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Mild Cognitive Impairment and Paranoia?
Brain & Nervous System | Last Active: Jul 16, 2023 | Replies (11)Comment receiving replies
@SusanEllen66 In my experience, anxiety results in being less focused and I have trouble concentrating. What may seem like a memory problem is actually a focus problem because if I have difficulty focusing my attention then the information does not completely get stored in memory. It's subtle but that's what happens. So, is it possible that what seems like MCI becoming worse when you are anxious is actually the anxiety itself making it hard to focus your attention?
Replies to "@SusanEllen66 In my experience, anxiety results in being less focused and I have trouble concentrating. What..."
@naturegirl5 @tallyguy you are so correct. MCI does get worse when there is anxiety.
I have so many issues going on right now that I’m having trouble focusing on any one thing. Both my mental, and physical health issues are really bothering me. I’m especially stressed about being exhausted from hypersomnia. I just started a meditation that should help me in about 6 weeks. I can’t drive too far because I’m too tired. I must nap every afternoon.
Sometimes I can focus on painting, or working on a puzzle. Things like that are helpful.
It was 117 degrees outside today so this is the time of year when we desert dwellers stay inside!
Thank you for your help!
For me, everything was exacerbated when anxiety attacks happened.
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I've noticed 2 things with my MCI. When I conceptually process, speed or time pressure degrades my cognition. I quickly descend into mental flatness and sometimes even a brain meltdown until I slow down or remove the pressure.
At some point, I realized that a lot of my memory problems were attention problems. I've learned never to split my attention (i.e., multi-task). I've learned that I can embed something important--like keeping the pool door locked when the nonswimming grandchildren are visiting--by stimulating when I store the memory. There is a cost to this, as it draws on my cognition, and I don't have any cognition to spare.
I guess what I've learned is to practice relaxation and to avoid over-stimulation, Relaxation produces joy--and enhances my cognition and attention! Here's what has worked for me, tho I must mention that I'm retired and our children are grown and gone!!
Re my MCI, I turn off my conceptual processing and engage in more relaxing sensory processing. Hugging the dogs, humming or singing, practicing gratitude, reading poetry, digging in the yard, cycling thro the woods and along rural roads.
Re my attention deficit, I try to appreciate my "special" attention, which tends to focus on whatever is in front of me, to the exclusion of EVERYTHING else. The other day, at the end of a long bike ride, my wife had a flat less than a mile from home. I rode on, got the car, and picked her and the bike up. As we were sitting in the cool van driving slowly thru our shady neighborhood back home, I was lost in the utter joy of the moment. Then my wife asked me something about the flat, and I sort of startled and looked at her blankly for a moment, then remembered we'd been riding, she'd had a flat, I'd sprinted home, gotten the car, and picked her and the bike up. That's the power of my "special" attention--so relaxing.
Peace.