Yes! You explained it very well. I refer to brain fog as 'trying to wake up from anesthesia but you can't fully wake up... '...... very spacey and disoriented. Great video, thank you.
3:24 brain fog affects your depth and perception//I have to catch myself, protect myself from falling, Which sometimes leads to a strain or sprain in my foot or leg... the worst is when family members say, ‘it’s been 10 Years how come you’re still not over it!!?’
Fog goes hand in hand with wild mood swings into depression and anxiety with me. And it seems to be triggered by strong emotions, positive or negative, the preceding day or hours.
Absolutely, my first two months with CFS, I did not have brain fog,. However, as I started to realise that I might have CFS, I started to panic as I saw my world crumbling right in front of me. The anxiety that this caused, in turn, made me start to experience brain fog, such as short-term memory problems and derealisation. When I take a quarter to half of bromazepam, it gets better within 30min or so, doesn't go away completely, but gets better. Of course, I don't want to rely on benzos to deal with my brain fog so I am looking at nutritional and psychological solutions.
I use to read a lot of books every year but with constant brain fog it takes me a long time to get me through one book! And it's still not as enjoyable as it once was. I have been sick for 13 years. My hand/eye coordination is always off and very frustrating. Another brain fog issue. Spaced out all the time is counter productive and frustrating too. But overall its the daily lack of energy that is most troubling for me! I miss my normal self!
The brain fog or "neuroimmune exhaustion/inflammation" is bloomin awful. I think it's effects are far wider reaching than most realise. The disassociation, confusion, emotional numbing, head pressure/pain etc is constant. Without let up, for me at least. It prevents me from interacting with the outside world on the whole, and makes the condition even more isolating than just the inability to physically involve yourself with most aspects of everyday life. It's so very frustrating to hear so many theories as to why we suffer with this yet not really get a definitive answer as to why this is a massive part of our condition. I have my own theories as to the mechanisms behind these symptoms, but i sure as hell can't make a much needed breakthrough with any level of relief. I just really hope it is reversible when potential treatments are discovered. I have read much suggesting that it IS reversible, and that dementia is not directly linked to the brain fog, but it sure would be comforting to know this for sure. Thank you for your video. Beset wishes
The worst thing for me is forgetting what I was going to say mid sentence. Clumsiness is another big one for me. And once I was for my phone number by a csr and I gave her a totally different, unknown number. It took 3 tries to get it right. That was the scariest case of brain fog yet
Very good descriptions, I certainly recognize all of it. I have two ways I often use to describe brain fog issues. First is that the body’s autopilot no longer works. Meaning ANYTHING you do fully or partly without consciously thinking of it. Anything you’ve done so many times that the steps now are ingrained suddenly shorts out. Before you experience this you really don’t appreciate how many different steps there is in daily life activities. Examples: making a cup of coffee, showering, getting dressed.... the amount of mistakes you can make in each activity is mind boggling. The other example of brain fog issues I often use is that a lot of the pathways for your thoughts and memories suddenly seems to have vanished. For ex. You are speaking of something and mid sentence something you have explained a hundred times suddenly seems unreachable. You know exactly what you are looking for, maybe even remember where you learned it and so on but you just can’t reach it. Like the common “on the tip of the tongue” feeling but more permanent and can affect the more basic things.(words, events, skills and so on) Your way to find that thought is just... gone. Thanks for a great channel! /Maria
Please keep doing this channel. 24 yes now, things change from year to year, some things get worse, some better. I can't do paper work. Takes too much. I never get depressed. It just doesn't happen.
I agree that brain fog is a really “under valued” part of ME/CFS. Its definitely my worst/most debilitating symptom by far. When I describe it to people, I say it feels like a giant piece of cotton around my brain. If I’m having a bad brain fog day, I pretty much can’t do anything. Thank you for your videos - they’re a great resource to send to friends and partners to help describe the symptoms and feelings related to this disease.
I had some success with a quarter to half of bromazepam (lexotanil), which tells me that my anxiety makes it worse. By success, I mean that the bromazepam significantly reduces my short-term memory issues and the tunnel vision.
Wow, that is the perfect way to describe it. Dropping things, running into things, staring into cabinets when trying to make a cup of coffee, an hour later I've managed to get the coffee made. I'll get lost when using my phone or computer, pressing buttons for no reason, drawing blanks. Describing the difference between being tired/exhausted/worn out and CFS, seems like no matter how often I describe it, it's so hard to comprehend that while they may get it that moment they seem to forget it quickly. Catching up with a friend, something people find as fun and energizing, while nice is completely depleting. Keeping the hope of recovery alive after 20 years :) Acceptance of my condition and of others lack of understanding, getting older and not having the energy to give any Fks, also helps. The brain fog though, it never stops being frustrated, most of the time I have to laugh about it. I can't read for more than minute at a time, I skim a lot and then put together a RUclips playlist to listen to with my eyes closed.
@@fight4me747 Yep! Thank you, likewise to everyone else who did or continues to have this illness. Surrendering, accepting, working with what I've got, that's what I'm getting better at. Makes a huge difference. I have plenty of days where I give in to the suffering but I do my best to get out of that mindset. Honestly not much we can do at this point other than to try anything and everything and keep on trucking!
Thanks for sharing this. And standing up for us who have M.E! I hate when people say they have brain fog and fatigue too... But like you said, they wouldn't last a minute in our shoes!
Very well described. Other symptoms connected to or overlapping your description: ANSWERING QUESTIONS- it’s not that I can’t find the answer; I can’t even understand the question & each time it’s repeated I get more frustrated with the pointless struggle to understand what they’re asking (as frustrating as trying to see through a migraine aura). Making DECISIONS- Impossible! And offering me multiple choices doesn’t help, it only gives me more information to try to process through the fog. REACTION speed- even if my brain allows me to see through the fog and recognize a hazard, it can’t signal me to react in time to avoid it. For example if someone turns abruptly and comes toward me, I cannot get out of their way. I agree it can be one of the most difficult & frustrating symptoms- It’s bad enough that our body doesn’t function, but often our brains malfunction too. Thanks for making videos that help others understand ME and help ME sufferers feel validated and less alone!!
I have brain fog for 6 years(I don't have ME diagnosis). But I know what it is, some people are lucky for having it for an hour and some have more. For me it's completely random, u are afraid to eat, to go out in the street. It's really bad because you just cant prove it or other don't see it.
Good to see you back on RUclips. I noticed someone who is unfamiliar with CFS responded with respect to the length of time symptoms are present in CFS. I've had CFS for over 10 years. From day one, I have only shared this with family, friends and people who needed to know. I made this decision because of the stigma attached to this medical condition. Still there will always be people in our lives or people in the community who really don't understand because they have never experienced CFS. I get this, because to be honest, I wouldn't have understood it unless I have lived through it myself. Over the years, I have had to let go of people who were unwilling to understand me or were unsupportive. That has been difficult but has opened me up for real growth. Today I only want to be in relationships that are mutually supportive. A lot of the symptoms you are describing no longer have the same impact on my day to day functioning. I am not fully recovered, but my health has definitely going in the right. It's been really important for me to focus my precious energy on me and not the reaction of others. It's only a diagnosis, it's not who I am. Take good care during these challenging times, my CFS friend.
Excellent explanation! That's exactly it. I've tried everything to stop the feeling when it occurs, including sniffing horseradish to zap my brain. Ha! At the beginning of my illness many many years ago, I even tried standing on my head to get tons of blood into it and try to get rid of the feeling. It didn't work.
I'd pass this excellent presentation on family and friends but I know that most of them won't bother beyond the caption. I have been a FM/CFS/ME warrior for several decades, taught at the elementary school level for all of the past three decades and am now quietly at home, alone. The foggiest days are the worst but I am so glad I don't have to mentally and physically stumble through my day anymore - or else. Keep up your outstanding work.
I’ve had to start writing down literally everything I do. I can’t remember shit. Also i have had to start spacing out where i put my medicine just because i cant remember if i took it even if i tried super hard to remember it. I never had a problem with this before. I do now. Even for my cats medicine too. Frustrating as all hell. Thanks for making your videos! I don’t have a diagnosis, but i’m well on my way. Lot’s of “everythings normal” from docs rn. Also several people that when it comes to the debilitating fatigue, they go “well im tired too.” Drives me insane but i don’t have the energy to fight or argue anyways! Appreciate you and hope you’re staying safe. Also, as you can clearly see i am not as eloquent in my writing (i think that’s the word im looking for) it just jumps all over the place these days. I’m too tired to care enough to fix it - im sure my point comes across in some form or fashion lol
I could’ve written this myself. Everything gets written down and I can’t tell you how many alerts I have set on my phone to remind me for meds and I still forget!
starlitlexy what i’ve started doing that helps me is putting all my meds on my kitchen counter and as i take them moving them to another part of the counter. This way i can visually know ive taken them. Its really helping so far!
These are perfect examples. I didn't even know depth perception was one of those, but I think I must have this. Everything you have mentioned in this is how it is to me. And no one in my life knows how I feel. I try to hard to hide these these because I know it has its stigma. So sad
I used to drive in Manhattan ALL THE TIME. I tried to drive to the appointment where I was diagnosed because my husband had worked the night before. I was ok on the highway but as soon as I got into city traffic I felt like I was going to crash, I couldn’t tell how far in front of me the next car was and my husband who was sleeping woke up to me having a panic attack while driving and he had to talk me through being able to pull over so he could drive.
Fight4 ME I learned that the hard way. But with coronavirus no one can really help me and I have 4 kids so if my husband is working I sometimes have no choice. But I won’t go any further than a mile or two.
Nailed it👊🏼 is downright terrifying. It’s getting to the point where I feel like I should be tested for dementia or early onset Alzheimer’s... thoughts?
I feel you, it does feel like early onset of dementia. It is not constant for me but fluctuates throughout the day, some days. I did not experience it during the first two months of me getting ME/CFS, I only started noticing short flare-ups recently and, as for all the reasons described in this video, it is very debilitating. I have signed up the Optimum Health Clinic in the UK, they do online sessions for treatment or, rather, management for ME/CFS and have a host of material online for support. Also, watch some of their interviews with former patients that have either fully recovered or are managing the illness really well, very inspiring.
There is a whole community around this specific symptom if you search Derealization/Depersonalization. That helped me a lot. I had it pretty thick a few years back and got it to mostly go away for a few years following their tips and tricks. Now it's back with a vengeance and I'm working on it again.
Brain fog has been the most debilitating symptom of M.E. in my case. You explained something I have had difficulty explaining. In my case I also get what I call neuroinflammation headaches. Terribly uncomfortable. Thank you for your videos. I feel not so alone.
I knew the forgetfulness (I've forgotten my address and it's terrifying) but I hadn't realised the rest was brain fog related. You explain everything so brilliantly. Thank you so much.
In the midst of being treated for depression rn. On a LOT of antidepressants. I do not identify as being currently depressed. I told the Dr that there's something medically wrong with me and he said there isn't, that it's biopsychosocial, meaning he thinks I'm depressed. Glad to have come across your channel. I was looking for information on what physiotherapy can help with if it's hard to spoon food into a bag with a tablespoon. I'm sure i have cfs. I have every symptom. Finally i can ask for a referral to whoever diagnoses it. I've been repeatedly dismissed by my Dr for years. So mad and hurt to realize that they haven't listened to me at all. My life has been suspended for years trying to figure out what's wrong and how to fix it.
I have all of the same symptoms that you mentioned.... For me, it feels like I just woke up from anesthesia or that I was just given anesthesia. I also feel drugged / intoxicated . I stumble around as if I'm intoxicated and don't make sense when I speak. I don't feel present in what's going on around me. Like I'm in a fishbowl.
wow. yes. i never feel present in whats going on in my surroundings either.. its like im in a dream like mental fog. its been a year now with all of this.
Brain fog is truly horrible. I work part time and that’s when I struggle most with it. I try my best to hide it. That can be challenging. I am worried if they find out it will go against me. It gets worse the more exhausted I get. My memory is so so bad. And really frustrating. I also find I can’t pronounce some words or find the word I am trying to use. I can’t think properly or problem solve when it’s bad. It’s like trying to work something out through fog.
Brain Fog is absolutely underestimated as a core symptom. In my case it feels as if I am at best only awake 80%, as if 20% of my consciousness is permanently stuck in a sleep/dream state. Complex/abstract thought is not available to me, I can only run on routines. It also causes severe attention deficit on any topic that requires concentration; when I do concentrate, I can actually feel the blood rushing to my head. I'm currently studying for a certification test in software release engineering, and I have to watch the videos no less than 15 times to remember the material. Giving NADH and Ubiquitol a try, and hopefully a script for NDL. It's my last ditch effort, if it doesn't work I think it's very likely brain fog will cost me my career.
Again a perfect description by your video! Thanks! I like the word disconnected to explain what it feels like. I often feel like I'm falling out of time and space. I used to never get lost, always found my way. Now I want to got somewhere and have to think hard to remember the roads I have to take. Sometimes I suddenly don't know anymore, where I am and have to relax to find out, where I'm heading to and which route I should take. The other thing is I often can't think in words ore language anymore. I only think in pictures. I still know everything, I remember everything but it's in pictures or films in my head, not in words. Unfortunately I can't beam them into other peoples head... Best wishes to you and thank you for your efforts in making these videos! Anne
Ha! I do the same and would flatter myself by thinking I had a photographic memory lol! Now I realize my folly after seeing your post. Humor helps doesn't it! We who suffer need it like we need the air♥
I agree, I think brain fog is one of the worst symptoms of M.E. I get so forgetful and bump into things. It's so embarrassing because most people don't really understand. I'll be talking to someone and I will say the wrong word etc, and I've had many embarrassing situations in social situations where people just laugh and make a joke out of it. It's so embarrassing and makes me self concious, to the point where I really dread group social gathering, parties etc. I also feel detached like you mentioned, like in a dream. The lockdown in one way has been a safe haven for me, I'm really dreading social interactions when things open up again. Thanks for your video sharing your experience. I feel really lonely, as I feel I can't really talk to anyone I know, about my illness, only people who have it understand.
Thanks for making these videos. I send them to friends, potential boyfriends ( not been an easy thing for them to understand!!) Going thru a flare up of brain fog right now, and it really made someone very angry! A good video might be dating with ME! A video for a person who likes someone with ME but they get frustrated as they think you are brushing them off, taking it personally etc etc... I was called a jeckle and Hyde a child etc etc..... that I was rude, it really hurts! Anyway sent them this! But in return I got a few too many red flags. I’m safer staying single I think!
Sorry you have gone through that Larissa. I actually have 2 videos about ME and dating. Check em out when you're feeling better, let me know what you think. =)
I have the exact same symptoms as describe by you, very difficult to deal with. I literally just struggled filling out personal details such as my address and cell number on an online form.
@@fight4me747 Did you have some success managing your fog? the short-term memory lapses. I took lexotanil, a bromazepam, which really makes it much less pronounced. But this is only a temporary solution that tells me that my anxiety makes it worse. But did you have some success nutritional wise? Thanks, P
I was standing in the shower the other day, trying to figure out if I'd washed my hair already. I liken it to pushing through thick mud (metaphorically) or being so drunk, you can't follow a thought. I also bump into everything, I was never very coordinated but not like this. I can't stay present a lot of times and I hurt myself because I'm somewhere else in my head. My ability to work all day is gone. I ration my energy and the fibromyalgia flares if I overdo it (which is often, sadly, because I still think I should be able to do what I used to). The worst is when I can't follow what people are saying or I forget what I was saying or can't remember a (simple) word. I feel stupid, like they're judging me so I just go silent. I prefer to be alone, even from my own family often. It's easier when I don't have to put on the "normal" face.
I relate to this so much, you explained it so well. Especially the depth perception one. I am constantly walking into things and dropping things and stubbing my toes like you say. Putting things in the wrong places, forgetting what I have been doing even seconds ago. But also, rambling, I cant explain anything or talk clearly or follow any conversations without getting confused and not understanding words.
THANK YOU for speaking out for us. Pretty much word for word, what you explained (very well) has been my life for 2 decades. I just say I somehow entered the Twilight Zone back then & have never made it out. I've encountered the disbelief, intoleration & insults. From medical "professionals"...wasn't just Dr's in my experience, paramedics & nurses could be pretty degrading themselves...to the friend thats known me since childhood & told me maybe I should see a psychiatrist. My health is the worse it's ever been & I no longer allow that kind of treatment. It takes every ounce of will & energy I have to make it out of my bed or house...I don't have any energy to spare on people who weigh me down on top of what this walking dead hell already has. I am in the category that developed it after catching a virus. I know exactly where it came from - work - but don't know what it was. It felt like the flu & I gradually got better, but never really recovered. I'm sure that sounds crazy to most people, but think others w/ CFS/ME/Fibro will understand completely. I understand Covid has left many in a very similar condition. Though I am very sorry for these patients, I've wondered if it has caused skeptical medical & research officials to reconsider their opinions & think about taking another look into ME/CFS. Your story, my story & so many others are virtually identical. How can we all be faking it or it's just in our heads?
I think the Medical community has already recognized that Long Covid is extremely similar to M.E./CFS and there are already studies looking into it. Some have suggested that long covid IS M.E./CFS. Essentially, M.E. is a post viral illness. Thats the hypothesis floating around for a while now.
Thank you for this video. I can relate perfectly. Multitasking, public speaking and entertaining has been my life and my job (restaurant owner), now I am no longer that person. I try, but the struggle is real! Hang in there
Hey man, really appreciated this today. One of my issues with brain fog are stupid decisions. I'll look at something I thought/did/bought later and wonder what the hell I was thinking. Just today I was looking at some CFS recovery BS videos and questioning myself if maybe my issues are anxiety related. I don't have anxiety! I probably feel less anxious since I've had ME than before. And I've had lots of neurocognitive testing which ruled out any psychiatric issues and found plenty of abnormalities that couldn't have been there before I was sick (incompatible with my career). That, plus abnormal CPETs, etc, and there's no way anxiety is related to my issues. But good ole cognitive dysfunction makes me forget the whole picture. In the old tv series Quantum Leap the main character would refer to his "swiss cheese brain," which fits perfectly for me. Some parts work great, others just aren't there. Thanks again Johnny. Really needed to see some of your videos today. You did good.
This. Omg this. Fucking THIS. I can't believe someone understands omfg I needed this. It's so hard to get it all under one conversation, I will be sending this to everyone I know.
Thank you for these videos. I would really like to see you go further in depth regarding how brain fog affects communication skills in so many ways. I've lost about everybody in my life and it's caused severe complex PTSD due to of course misunderstanding, accusations of exaggerating, but the worst is not getting through to people, even tho it seems like I'm having normal conversations, I'm really just saying the words that make sense for the question and come to mind the quickest. Since I've received so much doubt, my answers 99% of the time are extremely downplayed. Then you add in memory recall dysfunction, word finding issues, memory issues in general, inability to focus, and hugely, processing speed. Example- they ask why it's so hard to get ready for bed, the quickest fitting answer that will require the least amount of follow-up questions, I would just blame on pain. When that's not it at all. It's severe weakness, brain fog to the severity I walk back and forth to my closet 10 times trying to remember I need to grab my pajamas etc. Sorry so long I've lost my ability to summarize
Thank you for this video. I have this for 7 years now. In and out for years at my doctor. He rather tells me I look well taken care off. So I stop complaining to him. I thought that I was the only persone feeling like this. When you are staring in front of you for a few seconds, that is how I go through life 24/7. Everything is like in slow motion. Try and explain that to people, I am sure they think that I am crazy. This is no life because I don't live, I only exist.
I love you man.! I know how difficult it is. I've been with this for 5 months.! And I can't imagine the effort you put into organizing those ideas to explain how well it feels! THANK YOU
@@fight4me747 your explanation is very good. I do not have ME I got COVID (long covid) and I feel exactly the same, and I have gone to psychiatrists neurologists, and nothing improves it ... a question you say is not always so. which is not permanent in your case. then. when it leaves is it easy to recognize? or is it gradual? and when it is not you recover all your faculties?
@@numerosgriegos Its gradual for me but by gradual I mean it takes about an hour of onset before its pointless me doing anything more as its too hard so I have to go have a sleep and start again
I have an advanced degree in oriental literature. I bought a 10 volume set of the Mahabharata to read fully in my retirement. Read first 100 pages and then 3 years ago got lyme which now has become me/cfs. My brainfog manifests as lank of interest, difficult to absorb and process information. Politics has become entailment. Most of the other symptoms described so well in the video are very familiar. Ya it’s real.
Forgetting about people's names. Close family, friends, pets... People you deal with on a daily basis and not knowing their name! Not recognizing a tool that you use everyday at work. Not being sure of what it is and what you're supposed to do with it. I struggle a lot with making sentences too, because the words just disappear from my brain. Constantly not knowing where I left my phone and having to search the house a few times. Etc.
Spent more than 10 seconds today trying to say scissors to my partner today. Could not say it. Just kept having the word in my mind, i knew the noise i had to make, but i could not move my mouth to utter it. Kept saying shhshhshhhshh. It was quite frustrating, but very funny. It feels like being drunk but not happily.
As a professional myself (Complementary Therapist and Psych grad) with M.E. and psychiatric diagnoses (Bipolar and PTSD) i appreciate this video a lot. There have been times where similar symptoms to this have occured as a direct result of PTSD trigger or Bipolar episode. The "unprofessionals" from my home country however try and use these at times when they even admit I'm in remission to account for the M.E. defecits.
The worst for me is when I am ordering something when I’m in a line-up because I forget what things are called. I stand there like a deer in headlights and the cashier is staring at me and I think that I’m slow or on street drugs or something like that. There was a time when I was proud of myself because I thought I was intelligent but now I feel stupid and I do not go anywhere where I have to interact with people because I don’t know if I can carry on a conversation or not.
My goodness you are so right, I know exactly how you are. I am a qualified electrician and service engineer with a BSC Honours degree but since having cancer and covid (At the same time) I have difficulty remembering things, sometimes when going from one room to another. Keep waking up at night, incredibly tired most of the time and very little energy to do anything. I feel like I have become a mental vegetable compared to how I should be.
Hi guys, for those that suffer from Brain Fog, have you experienced that stress and/or anxiety worsen your various Brain Fog symptoms? I am very optimistic that with a strict nutritional regimen and good sleep hygiene, as well as stress and anxiety management, I can get a hold or manage my brain fog eventually. What are your thoughts?
My brain fog causes my stress and anxiety. Being lost and not knowing where I live when at the local store is just one example of the stress induced by bran fog
I have had brain fog for a a number of weeks now. Struggle to recall memories at times. And one weird symptom I have is when talking to people, I respond to any questions they ask and/or just general conversation but feel like I don’t understand them
I find that my sense of urgency is completely off. Its very much like thise anxiety dreams. Its almost like I'm two people, one is desperately trying to get me to complete whatever im doing or turn the burner off or answer my phone, the other is oblivious and its this one that's in control of what my body does. Its very disconcerting to have one part of you shouting "come on, come on!!", while the other is just "do-do-de-do-doo".
I think I always had brain fog, but am not certain. I almost always felt like living in a bubble, even when being with other people. The constant state of disconnection, of daydreaming, is why I can't work anymore, and why I sucked at math, even though I'm a logical person (or so I believe). Since I supposedly got chronic fatigue, I sometimes experienced paralysis, where I tried to "tell" my nerves to move, but they wouldn't listen, and ground me to my bed. That happens when the fatigue gets extreme. Also, stress leads to the tension of my muscles, which cause me physical pain. I hope to get properly diagnosed, if it is indeed not a psychological disorder.
Explained the Brain Fog Perfectly… because most don’t usually like creating narratives although the ego does but it’s difficult when the family makes fun of you when you’re stuttering and you forget what you’re saying thank you for explaining it so well sending this along to the people that hopefully have a glimmer of empathy remaining. I appreciate you so much.❤️🩹
Im so glad someone can finde the right words to describe what a brain fog is !! But it's not so bad for me my biggest problem is like filing a huge train going through my brain no stop which is extremely exhausting and painful plus all the rest synthoms that cfs has and dealing with those......
I have trouble remembering ‘when’ things happened to me in the past…it is frustrating when I can’t remember important things esp. medical procedures or the order in which things have happened to me in the past.
Had it for about 28 years brain fog is the worst part cannot work things out sometimes end up looking at them for a long time to see if i have done it right
That's interesting hearing you mention depth perception. I grew up with an eye issue where I had zero depth. I fixed it with laser surgery and was good to go for a couple months(amazing vision).. and then I'm back to no depth and blurry with nothing changed in my prescription. Hmm
Is it possible to get a written transcript of thus this. My husband doesn't understand what my brain fog is and thinks I use it as an excuse to get away with lies. And this explains what I can't. Only he's currently incarcerated n can't watch the video
Ever heard of Dan Nueffer?. He has the ANS Rewire Program which explains CFS/ME & the underlying mechanisms. I’ve heard his approach has got countless suffers to recover which you can see on his RUclips channel named: Dan Nauffer. Thought this might help.
I don't know if I have this or what's wrong with me, but I sit at my computer at work, just looking back and forth, trying to remember what I was doing. Trying to remember why I opened that tab or that new email window. The littlest things pull my attention away from a task and I completely forget I had even started the task until hours or days later.
It makes you wonder if it isn’t some kind of undetected brain damage that occurs. That would explain why some people never recover back to normal. What you are describing is what is medically referred to as “ mild cognitive impairment” , which is basically the result of some form of brain damage -either head trauma , strokes , seizures or just some form of dementia in early stage. Idk , I hate to be negative, but I know this isn’t depression or anxiety because I suffer from this and the symptoms are just too obvious and extreme for it to be the result of a perfectly healthy nervous system experiencing anxiety and depression.
It seems like cognitive decline, but when you are out of a "flare up" you feel sharp and "normal" again. Cognitive decline/brain damage does improve much. Some people with M.E. don't even have brain fog as a common symptom. They may have it for a month and not have it the rest of the year.
Ohh .. we’ll, maybe it’s just me then Haha .. I used to be as sharp as ever, but as time goes by I just become duller and duller . I tend to obsess over it the worse it gets which seems to progress it. Unfortunately It’s never gotten better , and I seem to be consistently loosing my memory and mental acuity. At only 33 years old , Doctors say everything looks fine and it’s just anxiety and depression… There’s nothing I hate worse than hearing that when I know what I used to be compared to now.
The cause for me was the microwave oven. This may sound unbelievable: the internet states that the use is harmless or that the danger is cancer or a reduction in vitamins. The first consequences were: pain in the neck, fatigue, sore throat, depression, ..... After 3 months without a microwave oven these symptoms disappeared. Consequences are greater the closer the microwave oven is to you: if the oven is right next to your dining table, for example. If you bring this to your members' attention, those who wish can give it a try and let you know about their experiences. Everyone can now participate in the study! People will not think much of CFS. Organs are not damaged. It looks more like an internal strangulation. I don't know if that can be found. The muscles tense under the influence of microwaves (microwave), Hence the pain and the intestines are too tense, which makes digestion poor and too few vitamins are absorbed. In the throat one has pain due to the tensioning of the muscles there. Be careful not to cure other diseases with fatigue for CFS
I feel as a light bulb shut off. This is the worse feeling I every experienced in my life. The Nuerologist told me to focus more and prescribed cuckoo meds.
Soon True! They would not last a minute in your shoes..I too try to remain quiet. Not my normal personality, but then the next words are, and you have nothing interesting to say. No I'm not being mean, you must remember I am also in pain while you are talking nonsense. No they would not last.
For me brain fog is complete inability to concentrate on anything. Even 5 min video feels horrendously hard and tires me. I can't think clearly and any complex thoughts and information are impossible. I don't have memory problems.
Sorry just wondering ...... I used to speak like you fast and loud ... but now I often speak slow and quietly .. like if you listen to my recent video .. i find it difficult to even listen to u because it is loud for me ... I usually want only silence and peace
Yes! You explained it very well. I refer to brain fog as 'trying to wake up from anesthesia but you can't fully wake up... '...... very spacey and disoriented. Great video, thank you.
Thats a good example too!
I often feel like I can't connect to the outside world. I feel like I am walking around in a bubble.
a tip : you can watch movies on flixzone. I've been using it for watching all kinds of movies recently.
@Ridge Reed Yea, I have been using Flixzone for since november myself :D
Me to:(
I've been taking a walk, and I get lost! Just a block away from home, and everything looks foreign!
haha!! same for me!! It certainly gets interesting . . .
Me too! I won't drive anymore. Not for 13 years now. I'm afraid I'll get lost or space out and run a red light...
I am absolutely the same. Its so scary but also embarrassing. Family laugh at you when you talk about it so you learn to say nothing.
3:24 brain fog affects your depth and perception//I have to catch myself, protect myself from falling, Which sometimes leads to a strain or sprain in my foot or leg... the worst is when family members say, ‘it’s been 10 Years how come you’re still not over it!!?’
Oh man, thats the worst when people say that. So frustrating.
Fog goes hand in hand with wild mood swings into depression and anxiety with me. And it seems to be triggered by strong emotions, positive or negative, the preceding day or hours.
I suspect many ME/CFS'ers go through the same. It's tough.
Absolutely, my first two months with CFS, I did not have brain fog,. However, as I started to realise that I might have CFS, I started to panic as I saw my world crumbling right in front of me. The anxiety that this caused, in turn, made me start to experience brain fog, such as short-term memory problems and derealisation. When I take a quarter to half of bromazepam, it gets better within 30min or so, doesn't go away completely, but gets better. Of course, I don't want to rely on benzos to deal with my brain fog so I am looking at nutritional and psychological solutions.
I use to read a lot of books every year but with constant brain fog it takes me a long time to get me through one book! And it's still not as enjoyable as it once was. I have been sick for 13 years. My hand/eye coordination is always off and very frustrating. Another brain fog issue. Spaced out all the time is counter productive and frustrating too. But overall its the daily lack of energy that is most troubling for me! I miss my normal self!
The brain fog or "neuroimmune exhaustion/inflammation" is bloomin awful. I think it's effects are far wider reaching than most realise. The disassociation, confusion, emotional numbing, head pressure/pain etc is constant. Without let up, for me at least. It prevents me from interacting with the outside world on the whole, and makes the condition even more isolating than just the inability to physically involve yourself with most aspects of everyday life.
It's so very frustrating to hear so many theories as to why we suffer with this yet not really get a definitive answer as to why this is a massive part of our condition. I have my own theories as to the mechanisms behind these symptoms, but i sure as hell can't make a much needed breakthrough with any level of relief.
I just really hope it is reversible when potential treatments are discovered. I have read much suggesting that it IS reversible, and that dementia is not directly linked to the brain fog, but it sure would be comforting to know this for sure.
Thank you for your video. Beset wishes
Thank you for that description. So true.
How are you doing now, what’s helped? I’m just in a bedridden trauma of fog/dr/dp.. 18 months now 😩
The worst thing for me is forgetting what I was going to say mid sentence. Clumsiness is another big one for me. And once I was for my phone number by a csr and I gave her a totally different, unknown number. It took 3 tries to get it right. That was the scariest case of brain fog yet
That happens to me on a daily basis. Its frustrating
Very good descriptions, I certainly recognize all of it. I have two ways I often use to describe brain fog issues.
First is that the body’s autopilot no longer works. Meaning ANYTHING you do fully or partly without consciously thinking of it. Anything you’ve done so many times that the steps now are ingrained suddenly shorts out. Before you experience this you really don’t appreciate how many different steps there is in daily life activities. Examples: making a cup of coffee, showering, getting dressed.... the amount of mistakes you can make in each activity is mind boggling.
The other example of brain fog issues I often use is that a lot of the pathways for your thoughts and memories suddenly seems to have vanished. For ex. You are speaking of something and mid sentence something you have explained a hundred times suddenly seems unreachable. You know exactly what you are looking for, maybe even remember where you learned it and so on but you just can’t reach it. Like the common “on the tip of the tongue” feeling but more permanent and can affect the more basic things.(words, events, skills and so on) Your way to find that thought is just... gone.
Thanks for a great channel!
/Maria
Great video. I think brain fog is the worst aspect of ME/cfs. It affects EVERYTHING in one's life.
So true!
Please keep doing this channel. 24 yes now, things change from year to year, some things get worse, some better. I can't do paper work. Takes too much.
I never get depressed. It just doesn't happen.
I agree that brain fog is a really “under valued” part of ME/CFS. Its definitely my worst/most debilitating symptom by far. When I describe it to people, I say it feels like a giant piece of cotton around my brain. If I’m having a bad brain fog day, I pretty much can’t do anything. Thank you for your videos - they’re a great resource to send to friends and partners to help describe the symptoms and feelings related to this disease.
Do you know what causes your brain fog day? Previous mental exertion?
I had some success with a quarter to half of bromazepam (lexotanil), which tells me that my anxiety makes it worse. By success, I mean that the bromazepam significantly reduces my short-term memory issues and the tunnel vision.
Wow, that is the perfect way to describe it. Dropping things, running into things, staring into cabinets when trying to make a cup of coffee, an hour later I've managed to get the coffee made. I'll get lost when using my phone or computer, pressing buttons for no reason, drawing blanks. Describing the difference between being tired/exhausted/worn out and CFS, seems like no matter how often I describe it, it's so hard to comprehend that while they may get it that moment they seem to forget it quickly. Catching up with a friend, something people find as fun and energizing, while nice is completely depleting. Keeping the hope of recovery alive after 20 years :) Acceptance of my condition and of others lack of understanding, getting older and not having the energy to give any Fks, also helps. The brain fog though, it never stops being frustrated, most of the time I have to laugh about it. I can't read for more than minute at a time, I skim a lot and then put together a RUclips playlist to listen to with my eyes closed.
Its a scary symptom for sure. Sorry you have struggled with it for so long.
@@fight4me747 Yep! Thank you, likewise to everyone else who did or continues to have this illness. Surrendering, accepting, working with what I've got, that's what I'm getting better at. Makes a huge difference. I have plenty of days where I give in to the suffering but I do my best to get out of that mindset. Honestly not much we can do at this point other than to try anything and everything and keep on trucking!
@@someoneusa I like your lifting videos! I've also had this sort of stuff for about 20 years..
Thanks for sharing this. And standing up for us who have M.E! I hate when people say they have brain fog and fatigue too... But like you said, they wouldn't last a minute in our shoes!
Very well described. Other symptoms connected to or overlapping your description: ANSWERING QUESTIONS- it’s not that I can’t find the answer; I can’t even understand the question & each time it’s repeated I get more frustrated with the pointless struggle to understand what they’re asking (as frustrating as trying to see through a migraine aura). Making DECISIONS- Impossible! And offering me multiple choices doesn’t help, it only gives me more information to try to process through the fog. REACTION speed- even if my brain allows me to see through the fog and recognize a hazard, it can’t signal me to react in time to avoid it. For example if someone turns abruptly and comes toward me, I cannot get out of their way. I agree it can be one of the most difficult & frustrating symptoms- It’s bad enough that our body doesn’t function, but often our brains malfunction too. Thanks for making videos that help others understand ME and help ME sufferers feel validated and less alone!!
I have brain fog for 6 years(I don't have ME diagnosis). But I know what it is, some people are lucky for having it for an hour and some have more. For me it's completely random, u are afraid to eat, to go out in the street. It's really bad because you just cant prove it or other don't see it.
Good to see you back on RUclips. I noticed someone who is unfamiliar with CFS responded with respect to the length of time symptoms are present in CFS. I've had CFS for over 10 years. From day one, I have only shared this with family, friends and people who needed to know. I made this decision because of the stigma attached to this medical condition. Still there will always be people in our lives or people in the community who really don't understand because they have never experienced CFS. I get this, because to be honest, I wouldn't have understood it unless I have lived through it myself. Over the years, I have had to let go of people who were unwilling to understand me or were unsupportive. That has been difficult but has opened me up for real growth. Today I only want to be in relationships that are mutually supportive. A lot of the symptoms you are describing no longer have the same impact on my day to day functioning. I am not fully recovered, but my health has definitely going in the right. It's been really important for me to focus my precious energy on me and not the reaction of others. It's only a diagnosis, it's not who I am. Take good care during these challenging times, my CFS friend.
Excellent explanation! That's exactly it. I've tried everything to stop the feeling when it occurs, including sniffing horseradish to zap my brain. Ha! At the beginning of my illness many many years ago, I even tried standing on my head to get tons of blood into it and try to get rid of the feeling. It didn't work.
I'd pass this excellent presentation on family and friends but I know that most of them won't bother beyond the caption. I have been a FM/CFS/ME warrior for several decades, taught at the elementary school level for all of the past three decades and am now quietly at home, alone. The foggiest days are the worst but I am so glad I don't have to mentally and physically stumble through my day anymore - or else. Keep up your outstanding work.
Your description is excellent. I have lived with this since a cerebral hemorrhage in 2006. It never goes away no matter what I do.
I’ve had to start writing down literally everything I do. I can’t remember shit. Also i have had to start spacing out where i put my medicine just because i cant remember if i took it even if i tried super hard to remember it. I never had a problem with this before. I do now. Even for my cats medicine too. Frustrating as all hell. Thanks for making your videos! I don’t have a diagnosis, but i’m well on my way. Lot’s of “everythings normal” from docs rn. Also several people that when it comes to the debilitating fatigue, they go “well im tired too.” Drives me insane but i don’t have the energy to fight or argue anyways! Appreciate you and hope you’re staying safe. Also, as you can clearly see i am not as eloquent in my writing (i think that’s the word im looking for) it just jumps all over the place these days. I’m too tired to care enough to fix it - im sure my point comes across in some form or fashion lol
I could’ve written this myself. Everything gets written down and I can’t tell you how many alerts I have set on my phone to remind me for meds and I still forget!
starlitlexy what i’ve started doing that helps me is putting all my meds on my kitchen counter and as i take them moving them to another part of the counter. This way i can visually know ive taken them. Its really helping so far!
These are perfect examples.
I didn't even know depth perception was one of those, but I think I must have this.
Everything you have mentioned in this is how it is to me.
And no one in my life knows how I feel. I try to hard to hide these these because I know it has its stigma.
So sad
Yeah its very frustrating
When I can feel the brain inflammation and pain I ice my head, if helps.
I used to drive in Manhattan ALL THE TIME. I tried to drive to the appointment where I was diagnosed because my husband had worked the night before. I was ok on the highway but as soon as I got into city traffic I felt like I was going to crash, I couldn’t tell how far in front of me the next car was and my husband who was sleeping woke up to me having a panic attack while driving and he had to talk me through being able to pull over so he could drive.
When Im flared up i try not to drive. Its def tough.
Fight4 ME I learned that the hard way. But with coronavirus no one can really help me and I have 4 kids so if my husband is working I sometimes have no choice. But I won’t go any further than a mile or two.
Nailed it👊🏼 is downright terrifying. It’s getting to the point where I feel like I should be tested for dementia or early onset Alzheimer’s... thoughts?
always good to get tested if you suspect it
I feel you, it does feel like early onset of dementia.
It is not constant for me but fluctuates throughout the day, some days. I did not experience it during the first two months of me getting ME/CFS, I only started noticing short flare-ups recently and, as for all the reasons described in this video, it is very debilitating.
I have signed up the Optimum Health Clinic in the UK, they do online sessions for treatment or, rather, management for ME/CFS and have a host of material online for support. Also, watch some of their interviews with former patients that have either fully recovered or are managing the illness really well, very inspiring.
I know what you mean, it's worrying to think I could be loosing my cognitive ability. Very scary.
Nah, I'd fail. In the beginning of this I saw several Dr.s for stuff- everything was normal. Done with that.
I did. It made me feel better. I had actually forgotten that I did
There is a whole community around this specific symptom if you search Derealization/Depersonalization. That helped me a lot. I had it pretty thick a few years back and got it to mostly go away for a few years following their tips and tricks. Now it's back with a vengeance and I'm working on it again.
Brain fog has been the most debilitating symptom of M.E. in my case. You explained something I have had difficulty explaining. In my case I also get what I call neuroinflammation headaches. Terribly uncomfortable. Thank you for your videos. I feel not so alone.
I knew the forgetfulness (I've forgotten my address and it's terrifying) but I hadn't realised the rest was brain fog related. You explain everything so brilliantly. Thank you so much.
In the midst of being treated for depression rn. On a LOT of antidepressants. I do not identify as being currently depressed. I told the Dr that there's something medically wrong with me and he said there isn't, that it's biopsychosocial, meaning he thinks I'm depressed. Glad to have come across your channel. I was looking for information on what physiotherapy can help with if it's hard to spoon food into a bag with a tablespoon. I'm sure i have cfs. I have every symptom. Finally i can ask for a referral to whoever diagnoses it. I've been repeatedly dismissed by my Dr for years. So mad and hurt to realize that they haven't listened to me at all. My life has been suspended for years trying to figure out what's wrong and how to fix it.
I have all of the same symptoms that you mentioned.... For me, it feels like I just woke up from anesthesia or that I was just given anesthesia. I also feel drugged / intoxicated . I stumble around as if I'm intoxicated and don't make sense when I speak. I don't feel present in what's going on around me. Like I'm in a fishbowl.
I have felt like that too. It's terrible.
wow. yes. i never feel present in whats going on in my surroundings either.. its like im in a dream like mental fog. its been a year now with all of this.
Am going through the same too
Brain fog is truly horrible. I work part time and that’s when I struggle most with it. I try my best to hide it. That can be challenging. I am worried if they find out it will go against me. It gets worse the more exhausted I get. My memory is so so bad. And really frustrating. I also find I can’t pronounce some words or find the word I am trying to use. I can’t think properly or problem solve when it’s bad. It’s like trying to work something out through fog.
I really feel for you, it's horrible.
@@parmym.7177 ❤️😍
I just came across your videos. Thank you so much for doing them. You are doing such a great service and you are a pleasure to watch.
Thank you!
Brain Fog is absolutely underestimated as a core symptom. In my case it feels as if I am at best only awake 80%, as if 20% of my consciousness is permanently stuck in a sleep/dream state. Complex/abstract thought is not available to me, I can only run on routines. It also causes severe attention deficit on any topic that requires concentration; when I do concentrate, I can actually feel the blood rushing to my head. I'm currently studying for a certification test in software release engineering, and I have to watch the videos no less than 15 times to remember the material. Giving NADH and Ubiquitol a try, and hopefully a script for NDL. It's my last ditch effort, if it doesn't work I think it's very likely brain fog will cost me my career.
Again a perfect description by your video! Thanks!
I like the word disconnected to explain what it feels like.
I often feel like I'm falling out of time and space. I used to never get lost, always found my way. Now I want to got somewhere and have to think hard to remember the roads I have to take. Sometimes I suddenly don't know anymore, where I am and have to relax to find out, where I'm heading to and which route I should take.
The other thing is I often can't think in words ore language anymore. I only think in pictures. I still know everything, I remember everything but it's in pictures or films in my head, not in words. Unfortunately I can't beam them into other peoples head...
Best wishes to you and thank you for your efforts in making these videos!
Anne
Ha! I do the same and would flatter myself by thinking I had a photographic memory lol! Now I realize my folly after seeing your post. Humor helps doesn't it! We who suffer need it like we need the air♥
I agree, I think brain fog is one of the worst symptoms of M.E. I get so forgetful and bump into things. It's so embarrassing because most people don't really understand. I'll be talking to someone and I will say the wrong word etc, and I've had many embarrassing situations in social situations where people just laugh and make a joke out of it. It's so embarrassing and makes me self concious, to the point where I really dread group social gathering, parties etc. I also feel detached like you mentioned, like in a dream. The lockdown in one way has been a safe haven for me, I'm really dreading social interactions when things open up again. Thanks for your video sharing your experience. I feel really lonely, as I feel I can't really talk to anyone I know, about my illness, only people who have it understand.
Thanks for making these videos. I send them to friends, potential boyfriends ( not been an easy thing for them to understand!!) Going thru a flare up of brain fog right now, and it really made someone very angry! A good video might be dating with ME! A video for a person who likes someone with ME but they get frustrated as they think you are brushing them off, taking it personally etc etc... I was called a jeckle and Hyde a child etc etc..... that I was rude, it really hurts! Anyway sent them this! But in return I got a few too many red flags. I’m safer staying single I think!
Sorry you have gone through that Larissa. I actually have 2 videos about ME and dating. Check em out when you're feeling better, let me know what you think. =)
Well said and explained !
I have the exact same symptoms as describe by you, very difficult to deal with. I literally just struggled filling out personal details such as my address and cell number on an online form.
Unfortunately I understand all to well!
@@fight4me747 Did you have some success managing your fog? the short-term memory lapses. I took lexotanil, a bromazepam, which really makes it much less pronounced. But this is only a temporary solution that tells me that my anxiety makes it worse. But did you have some success nutritional wise?
Thanks,
P
I was standing in the shower the other day, trying to figure out if I'd washed my hair already. I liken it to pushing through thick mud (metaphorically) or being so drunk, you can't follow a thought. I also bump into everything, I was never very coordinated but not like this. I can't stay present a lot of times and I hurt myself because I'm somewhere else in my head. My ability to work all day is gone. I ration my energy and the fibromyalgia flares if I overdo it (which is often, sadly, because I still think I should be able to do what I used to). The worst is when I can't follow what people are saying or I forget what I was saying or can't remember a (simple) word. I feel stupid, like they're judging me so I just go silent. I prefer to be alone, even from my own family often. It's easier when I don't have to put on the "normal" face.
You've been posting so many videos lately!
And more on the way! I have a little help so its easier for me to make them. =)
I relate to this so much, you explained it so well. Especially the depth perception one. I am constantly walking into things and dropping things and stubbing my toes like you say. Putting things in the wrong places, forgetting what I have been doing even seconds ago. But also, rambling, I cant explain anything or talk clearly or follow any conversations without getting confused and not understanding words.
THANK YOU for speaking out for us. Pretty much word for word, what you explained (very well) has been my life for 2 decades. I just say I somehow entered the Twilight Zone back then & have never made it out. I've encountered the disbelief, intoleration & insults. From medical "professionals"...wasn't just Dr's in my experience, paramedics & nurses could be pretty degrading themselves...to the friend thats known me since childhood & told me maybe I should see a psychiatrist. My health is the worse it's ever been & I no longer allow that kind of treatment. It takes every ounce of will & energy I have to make it out of my bed or house...I don't have any energy to spare on people who weigh me down on top of what this walking dead hell already has.
I am in the category that developed it after catching a virus. I know exactly where it came from - work - but don't know what it was. It felt like the flu & I gradually got better, but never really recovered. I'm sure that sounds crazy to most people, but think others w/ CFS/ME/Fibro will understand completely.
I understand Covid has left many in a very similar condition. Though I am very sorry for these patients, I've wondered if it has caused skeptical medical & research officials to reconsider their opinions & think about taking another look into ME/CFS. Your story, my story & so many others are virtually identical. How can we all be faking it or it's just in our heads?
I think the Medical community has already recognized that Long Covid is extremely similar to M.E./CFS and there are already studies looking into it. Some have suggested that long covid IS M.E./CFS. Essentially, M.E. is a post viral illness. Thats the hypothesis floating around for a while now.
Thank you for this video. I can relate perfectly. Multitasking, public speaking and entertaining has been my life and my job (restaurant owner), now I am no longer that person. I try, but the struggle is real! Hang in there
Thats a tough job even when healthy!
Frustration because stimulation gets too much for my brain. And I get angry. That is brainfog for me besides what you talked about ❤
Hey man, really appreciated this today. One of my issues with brain fog are stupid decisions. I'll look at something I thought/did/bought later and wonder what the hell I was thinking. Just today I was looking at some CFS recovery BS videos and questioning myself if maybe my issues are anxiety related. I don't have anxiety! I probably feel less anxious since I've had ME than before. And I've had lots of neurocognitive testing which ruled out any psychiatric issues and found plenty of abnormalities that couldn't have been there before I was sick (incompatible with my career). That, plus abnormal CPETs, etc, and there's no way anxiety is related to my issues. But good ole cognitive dysfunction makes me forget the whole picture. In the old tv series Quantum Leap the main character would refer to his "swiss cheese brain," which fits perfectly for me. Some parts work great, others just aren't there. Thanks again Johnny. Really needed to see some of your videos today. You did good.
I make silly decisions too. When Im feeling better I think to myself how I "messed up" something so basic. Frustrating.
This. Omg this. Fucking THIS. I can't believe someone understands omfg I needed this. It's so hard to get it all under one conversation, I will be sending this to everyone I know.
Your explanation on brain fog was spot-on. It's the best description and explanation I have heard!
Thank you for these videos. I would really like to see you go further in depth regarding how brain fog affects communication skills in so many ways. I've lost about everybody in my life and it's caused severe complex PTSD due to of course misunderstanding, accusations of exaggerating, but the worst is not getting through to people, even tho it seems like I'm having normal conversations, I'm really just saying the words that make sense for the question and come to mind the quickest. Since I've received so much doubt, my answers 99% of the time are extremely downplayed. Then you add in memory recall dysfunction, word finding issues, memory issues in general, inability to focus, and hugely, processing speed. Example- they ask why it's so hard to get ready for bed, the quickest fitting answer that will require the least amount of follow-up questions, I would just blame on pain. When that's not it at all. It's severe weakness, brain fog to the severity I walk back and forth to my closet 10 times trying to remember I need to grab my pajamas etc.
Sorry so long I've lost my ability to summarize
Thank you for this video. I have this for 7 years now. In and out for years at my doctor. He rather tells me I look well taken care off. So I stop complaining to him. I thought that I was the only persone feeling like this. When you are staring in front of you for a few seconds, that is how I go through life 24/7. Everything is like in slow motion. Try and explain that to people, I am sure they think that I am crazy. This is no life because I don't live, I only exist.
Well, not sure if this helps, but I completely understand.
I love you man.!
I know how difficult it is. I've been with this for 5 months.! And I can't imagine the effort you put into organizing those ideas to explain how well it feels!
THANK YOU
I appreciate that! It does take a toll that only people with ME would understand.
@@fight4me747
your explanation is very good.
I do not have ME I got COVID (long covid) and I feel exactly the same, and I have gone to psychiatrists neurologists, and nothing improves it ...
a question you say is not always so.
which is not permanent in your case.
then.
when it leaves is it easy to recognize?
or is it gradual?
and when it is not you recover all your faculties?
@@numerosgriegos Its gradual for me but by gradual I mean it takes about an hour of onset before its pointless me doing anything more as its too hard so I have to go have a sleep and start again
I have an advanced degree in oriental literature. I bought a 10 volume set of the Mahabharata to read fully in my retirement. Read first 100 pages and then 3 years ago got lyme which now has become me/cfs. My brainfog manifests as lank of interest, difficult to absorb and process information. Politics has become entailment. Most of the other symptoms described so well in the video are very familiar. Ya it’s real.
Forgetting about people's names. Close family, friends, pets... People you deal with on a daily basis and not knowing their name!
Not recognizing a tool that you use everyday at work. Not being sure of what it is and what you're supposed to do with it.
I struggle a lot with making sentences too, because the words just disappear from my brain.
Constantly not knowing where I left my phone and having to search the house a few times.
Etc.
Spent more than 10 seconds today trying to say scissors to my partner today. Could not say it. Just kept having the word in my mind, i knew the noise i had to make, but i could not move my mouth to utter it. Kept saying shhshhshhhshh. It was quite frustrating, but very funny. It feels like being drunk but not happily.
Been there. Not fun.
Sometimes just going quiet. Yeah. I do that. I thought it was just my personality. ❤thanks for your video
I do that a lot. Those close to me know its usually M.E. causing it.
As a professional myself (Complementary Therapist and Psych grad) with M.E. and psychiatric diagnoses (Bipolar and PTSD) i appreciate this video a lot. There have been times where similar symptoms to this have occured as a direct result of PTSD trigger or Bipolar episode. The "unprofessionals" from my home country however try and use these at times when they even admit I'm in remission to account for the M.E. defecits.
The worst for me is when I am ordering something when I’m in a line-up because I forget what things are called. I stand there like a deer in headlights and the cashier is staring at me and I think that I’m slow or on street drugs or something like that. There was a time when I was proud of myself because I thought I was intelligent but now I feel stupid and I do not go anywhere where I have to interact with people because I don’t know if I can carry on a conversation or not.
My goodness you are so right, I know exactly how you are. I am a qualified electrician and service engineer with a BSC Honours degree but since having cancer and covid (At the same time) I have difficulty remembering things, sometimes when going from one room to another. Keep waking up at night, incredibly tired most of the time and very little energy to do anything. I feel like I have become a mental vegetable compared to how I should be.
Sorry to hear this. It can be difficult. Hopefully in your case it gets better with time.
Hi guys, for those that suffer from Brain Fog, have you experienced that stress and/or anxiety worsen your various Brain Fog symptoms? I am very optimistic that with a strict nutritional regimen and good sleep hygiene, as well as stress and anxiety management, I can get a hold or manage my brain fog eventually.
What are your thoughts?
Any type of stress makes it worse IMO. Anxiety, stress, physical. I think you're on the right path. Sleep and diet do make a difference.
My brain fog causes my stress and anxiety. Being lost and not knowing where I live when at the local store is just one example of the stress induced by bran fog
Y0@@fight4me747
I love how you said to take the “mess” (psych issues) somewhere else. Lol I might have to use that sometime. Great video!
I have had brain fog for a a number of weeks now. Struggle to recall memories at times. And one weird symptom I have is when talking to people, I respond to any questions they ask and/or just general conversation but feel like I don’t understand them
And just general feeling of disconnectedness
Good way of explaining it.
Its very challenging, the doctors look at me like im crazy so im just not going to go anymore
Yup yup that’s I have been feeling
Not a fun feeling
I find that my sense of urgency is completely off. Its very much like thise anxiety dreams. Its almost like I'm two people, one is desperately trying to get me to complete whatever im doing or turn the burner off or answer my phone, the other is oblivious and its this one that's in control of what my body does. Its very disconcerting to have one part of you shouting "come on, come on!!", while the other is just "do-do-de-do-doo".
I think I always had brain fog, but am not certain. I almost always felt like living in a bubble, even when being with other people. The constant state of disconnection, of daydreaming, is why I can't work anymore, and why I sucked at math, even though I'm a logical person (or so I believe).
Since I supposedly got chronic fatigue, I sometimes experienced paralysis, where I tried to "tell" my nerves to move, but they wouldn't listen, and ground me to my bed. That happens when the fatigue gets extreme. Also, stress leads to the tension of my muscles, which cause me physical pain.
I hope to get properly diagnosed, if it is indeed not a psychological disorder.
I feel for you. And me. 😢
For it feels like someone hijacked my brain. I often ask myself if I have dementia. I would take the fatigue over brain fog any day.
Explained the Brain Fog Perfectly… because most don’t usually like creating narratives although the ego does but it’s difficult when the family makes fun of you when you’re stuttering and you forget what you’re saying thank you for explaining it so well sending this along to the people that hopefully have a glimmer of empathy remaining. I appreciate you so much.❤️🩹
Im so glad someone can finde the right words to describe what a brain fog is !! But it's not so bad for me my biggest problem is like filing a huge train going through my brain no stop which is extremely exhausting and painful plus all the rest synthoms that cfs has and dealing with those......
I have trouble remembering ‘when’ things happened to me in the past…it is frustrating when I can’t remember important things esp. medical procedures or the order in which things have happened to me in the past.
Had it for about 28 years brain fog is the worst part cannot work things out sometimes end up looking at them for a long time to see if i have done it right
That's interesting hearing you mention depth perception. I grew up with an eye issue where I had zero depth. I fixed it with laser surgery and was good to go for a couple months(amazing vision).. and then I'm back to no depth and blurry with nothing changed in my prescription. Hmm
Is it possible to get a written transcript of thus this. My husband doesn't understand what my brain fog is and thinks I use it as an excuse to get away with lies. And this explains what I can't. Only he's currently incarcerated n can't watch the video
Ever heard of Dan Nueffer?. He has the ANS Rewire Program which explains CFS/ME & the underlying mechanisms. I’ve heard his approach has got countless suffers to recover which you can see on his RUclips channel named: Dan Nauffer. Thought this might help.
I have not heard of him, but I will check it out, thanks.
I don't know if I have this or what's wrong with me, but I sit at my computer at work, just looking back and forth, trying to remember what I was doing. Trying to remember why I opened that tab or that new email window. The littlest things pull my attention away from a task and I completely forget I had even started the task until hours or days later.
depth perception
,clumsiness
paperwork, losing things stupid mistakes...
It makes you wonder if it isn’t some kind of undetected brain damage that occurs. That would explain why some people never recover back to normal. What you are describing is what is medically referred to as “ mild cognitive impairment” , which is basically the result of some form of brain damage -either head trauma , strokes , seizures or just some form of dementia in early stage. Idk , I hate to be negative, but I know this isn’t depression or anxiety because I suffer from this and the symptoms are just too obvious and extreme for it to be the result of a perfectly healthy nervous system experiencing anxiety and depression.
It seems like cognitive decline, but when you are out of a "flare up" you feel sharp and "normal" again. Cognitive decline/brain damage does improve much. Some people with M.E. don't even have brain fog as a common symptom. They may have it for a month and not have it the rest of the year.
Ohh .. we’ll, maybe it’s just me then Haha .. I used to be as sharp as ever, but as time goes by I just become duller and duller . I tend to obsess over it the worse it gets which seems to progress it. Unfortunately It’s never gotten better , and I seem to be consistently loosing my memory and mental acuity. At only 33 years old , Doctors say everything looks fine and it’s just anxiety and depression… There’s nothing I hate worse than hearing that when I know what I used to be compared to now.
Your content is very helpful, though. You’re helping a lot of people .
I broke three of my favorite glasses in the past month. Never broke glasses before. Have broken pinky toes six times in fifteen years
The cause for me was the microwave oven. This may sound unbelievable: the internet states that the use is harmless or that the danger is cancer or a reduction in vitamins.
The first consequences were: pain in the neck, fatigue, sore throat, depression, .....
After 3 months without a microwave oven these symptoms disappeared.
Consequences are greater the closer the microwave oven is to you: if the oven is right next to your dining table, for example.
If you bring this to your members' attention, those who wish can give it a try and let you know about their experiences. Everyone can now participate in the study!
People will not think much of CFS. Organs are not damaged. It looks more like an internal strangulation.
I don't know if that can be found. The muscles tense under the influence of microwaves (microwave), Hence the pain and the intestines are too tense, which makes digestion poor and too few vitamins are absorbed. In the throat one has pain due to the tensioning of the muscles there. Be careful not to cure other diseases with fatigue for CFS
O yeh, antidepressants are poison.
Explained very well but yeah I’ve been feeling like a failure this whole 7 months 😔 this is no joke believe me you don’t want this illness
Has anyone found anything that helps relieve the brain fog? I get it pretty bad too with my CFS
LDN. I made a video on it if you are interested.
A utuber i watch has a brain injury he got while fighting in the gulf war. Is experience appears to be the same as my brain fog.
Is there specific foods that worsen brain fog?
Inflammatory type foods. Sugar, processed foods etc
@@fight4me747 so you eliminated this foods on your daily diet?
you dont have to use the oven. When the microgolf-oven is there he sends waves day and nigt also when not in use and causes so ME?CFS.
I feel as a light bulb shut off. This is the worse feeling I every experienced in my life. The Nuerologist told me to focus more and prescribed cuckoo meds.
Hello Frankie, do you only have Brain fog or do you believe you have M.E. ?
How long does the cfs/me fog last most of the time? For me, I can have good days and bad days.
Do NAD injections help with this I wonder...
Thank you.
Yah nah it’s way more than that you feel dissociated and totally disconnected from the present moment
whet kind of treatment/medicine are you taking for brain fog..?
LDN and lots of supplements.
Soon True! They would not last a minute in your shoes..I too try to remain quiet. Not my normal personality, but then the next words are, and you have nothing interesting to say. No I'm not being mean, you must remember I am also in pain while you are talking nonsense. No they would not last.
Holy shit that’s what I have😖😣🥺
lyme
or Mercury poison ?
How did you recover from this horrible disease?
Unfortunately there is no cure. Just symptom management for most. Some do get much better, while most don't.
What can we do to get rid of it
wish I had that answer.
i am on guanfacine 2mg it's like post TBI , what are you taking no body understand unfortunately . are you recovering do we have hope man ?
Im not recovered. Hope all is well.
35 years ago I used quafenesine.
When I go shopping I am going to buy and try roobiose.
Do you feel pressure or numbness in brain..?
Pressure I feel often
For me brain fog is complete inability to concentrate on anything. Even 5 min video feels horrendously hard and tires me. I can't think clearly and any complex thoughts and information are impossible. I don't have memory problems.
Sorry just wondering ...... I used to speak like you fast and loud ... but now I often speak slow and quietly .. like if you listen to my recent video .. i find it difficult to even listen to u because it is loud for me ... I usually want only silence and peace
Hello, maybe ASMR videos might be a better fit for you. Many people find that very peaceful.
Fight4 ME exactly :) I m just listening to them recently!