Mild Cognitive Impairment and Paranoia?

@SusanEllen66 I have not been diagnosed with MCI but I have had many periods when anxiety has been very difficult to manage. I have a few questions that I hope you can answer. This will help me to support you better.

I recall your Discussion on finding mental health care on Medicare and you had found someone you could see virtually. Have you talked with your therapist about your worries?

You were diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder many years ago so you are familiar with the feelings. Is there any specific that comes up with the paranoia? What thoughts come to mind such as people looking at your and talking about you?

I would imagine that the diagnosis of MCI brought up considerable anxiety and that the anxiety may have worsened since the MCI diagnosis. Is that the case?

I can recall periods of time when I felt fears and paranoia that were way out of range for what was going on. However, my anxiety and depression were both quite severe at those times.

Have you talked with your doctor about the new symptom of paranoia and if it has anything to do with MCI?

I am sending positive energy to you as you consider my post and figure out how you might like to respond.

@naturegirl5 Hi Helen, I think paranoid may be the wrong word. I don’t know. MCI is worse when I’m anxious.
I have a lot going on right now and anxiety is through the roof.
The therapist I found was not a good match for me so I need to keep searching.
I’m trying to stay awake during the day because I was just diagnosed with hypersomnia and put on medication that hasn’t helped me yet.

I’m at the point where I can’t handle one more thing. I can’t do anything about anything until I can calm down.

Thanks for your concern and help!

My husband with paranoia an hallucinations with Parkinson's demetia did well on a series of medications. Talk to a doctor, especially aneurologist.

I have suffered from anxiety attacks the last three decades (TBI) but have become better equipped to deal with them.
They have also spread apart inbetween times they occur. I accepted they will happen and it is what I did to help minimize rather than fight them the key.
Breathing slow is one example.

@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?

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.

@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!

I have found exercise and pray help with anxiety. I have had anxiety attacks for 40 years. MCI, but was is normal for my age! Hope this helps. Pat

They were going to happen anyhow, it is what u do when they occur the key.

For me, everything was exacerbated when anxiety attacks happened.