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THAT BRAIN FOG! What is it?


windscar

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I have got HPPD after a strong LSD dose but the HPPD itself does NOT bother me that much, it's the fact since then I fell "lightheaded", "sluggish", with a "brain fog". I'll try to explain with examples:

* When I'm talking to my friends I need a lot of effort to understand the conversation. I answer slowly because it takes lot of time for me to understand and process an answer. I'm always saying "pardon?" so they have to repeat what they said like if I didn't heard. But I'm hearing perfectly... it's actually an excuse so I can process the info while they repeat... *facepalm*

* Reading complicated texts is very difficult. I feel like my head is exploding...

* When I have to do simple things like shopping and I have to put an extreme effort to do everything right... for instance, I have to think constantly in what I'm doing like "OK, now I have to tell the attendant what I want." - "OK, now I have to wait." - "OK, now I pay..." - it doesn't flow naturally.

And many other things like that.

Please, please, if anyone identify with those symptoms or have any idea of what is happening to me, please, tell me. Is it part HPPD? If not, what could that be? It and HPPD started at the same time, but I don't know if they are the same problem or something different. I just want to know what is it. And if I will be better. It's destroying my life. I don't like living anymore.

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I have got HPPD after a strong LSD dose but the HPPD itself does NOT bother me that much, it's the fact since then I fell "lightheaded", "sluggish", with a "brain fog". I'll try to explain with examples:

* When I'm talking to my friends I need a lot of effort to understand the conversation. I answer slowly because it takes lot of time for me to understand and process an answer. I'm always saying "pardon?" so they have to repeat what they said like if I didn't heard. But I'm hearing perfectly... it's actually an excuse so I can process the info while they repeat... *facepalm*

* Reading complicated texts is very difficult. I feel like my head is exploding...

* When I have to do simple things like shopping and I have to put an extreme effort to do everything right... for instance, I have to think constantly in what I'm doing like "OK, now I have to tell the attendant what I want." - "OK, now I have to wait." - "OK, now I pay..." - it doesn't flow naturally.

And many other things like that.

Please, please, if anyone identify with those symptoms or have any idea of what is happening to me, please, tell me. Is it part HPPD? If not, what could that be? It and HPPD started at the same time, but I don't know if they are the same problem or something different. I just want to know what is it. And if I will be better. It's destroying my life. I don't like living anymore.

It's all connected to hppd in someway. There's much smarter people on this board that could explain the science of it, but I'll just tell you how i relate.

I have all the same probs you're mentioning since day 1 of hppd. But a good thing I can mention is you get used to conversations even when they don't seem like they're flowing right. I also will sometimes say "I'm sorry I didn't hear that" to add some time to process the correct answers. Also simple tasks like grocery shopping ect...for a while are a major inconvenience, but the more you practice different tasks your brain should learn different coping methods, so it's not as much of a burden.

Believe me I know all your talking about and I wanted to kill myself the first couple yrs. but once I forced myself outside of my comfort zone and just started living again you should adjust. It's like cognitive therapy. The brain fog seems to be at it's worse when I have high anxiety and I'm not going to lie, I have no idea how to get rid of that...It does seem to be easier to deal w/ the days I exercise/ maybe cause that helps w/ my anxiety and they some how relate??? Just know no matter how hard this is to deal w/ don't become a recluse and just watch life pass you bye. You have accept this and live a healthy active life that's the key! GOD bless us all!!

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Hey man, I've been there before. I feel for you and can empathize.

HPPD will change your social, academic, personal, (etc....) worlds. I'm sorry to say it but you will have to work harder than other people to achieve the same marks in school. You will have to work harder to fit in with social groups than those who are naturally gifted with social skills (perhaps like your old self?). You will have to work harder to do simple things like checking out groceries at the store. Its not easy but you should feel proud of yourself when you are able to do all these things because you have a disadvantage (and an invisible one at that) but you're still able to achieve the same thing. You can also appreciate the simple things more than other people who get things just placed in their lap. Such as quality friends, having an orderly life, doing well in school or at your job.

I hope you're not smoking weed because that is pure brainfog.

I would just suggest just staying strong and in time the brainfog will fade and you will learn to work and live with it.

Dukkha

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Well put 1998 and Dukkha....cognitive techniques are a good avenue. Meditation too. My fog is lower after several months of being off all narcotics (including benzos)...anxiety and depression increase but concentration has improved...I think that many things are joyless activities for me. Clearly a low-lying, pervasive depression was present before all this so I am likely different than many on this board. My attention span is poor compared to many but Dukkha said it well: you may have to work harder than others, but no harder than my quadrapalaegic friend who is attending school. I know, I don't respond to the "someone always has it worse" argument either but there is some truth to find in it. Find a person you admire who faced winless odds and put that picture on your wall (I have a picture of Martin King on mine)...maybe will help. Clearly talking about it is also completely key so post away...

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Brian fog sucks. I have it to. But i have it worse due a combination of brian fog and adhd. Muti-tasking is very hard for me due to i get distracted easily.

head pressure, brain pressure, head fog, I always think of it as "thought pressure" that sometimes does seem to have a physical component. i'm known for my "pregnant pauses" as I try to formulate a response. weird thing (although I know others experience a similar reaction), gaba pentin (neurontin) has a strange effect on me. initially when I take it it makes the brain fog worse, but then better. kind of a thought assimilater then a brain "flush", then it helps me focus AND IS THE GET *HIT DONE drug for me. definately has something of a stimulant effect and helps me motivate. ymmit

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  • 1 year later...

Brain fog is almost man made. today i had my first driving lesson in 6 months. i havnt driven a car in 6 months, i also since got HPPD. I thought my driving would be shit and that i would probably never be able to drive and that my memory would be dire. I just booked my test because i was able to drive extremely well remembering all what i had to. The less u think and the more u just do things the better it is

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haha na man im starting drifting. i have 2 bmws, iv been doing them up. its been too snowy and shit to drive but i finally got out today! my newest beemers almost good to go. iv also been doing my driving test in paralell with my car. i passed my theory test post hppd. had my first lesson and first time driving in 6 months and aparently i should book a driving test, just goes to show hppd isnt the end of the line and it does not fuck u up, it just makes life a little more difficult

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haha na man im starting drifting. i have 2 bmws, iv been doing them up. its been too snowy and shit to drive but i finally got out today! my newest beemers almost good to go. iv also been doing my driving test in paralell with my car. i passed my theory test post hppd. had my first lesson and first time driving in 6 months and aparently i should book a driving test, just goes to show hppd isnt the end of the line and it does not fuck u up, it just makes life a little more difficult

I wanted to get into racing with my 300ZX (specifically auto-X), unfortunately my Z was involved in an accident. Currently saving up for a new car. I definitely would not mind an E30 M3, great cars.

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aww man thats sweet, my dad almost bought a 300zx, aslong as u wernt harmed in the accident its only a car. its an E30 i have man, the m3s are lovely, bit out my budget though. i really recommend getting a new car and starting to race. when u drive u dont focus on hppd, u cant, u have to focus and think, it helps visuals, anxiety. everything

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aww man thats sweet, my dad almost bought a 300zx, aslong as u wernt harmed in the accident its only a car. its an E30 i have man, the m3s are lovely, bit out my budget though. i really recommend getting a new car and starting to race. when u drive u dont focus on hppd, u cant, u have to focus and think, it helps visuals, anxiety. everything

Yea E30 M3's are like $20k, which is how much E46 M3's sell for lol. I do sometimes worry that my absent-mindness (started like 2 months after initial trip) due to some residual DP/DR might make it hard to concentrate on driving. In fact, I wonder how all my reflexes have been affected and if they are different compared to how they were before.

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i think what you describe may also be a bit of inverted attention - you are always distracted by what is going on inside you to be fully engaged in the outside world. Activities that force you out, like motor racing, or other high-concentration risky activity may help, or even just a high-pressure job, especially one that requires that you speak to people reactively, like sales. Also i found acetyl cysteine and high-dose vitamin d help. I used to be as bad as you but now am a lot better on this aspect.

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