Nervousness makes me forget

I do the same thing. Everytime I go up to visit my family I have trouble expresing myself or responding to negative remarks. i just seem so oblivious until I get back home and then i realise what took place!.

Hello @dougjanehaltom and @mjpg2013

Nervousness and anxiety can certainly interfere with the functioning of our body. Any disease or disorder that we have can be complicated by anxiety. It sounds like you have both experienced this very thing.

Are your memory problems related to word recall (not being able to get the right word when you need it), forgetting names of relatives/friends, or is it a problem of getting lost when you are driving to well-known locations, etc.?

If you have any concerns about memory problems it is a good idea to talk with your family physician to see if a workup needs to be done to check for other problems that might be causing memory issues.

My problem is all of the above. I can't recall names I know very well, I lose my train of thought and I get very nervous.

Thanks for sharing this, @dougjanehaltom. Have you had any treatment for your nervousness? I'm thinking of treatments like counseling, support groups, medications to help treat anxiety?

I am getting counseling from a professional counselor and also I have a Christian spiritual advisor. They are both very helpful in getting me through this time. Thank you so much for your responses and advice.

Hi @dougjanehaltom
I can relate because as a young person, from about age 10 all the way up to adulthood I had an issue whereby I wanted so badly to be liked by everyone. I thought the way to be liked was by being funny. Unfortunately in conversation with acquaintances, perhaps a co worker or a neighbor on the street, I would often say something that was (to my mind anyway) not funny but totally dumb or inappropriate. Then I would feel terrible about myself for a day or a week, and I would get very depressed about how I had made that other person think I was, not funny but odd, strange, weird, you name it. That person then went on my list of people to avoid, perhaps forever if possible. I got so that whenever I met someone I wanted to impress my mind would freeze up. It made for a very uncomfortable and unhappy existence. This was my life much of the time through grade school and high school, college and early work years. It made it challenging just to meet girls I can tell you!

I got through this through a lot of self work, aided by marrying a woman who was a natural born counselor, and finally by opening up to, and finding love from, God. So between God, my wife and myself, the three of us managed to get me sorted out. Your problem may have no relationship to mine, but perhaps at least you can rest assured you are not alone in feeling strange in encounters with other members of the human race. Although I have become much more functional socially and have been so for a long time now, I think there are a number of us out there that just don't seem to quite fit in the world and I suppose I will always be one of those. Best, Hank

@dougjanehaltom You are seeking holistic care and you have a "team." This is the best practice. I also want to recognize that you have reached out to the online community of Mayo Clinic Connect. All of these factors are incredibly important and you are doing an amazing job of advocating for your needs and building a professional and peer support system.

You said, "I can't recall names I know very well, I lose my train of thought and I get very nervous." I also see that you were recently diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment. May I ask if you believe that the "nervous" feeling started once you started to feel cognitively impaired or if the nervousness is a separate issue?

Ginger, I just realized you asked me a question at the end of this text. I started feeling this nervousnes more and more as it happened. The more I realized the more it happened. At that point I was not aware that I had mild cognitive impairment. It seems to be a little better as I talked about it with others. I am not trying to hide this because I can't.

@dougjanehaltom Janie, it makes sense that you might experience nerves as you feel confusion, forgetfulness, or "a hole" in your thoughts. Hesitation over "what did I do, or not do?" Acknowledging and learning to understand MCI, learning to handle your daily life as it has changed, is not for the weak-hearted. I look forward to hearing about your journey on this path.
Ginger

I'm seeing a neurologist in December. People can talk about something and I simply can't remember. Is that MCI or meds? I think it can be either! Maria.