# Feels like I've become dumber... or not



## AlexSh (Oct 19, 2013)

Last week I feel really better, but still there is one thing that bothers me a lot.

It feels like I've become dumber, I think that I somehow lost the ability to grasp and process information as I used to. While doing my job, it takes a lot of effort just to concentrate on the task. It's like every time when I'm trying to think about the task, to figure out the solution, I can only hold focus for 1 microsecond and then it slips away.

And it happens not only with job tasks. It seems I can't process different life situations. For example, when planning my day it's like I can't grasp the overall look of the day. I can plan the following hour, but it's hard to plan a day. It's like I can't see it as the whole one.

Or going shopping. It's not about that I forget what I need to buy, it's just like shopping is too hard for my brain to handle.

Sorry, I don't know how to explain it better. It's just too confusing for me.

Also it's like I lost all the confiedence I had, and I doubt in my basic knowledge and logic. 10 * 10 = 100, but I even doubt in this simple thing. Am I sure that it's correct? Why it is correct? I'm trying to recalculate it, trying to reassure myself that I'm correct.

A couple of days ago, I saw a discount advertisement telling something like "If you buy a product from series A, you'll get the product B for free, which will help you keep your hair healthy". I've reread it for maybe 7 times, but still I was not sure that I understood it completely. My thoughts were like "Ok, so if I buy any... yes, any product... What kind of product? From series A... Any product, right? Yes, any product from series A, then what? I'll get the product B..."

Also, some time ago I was watching Jackie Chan's old movie - Police Story.

In that movie police officers made a trick: they asked a witness to stay in the room, but they asked the witness's lawyer to leave the room for 5 minutes. During these five minutes they said nothing to the witness. When she left the room, the lawyer asked what police officers said to the witness. The witness said that nothing. The point of this trick was to make the lawyer to begin doubting that the witness is honest with him, right? But this situation had literally blown my mind. I started to dwell on it - did I understand this trick correctly? Probably I overlooked some detail? Probably police officers overlooked some detail? As I said, it's like I doubt in logic.

The last example  Today, in the morning, I had to take a bus number 4. I know this bus's route since my childhood. But today morning I was SO doubting that I know it. I didn't forget it, I still knew it, but it just FELT like I don't know it, it's like I wasn't sure that I know it.

So it's like I undestand things, I know them, but at the same time I'm not sure about it.

(I'm also afraid that I have some worse mental or brain desease, which made my intelligence low.)

My description is messy, but please, can anyone relate?


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## Doberg (Sep 12, 2013)

AlexSh said:


> Last week I feel really better, but still there is one thing that bothers me a lot.
> 
> It feels like I've become dumber, I think that I somehow lost the ability to grasp and process information as I used to. While doing my job, it takes a lot of effort just to concentrate on the task. It's like every time when I'm trying to think about the task, to figure out the solution, I can only hold focus for 1 microsecond and then it slips away.
> 
> ...


yes the concentration part is normal for dp


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## Sike25 (Apr 30, 2012)

This is common with dp. You haven't lost any intelligence that won't be gained back from recovery.


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## AlexSh (Oct 19, 2013)

Thank you for your replies!



Selig said:


> This is something that has affected me the most- it makes working difficult and makes me feel very stupid. It's difficult because people with DPD are typically intelligent.
> 
> I would recommend mnemonics and brain exercises, I made an account at luminosity.com. And like Sike said, it does recede after recovery, it's just a side effect we deal with.
> 
> I have no experience with these, but allegedly fish oil in high doses with the proper EPA/DHA ratio is supposed to have an impact on mental clarity. I don't know the truth behind this, but if I were to try supplementation with it, it would be pharmaceutical grade.


I was taking fish oil for a month, but haven't noticed any improvement But maybe, I was taking too small dose... I think I'll start doing some brain exercises as well. By the way, you mentioned luminosity.com - you mean, it has some exercises?

I've also read that too much stress (exactly what I experienced during last 10 months) affects frontal lobe's functioning in a bad away. And frontal lobe is responsible for intelligence, decision-making, planning, ability to execute complex behaviours. I think that's exactly what I have problems with now, it's like some part of my brain has been turned off. I worry about my mental condition a lot, plus I worry that I can't perform at work as I used to, I can't meet deadlines. So there's a lot of stress and anxiety all the time. Today I decided to take a long-term vacation at my job - for a month or two - because I just can't focus on the tasks anymore, and devote all the time to physical exercises and hobbies. I hope it will help me.


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## AlexSh (Oct 19, 2013)

Selig said:


> I would recommend mnemonics and brain exercises, I made an account at luminosity.com. And like Sike said, it does recede after recovery, it's just a side effect we deal with.


Oh, you meant http://www.lumosity.com/ I guess?


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