Losing it...

[RogueMind]

I dont want to make a terribly long post so I'll try to keep it short and to the point. This has been a rough year for everyone I know. I got laid off due to the pandemic, my grandmother had a stroke and we took care of her until she slowly passed away, my 5 year relationship took a turn for the worse, and my family is not doing too great in general. There are so many reasons my health anxiety and what I'm sure is depression is hitting me so hard these past few months. I came here looking for possible answers, hoping maybe someone is familiar with what I'm about to describe and hopefully can confirm that what I'm going through is indeed depression or at least provide some type of insight/suggestion as to what may be going on with me.

For the past couple of months I've been slowly feeling my concentration, memory, and focus slipping away from me. Its to the point where I'm forgetting words and names. I cant remember what someone literally just told me. I lose track of what I'm saying in the middle of speaking. Its like my brain takes extra long to process and understand things. I've also noticed a constant pressure in my head with this. It never goes away. This isn't episodic, it has been constant for the past 2 to 3 months with no breaks. Logically I feel like this has got to be related to depression and the events that have happened this year, but I can't shake the feeling that something more sinister is wrong with me. I'm scared I've got dementia or something. I'm 28 years old, I'm not on any type of medication, and I dont do drugs or anything of that sort. I'm just curious, could this be from depression/anxiety? Do these things really affect your cognitive functions to this scary extent?

[FifLove]

Hello, I’m so glad you found a place to share and I’m sure that you will find support here with all that you are going through.

First things first, I am so sorry for the loss of your grandmother. Grieving is never easy, but please take some comfort in knowing she is no longer suffering.

This pandemic and its effects have seriously changed everyone’s lives, especially those of us already struggling with depression, anxiety, and family issues.

It is very possible, maybe likely, that what you are experiencing is depression, especially with the “brain fog”. I too experience exactly what you’re describing regularly. The constant pressure is also likely due to anxiety. However, whether they’re related or not, it would be a good measure to visit your primary care doctor and express these concerns, get an exam and maybe some blood work to rule out any physiological issues.

In any case, please be kind to yourself, and this forum is always here for support.