not just a gobshite lol) But I'm also human, and I have days (and moments) where I feel very sorry for myself.. :weep:

Then I tell myself to stop titting about because, as shit as things are, they could be a lot worse, so onwards forever onwards!! :)You have an awful lot to deal with Nora. You're battling physical illness and anxiety, that's some task but your attitude is incredible. And yes I think you're allowed moments of feeling sorry for yourself, I'd say more than moments but as you say, onwards we go. I take my hat off to you. It's only one of those black woolly hats but it amounts to the same :hugs:

[pulisa]

Nora, have you considered that these cognitive issues could also be explained by your autism and by the brain aging in a different way to what is considered the neuronormal process? My son at nearly 37 is really struggling with his cognitive skills and short term memory.

You may think you are "lacking" in certain skills but you're as sharp as a tack on here and always provide such excellent advice and support to others. We all need to feel sorry for ourselves at times. We're only human and you have more reason than most to feel low :hugs:

[NoraB]

I take my hat off to you. It's only one of those black woolly hats but it amounts to the same :hugs:

Ta fishman, I appreciate it. :hugs:

[NoraB]

Nora, have you considered that these cognitive issues could also be explained by your autism and by the brain aging in a different way to what is considered the neuronormal process? My son at nearly 37 is really struggling with his cognitive skills and short term memory.

I think it's possible that there are overlaps with autism, yes.


You may think you are "lacking" in certain skills but you're as sharp as a tack on here and always provide such excellent advice and support to others. We all need to feel sorry for ourselves at times. We're only human and you have more reason than most to feel low :hugs:

Thanks, P.

You might have noticed that, generally, my pattern is to come on here in the morning and I'm usually offline by around 9am. That's because I am at my best first thing in terms of energy and brain (lol).

Last week was an exception because my anxiety has been very high due to my son's wedding, visiting John and Paul's childhood homes in the Pewl, and Charles and Camilla being in the news (Grrrrr)

I've been wired to buggery (also having more panic attacks), so people have seen a lot more of me on here. (Which incidentally is not what I should be doing in terms of lowering my anxiety levels, so feel free to berate me) :unsure:

But generally, as the morning goes on, my energy dips. I can drive myself to the local Tesco because it's only two miles and I know I can get myself back, even so, I only go when I know Mr Batty is working locally. I no longer attempt to drive in the afternoons, and sometimes I will drive with Mr Batty in the car with me, but he has to drive back. A walk around a garden centre in the afternoon can mean the difference in being able to drive and not. My energy drains gradually or dramatically depending on circumstances, and with the fatigue comes the cognitive issues. The frustrating thing about this (one of) is that despite all the other challenges (anxiety, autism etc) until I was 38, I had energy in abundance. I could get up at 7am and work all day. I kept house and home and worked part-time. I also looked after my mother-in-law when she became unwell. It wasn't unusual for me to be gardening until it went dark (in summer) or cleaning my decorating tools at midnight. I was the proverbial Duracell battery of a human being, running on all those stress hormones probably (lol) but I was also fit and healthy.

I don't think it's much of a surprise that so many autistics develop these chronic conditions like fibro and M.E/ CFS etc A life spent in a constant state of high to severe anxiety will eventually catch up with us, right? Throw in a trauma (take your pick with the emergency op or my mother dying) and the wires (which are messed up as a norm) will go into even more of a tangle, right?

I miss the Duracell bunny me. It really bothers me that I can't physically (or mentally) do when I want to do. To be able to do those things, like drive, took a lot of effort as it was, and now it's all but gone, but I have to be safe (as does everyone around me). Same for my grandchildren. My energy can go dip so dramatically that I fall asleep sitting up, and I don't need to remind you what two-year-olds get up to, and I could never forgive myself if anything happened to them in my care. So, I am being sensible in saying no to my son, but it doesn't stop it from hurting me..

Re the driving, I was making mistakes, even in the morning. Mistakes that I really shouldn't be making after driving for over 30 years, and it bothered me so much that I almost gave up driving. Then I realised that playing the music in my car was the problem. I've always played my music in the car, Metallica on full whack? Hell yes! But the advice that I've read with cognative issues is to not have music playing at all. So, I made that change and things have improved a lot. I no longer want to sell my car. I can keep tootling around locally and be safe. At first it was horrible (autism and change and all that) but I realised I'd made no mistakes at all, so this has to be how it is now; if I want to hold onto this bit of independence, I have to adapt, so I have. (Go me!)

So, I am always trying to look for ways to improve my situation, but it still bloody well sucks, because I'm still that 'other' me in my mind. I'm still buff, wearing my vest tops and Reebock's and powering through the days. (Shame that my body and brain say otherwise) :weep:

Coming on here gives me a sense of purpose. I feel less of a waste of space when I come on here. When people occasionally message me and say that I've helped them, or just made them smile, it gives me an enormous lift, and I always endeavour to give my best on here. (The anomaly being that I step up the humour when I actually feel low)

Anyway, food for thought, P, re autism and ageing. I've always felt that there is a serious lack of literature (and articles in general) on this. Maybe ol' Nora could help to fill that gap? :unsure: