Does anyone else have issues with thinking? I'm not talking about the typical "fibro fog" that causes you to forget words, forget what the heck you're talking about mid-sentence, but an inability to focus on anything.
I love reading and learning. Lately, I haven't been able to focus on anything. Just the idea of focusing makes me tired and then anxious because I can't focus. I am even struggling with dealing with the things we have to deal with in life like paying bills and talking to the people you have to pay the money to. It takes so much effort that I put it off until "tomorrow" (which we all know means "maybe never").
It's kind of scary to be honest. I have always scored in the top 2% of all tests, including my IQ (according to the 3 tests I took over the years, I'm smarter than 98% of the planet), so being unable to focus on the simplest task makes me feel like I'm losing a huge part of myself. Yes, the smarty pants is scared she has become stupid.
Is this dumbing down of the Ducky part of fibro? Am I going to feel like I have only two brain cells that function for the rest of my life? I would love to someday go back to college, but how can I even think about finishing a degree if I can't even THINK?
If you remember to answer, please do :) And don't push yourself too hard, even writing this has taken awhile because I struggle to organize my thoughts.
Rubber Duckie, don’t worry it will pass. I have periods like that as well. I graduated college with a 3.89gpa and sometimes trying to read a simple post on Facebook is impossible. I asked my doc about it and sometimes my fibro fog is worse than other times. It terrified me, i thought i was losing my intelligence, oftentimes i feel like that’s all I have left (my intelligence). When i have clarity I try to write myself notes and/or pre write checks . I know it’s hard but you may need another set of eyes when paying bills, someone who understands your plight. I use my daughter
Yes, I have different times (more often than not) having difficulty with critical thinking skills. The neuropsych who tested me told me a good strategy is to find reading material that has also has an audio component. That has helped me so much.
Like you, I have a high IQ but I am definitely not showing it in the things that I say and do....
when fibro fog hits me My ability to concentrate goes out the window...and anxiety steps in...I feel like a person with dementia. In the large scale of things I believe this is still something I can deal with...the pain takes center stage.
I thought it was my age creeping up on me and that was the reason why my thinking and memory was slipping. I retired early because of pain but also because of the feeling that I couldn’t keep up.
I feel exactly the same! I have a PhD and now find the simplest things really taxing. It’s almost harder to deal with than the pain and exhaustion for me. Terrified that it will always be this way
Duckie know how u feel, im also suppose to have a high iq but somedays it feels like they must have made a mistake lol. Somedays are def worse than other. On bad days I battle to just have a understandable conversation with someonE. And will usually happen infront of a group of People. And other days i can’t read or write or work out simple sums. I have become ocd with my to do list. I have a list for everything, my life is one big list. Thats actually one of the first things my rheumatologist commented on, yes I was there with a list of symptoms lol. But there are good days and I try make the most of them. So chin up chicken! Go ahead and study your heart out!
