I am experiencing brain fog, like my brain can't think of anything, its functioning is slowed down although my thoughts race, i feel sleepy during daytime, have no energy, lack concentration, memory loss, slow process of information in the brain, blurry vision, brain fog comes and goes but the other symptoms remain.
Are these symptoms of depression/anxiety? Anyone faces similar issues ?
Need help!!
Hi toget.
I face what you describe almost everyday.
These are symptoms of depression. Depression and anxiety are two sides of the same coin. Depression slows the nervous system whereas anxiety amps it up. They both usually travel together. I have a general anxiety disorder (GAD), but depression comes about because of it. Yesterday I had no energy and was in a 'fog' just as you describe. My wife and I were running errands and it was all I could do to keep up with her. We were out of the house for five hours, so it was a struggle. When we got home I felt much better.
I've been living with my condition for quite sometime now, so I know the symptoms it presents. I know I'm not actually sick and it is just a mental state. It presents physically such as drowsiness, lack of appetite, memory impairment and general information processing. It's frustrating. I do my best to accept the conditions and continue to live my life. Resisting and fighting them only makes my symptoms worse.
Exercise, good food and things I enjoy help me cope.
i sometimes have feelings of unreality, like the world is not real and my consciousness is foggy, this scares me.
Well, it is scary until you know what it is, what causes it and what to do about it.
Lots of links on this site to get help.
Hi togetbetter,
Hate it that you are feeling bad. I have similar depression/anxiety symptoms. They mostly come and go. I have also had that same scared feeling due to the brain-fog, and even confusion with myself once or twice.
Now it’s just a matter of realizing when it comes on, since I know what causes it, I don’t get scared anymore. For me it’s helpful to take it easy, and slower, when in the fog. Be patient, and calm with yourself. I know my fog will pass. Sometimes just getting extra rest will heal my fog overnight, other times it has stayed for weeks at a time.
Are you taking meds to help with symptoms, and/or seeing a professional for therapy? Those have helped me, even though I currently have some dosing issues yet to be resolved. Hope you are feeling better soon 🍄
Fog comes and goes, but i also have persistent symptoms like Inability to think clearly, or concentrate and memory loss. They always remain. Do they get better in u?
Hi Ashfaren,
I’m sorry for your fog, and concentration issues. I understand how frustrating that can be. Yes, similar symptoms remain for me too....but to different degrees, and not all of the time.
I have learned that, although they are related, many of my symptoms are actually extremes of the same. Meaning, if I have a lot of stress going on, or grief, and/or feel overwhelmed for long periods, I begin to not think clearly, and can’t concentrate. It continues to get worse with time, if I don’t make changes...fast. And then things progress into the brain-fog arena. Yuck-Awful!
There are diff degrees of that for me as well...from brain fuzzy, to complete brain fog cover. Key for me Is to notice symptoms, and quickly make changes (food, activity, prayers, rest, etc) to prevent it from getting worse.
It really is a matter of shutting down bc I can’t take one more thing on my brain (realized that my grief is also woven into this tolerance mix).
So the only way I can fix it, is to start unloading the problems that cause the mental traffic-jam in my mind (or to shift coping gears on the fly). Also, better eating, and physical activity, make a huge diff on my tolerance for such. If I don’t mind these things carefully as I go along....it will catch-up to me in the form of a brain-fog shut-down—guaranteed.
Often I find that when I am first getting sick, I am pre-warned by these symptoms increasing more quickly, as my tolerance decreases when my immune system is lower.
I have ongoing focus, concentration, and memory struggles due to ADHD. Always have, so that is a constant area of maintenance for me. I have an awful memory about most day-to-day things. I figure the important things I will remember, and everything else just rolls off. Eh. Ok. Not completely a bad thing. I just acknowledge it, and move on, don’t fret about it. Only so much info a brain can hold onto. Lol.
The more I focus on the symptoms, the bigger they can seem. I could even work myself into panic about, if I thought about it too much. So I don’t.
I do try to look beyond my symptoms, and beyond the current problems I’m having, to where I’m wanting to be. Even though it doesn’t always work, it does help. I’m getting better at doing that, all the time. So Yay! for that.
Have you had these symptoms long? Have you tried to keep a log of your symptoms? That helped me very much. I don’t have to do it anymore, but it changed my outlook, and it changed what I thought was going on with me.
Are you on meds? Many meds also cause similar symptoms. I was on Wellbutrin years ago, and it covered me with awful fog, numbness, and I couldn’t think at all. That one didn’t work for me at all. Since meds take long to ramp-up, and then come off of, it took me like 6 months to try something else.
There are so many moving parts, and variables, in all of this...it’s a wonder anybody can find anything that helps. Hope you are feeling better soon 🌞 🍄 🌸
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