Forgetfullness/confusion - scared

[flatterycat]

Please can someone relate?
I have been suffering with health anxiety ever since my daughter was born 20 months ago. I have been plagued with fears about various parts of my body and everytime I get over one thing another crops up.
At the moment I am terrified that I have early onset alzeimers or a brain tumour. This is because I keep forgetting things. I lose my thread in conversations, and am always forgetting why I went into a room. The really scary thing though is that I have had a couple of experiences where I feel confused. Yesterday I was pushing my toddler on her bike along our road when I came to our turning to our close. For a second I had to really stop and think about where I was and this scared me. The other day I was driving to a friends house when for a second I forgot where I was going. Is it really possible to feel like this with anxiety. Can anxiety make you feel confused. The other thing I get is like de ja vu where I suddenly feel odd - its like I have a memory that I can't get hold of, then it disappears. Sorry if I am making no sense - I just want to believe that I am not the only one who gets these 'moments'.

Sarah x

[shoegal]

Hi. Firstly, you have a young child and it's well known that women can be forgetful for a while after having a baby (something to do with the hormones perhaps). My friend on facebook recently went out for the day leaving her keys in the front door due to her baby induced ditzyness! That aside, anxiety also makes you forgetful and a bit confused sometimes. I often walk into a room and forget what I went in there for! I have also been told that if you have alzheimers (or anything similar) you wouldn't be aware of your memory problems. I hope this reassures you a bit. :flowers:

[Rhys1879SAFC]

Is the term for this not brain fog? I'm sure thats a symptom of anxiety by the way, nothing to be alarmed about. :)

[flatterycat]

Thankyou both so much for replying.
I can understand the forgetfulness, I am full of anxiety, looking after a toddler and work as a teacher so it kind of makes sense!
What bothers me are these moments of confusion. Can brain fog cause that? It's like I can be in a familiar environment and for a couple of seconds feel like I don't recognise my surroundings.
Sarah

[kah]

Hey Sarah,

I had to reply just to say that I am exactly the same. Always forgetting why I'm in a room, opening the fridge and staring blankley in wondering what I wanted, putting odd things in the fridge....you name it I've (I@ve) done it!!
Also, I was driving the other day and started to panic because I couldn't remember which peddle to put my foot on for the brake :scared15:
I don't have the excuse of having just had a baby because my youngest is 3 in a couple of weeks!
I'm pretty sure it's anxiety causing this, I'm worse when my anxiety is really bad, I think maybe because my mind is elsewhere??

Hope it helps to know you are not alone.

K xx

[Kelley]

Hi Sarah.
About 18 months ago after a bad bout of high anxiety I had the exact thing you're describing. I was terrified as every forum I searched talked about forgetting things and putting things like milk on the cupboard etc but none of them described the terrifying experience like when I was driving and for a few seconds forgot where I was and a week later it happened again while driving on the main road I have driven on my entire life and it didn't look at all familiar for a few seconds! I couldn't figure out where I was going or how I was going to get there!!!! As I recovered it didn't happen again even though every time i thought about it it sent a surge of panic through my body and I was so scared it was dementia. It would scare me if it happened again I'm sure but knowing I wasn't alone with this occurrence is a relief! At the moment I'm having difficulty with my spelling and I have always been a very accurate speller!


Kel x

[flatterycat]

Thankyou Kelley and Kal

Kal - My little one is 2 in July, so not very 'new' at all!!!!! Still, she is a very clingy and demanding girl (though I wouldn't change her for the world).

Kelley - You described perfectly what has happened to me. Isn't it scary. Thankyou so much for sharing. Did you ever tell your doc? I told mine and he didn't seem concerned. Someone else said to me that it is derealisation?! As for spelling - I am a teacher and sometimes have to really stop and think about it. It's even worse in maths - especially quick fire mental maths!

S x

[harasgenster]

Hi, I was really worried about this a few months ago. I kept putting my card in ATM machines and walking away, I even made cups of tea and forgot about them immediately, three minutes later I'd think "I want a cup of tea" and would be really confused when I got to the kettle to see one was already there! At a time of severe stress, my Mam used to make her breakfast and forget to eat it, but until I showed her the bowl she'd swear that she had eaten it! She also put birthday cards in the freezer for some reason!!!

My boyfriend recently told me that when his brother was under stress, he's eat his dinner, put the plate down and suddenly realise he couldn't remember what the meal was. He used to get really frustrated and wouldn't let anyone tell him what the dinner was because he wanted to remember it for himself.

Don't worry about it. I know it's scary, particularly if you're driving, but it's just anxiety. I think it's because we've got constant mind chatter so we're always thinking about something other than what we're doing.

By the way, with the spelling, I'm a journalist and I'm having such massive problems with words at the moment! I have to keep looking them up to check I've spelled them right and even that I've got the definition right!

[mummymurray]

Oh my word all, thank you so much for posting this thread. I too have been absolutely terrified that I have got some early onset dementia. I am 31 and it has just been freaking me out big time. I am having panics now that I will forget something if you know what I mean?

I also jumble up my words alot. Nice to know I'm not alone xx