Rachel W
09-06-11, 22:06
Hi,
I have had a lot of life changes, i.e. I was in England with family doing my Master's degree and then came back to the US and am now doing field research and looking to go back to work. I have been under varying degrees of stress and worry, but this has been a part of my life for over 20 years due to OCD; saying that i have had the additional worry of health anxiety and stress with the research. In November I really felt like I couldn't think right and would forget words and use the wrong word in sentences. I of course freaked out, especially as I had met an older friend of the family who had Alzheimer's. Then it seemed to get better again, at least I stopped noticing it. Then I came back to the US and after a couple of months, right when I was trying to sort the research out it came back. I ate more estrogen containing foods and also when I spoke to my old boss to talk about returning to work it seemed to give me more confidence about things and it seemed to get better again. Then in the past few weeks it has come back and the more I worry about it the worse it seems to get. It is less of a foggy feeling, but I keep thinking the wrong word although I will think of the correct one within 30 seconds and often within about 3, but also I was in the field and I was worrying about my vision and dogs coming near me and I did some obervations and then realised that I did not have my small tape-recorder and thought that I must have dropped it. I back-tracked all my steps on the beach and thought that maybe I dropped it while I had been switching equipment. When I got back to that point (which was on the other side of a small water breach) I found it in the pair of boots that I didn't even realise that I was missing. I wear hip waders and carry my boots around with me. As soon as I saw them I immediately remembered putting my recorder down in them while I was observing a plover, but this really scares me.
As mentioned above, it seems to get worse the more I worry and I am noticing every slip-up. I also feel like when I am reading I cannot take in the information as well and it is almost like my eyes aren't seeing properly. I have distorted vision so it may be because my eyes are also tired.
I am so scared that I have early-onset memory loss. Is there a chance that it could be because I am worrying so much about it and the more I think about it the worse it gets. My cycle was also messed up last month because of stress but it is so far normal this month. I am terrified and worry that a few instances of memory loss after a car accident 7 years ago could have been a sign, however I am just completing my Master's degree and I have achieved a distinction in every course so far.
Please help. If I can get reassurance then maybe it can go away again. By the way, I am 40. Also my Mum and Dad are in their late 70s with no signs of memory impairment. It is just that I am so used to being able to remember every detail of things and now I question even if I think I know something. I even forgot which tap was the hot one a couple of weeks back, but I don't usually use the taps seperately and it is a mixer tap so I just usually turn both on. Also, if it caused by stress, is it reversible? I have also been really fed up with college and have felt like I needed a true break from it.
Very scared.
Rachel
I have had a lot of life changes, i.e. I was in England with family doing my Master's degree and then came back to the US and am now doing field research and looking to go back to work. I have been under varying degrees of stress and worry, but this has been a part of my life for over 20 years due to OCD; saying that i have had the additional worry of health anxiety and stress with the research. In November I really felt like I couldn't think right and would forget words and use the wrong word in sentences. I of course freaked out, especially as I had met an older friend of the family who had Alzheimer's. Then it seemed to get better again, at least I stopped noticing it. Then I came back to the US and after a couple of months, right when I was trying to sort the research out it came back. I ate more estrogen containing foods and also when I spoke to my old boss to talk about returning to work it seemed to give me more confidence about things and it seemed to get better again. Then in the past few weeks it has come back and the more I worry about it the worse it seems to get. It is less of a foggy feeling, but I keep thinking the wrong word although I will think of the correct one within 30 seconds and often within about 3, but also I was in the field and I was worrying about my vision and dogs coming near me and I did some obervations and then realised that I did not have my small tape-recorder and thought that I must have dropped it. I back-tracked all my steps on the beach and thought that maybe I dropped it while I had been switching equipment. When I got back to that point (which was on the other side of a small water breach) I found it in the pair of boots that I didn't even realise that I was missing. I wear hip waders and carry my boots around with me. As soon as I saw them I immediately remembered putting my recorder down in them while I was observing a plover, but this really scares me.
As mentioned above, it seems to get worse the more I worry and I am noticing every slip-up. I also feel like when I am reading I cannot take in the information as well and it is almost like my eyes aren't seeing properly. I have distorted vision so it may be because my eyes are also tired.
I am so scared that I have early-onset memory loss. Is there a chance that it could be because I am worrying so much about it and the more I think about it the worse it gets. My cycle was also messed up last month because of stress but it is so far normal this month. I am terrified and worry that a few instances of memory loss after a car accident 7 years ago could have been a sign, however I am just completing my Master's degree and I have achieved a distinction in every course so far.
Please help. If I can get reassurance then maybe it can go away again. By the way, I am 40. Also my Mum and Dad are in their late 70s with no signs of memory impairment. It is just that I am so used to being able to remember every detail of things and now I question even if I think I know something. I even forgot which tap was the hot one a couple of weeks back, but I don't usually use the taps seperately and it is a mixer tap so I just usually turn both on. Also, if it caused by stress, is it reversible? I have also been really fed up with college and have felt like I needed a true break from it.
Very scared.
Rachel