Confused

[af355]

How does brain fog feel? Do you feel like your body is alive but your mind is in a fog? I am asking this because my whole body doesn't feel real at all (is brain fog only in your head?) so I might have something else (C-PTSD).

[Calm_mama]

Feelings of unreality are very, very common with anxiety. It is due to a sensitized nervous system- the result of constant fearful self observation ("anxious brooding"). It's very normal for the circumstances, harmless, and you can recover.

See resources on my profile and start with Dr. Claire Weekes' audio.

It sounds like you are working with several healthcare professionals to eliminate possibility that other things that may be causing your symptoms. Sure, it's possible there's something else going on, but my money is on anxiety being the cause of all you are experiencing. Wishing you all the best~

[af355 in reply to Calm_mama]

hello. I am diagnosed with C-PTSD which means I have childhood traumas (many of them). And these feelings are stuck inside of me so it is not just anxiety but is also fear, anger etc. I also feel like there is a complete emotional mess and thinking disorder inside of me. I really want to clarify whether people that have brain fog only feel the fog in their head or all over the body? This could help me see whether feelings of unreality are caused by brain fog or trauma (anxiety is probably part of trauma) or maybe something else.

[Hidden]

Brain fog is a pita, you go to say something and it’s their inside your head but you can’t get it out or mid sentence I find myself staring at the person hoping something will come out of my mouth and I must have this stupid look on my face, but no words come out. Or I’ve been talking about something and I’ll say the lawnmowers when I mean snowblowers - I stop with a puzzled look on my face and everyone gets a chuckle but I think to myself what the freak just happened. I was just diagnosed with fibromyalgia and I’m noticing it more so now than I was with just the depression and anxiety. Do you have any other symptoms? Look up fibromyalgia - I had no idea what it entailed until I was diagnosed.....it covers a lot of things, even depression and anxiety. Just a thought, but you might want to look it up. I thought my brain fades/fogs were just getting worse. Good luck.

[af355 in reply to Hidden]

Could you feel that a part of you is real? Like your body is real but your mind is somewhere else? This could really help me clarify some things about my state. I am diagnosed with C-PTSD so I believe a part or whole of feeling unreal could be related to trauma.

I do have very fuzzy thinking though, concentration is bad and I can't really do many things (reading,...). I checked out fibromyalgia and although I have many of those symptoms this still might not be what is happening to me. It is really hard to make a diagnosis, there are many illnesses that I can relate my symptoms to.

[Hidden in reply to af355]

I agree with being relatable to many illnesses, they’re still looking for more autoimmune for me. I haven’t been able to read past one paragraph in 5 years, it’s very frustrating....by the time I get to paragraph two, I’ve forgotten what I’ve read. I used to be HR and I should remember some things but sadly I don’t. I’ll see the abbreviation and think I know that but for the life of me, I can’t figure it out, then I get irritated and frustrated and usually disappointed in myself and cry.

Sometimes I feel like I’m standing in amongst people, but my mind is not there. I haven’t heard a word they’ve said but yet I’m not sure where my mind is either. Fuzzy.

My psychologist feels I suffer from PTSD - I was held hostage in a riot and assaulted and never received counseling. I was sort of ok for a long time, now 20 years later, I’m afraid of people and have all of these symptoms. She thinks this is what’s caused my fibromyalgia and I should see a naturopath.

[af355 in reply to Hidden]

But do you think you have brain fog? Because brain fog might be something else. You could be feeling unreal (and have poor concentration and reasoning etc.) but not have brain fog. That's a bit of a rough estimate but still.

I am going to ask once again haha it is really important to me now. Can you feel your feelings of being unreal only in your head or are they all over your body?

[Ptsdnurse]

I actually have had the childhood trauma, abusive marriage trauma, then 18 mos ago my fiancé died in my car in a terrible crash and I stayed with his diseased body until the coroner came

Bc his mom couldn’t. The night terrors plagued me to stuff it instead of treat the ptsd and now it triggered with worse anger than before. I d k what to do to feel better. But I’m hear your desperation and can relate and listen if u need.