Cognative Overload but BAD
Hey everyone,
So I`m here to put something out there as I`m really getting sick of it lol.
So for as long as I can remember I`ve had information processing issues. It`s like my brain`s computer RAM is completely short circuited and any new information stays in there for a grand total of 10 seconds before it disappears. At least in the moment it does.
For example, I might put something down and completely forget where I put it. Like entirely. It`s like in the moment my brain completely scrubs what was once there. This leads to a period of panic, anxiety, and a mad scramble to find what I`ve lost even though I legit cannot remember where it was put. And not the typical can`t find something and then remember it example. Anything regarding the thing I`m trying to find just disappears beyond a certain point. And it can take anything between days to a short period of time to remember that exact piece of information. It`s honestly a gamble as to whether my brain will remember it at all sometimes. Like the steps to fold clothing is a nightmare, I will never know between one day and the next whether my brain will retain the information or not.
And it`s not just losing things. It`s birthday dates, learning any new skills, completing even slightly complex tasks, practical LIVING STUFF. I can be counting a set of objects, and forget what I had just counted within seconds. My brain just dumps information into the unhelpful bin even though I very much need to remember it. Those I live with find themselves repeating the same stuff over and over again, and this extends to my work life too. The amount of times I`ve heard we`ve told you this same stuff over and over again, why isn`t it sticking.... I`d be a billionaire if it cost a dollar to say that sentence. And you`d think doing tasks by hand, muscle memory would help, and it does, but only to a certain point.
And honestly it scares me some times. The way my brain just scrubs information, it`s like I`m in a constant state of cognitive overload.
I`m really getting sick, tired of it, and mentally exhausted.. Of trying to keep up with life when in just one day my brain literally can be aching, feeling like someone has put a cork in a pressurized hole and all that information is building up. And the only way of relieving some of that pressure is to go with my first thoughts, not go through all the processing needed to make a more well thought out decision, which can obviously lead to the not most rational stuff happening lol.
I`ve done research and have a bit of an idea about what might be going on, but nothing seems to tick the right boxes. And I`m feeling a bit isolated in this struggle as it`s the kind of thing that goes on in your head, sure others can hear you talk about it, but how it actually makes you feel is a whole other ball game. And this is making me feel hopeless, frustrated, and stuck. Good fun lol XD
Comments
Hey @Masquerade_HS, welcome back to the community, it's lovely to hear from you again. Thank you for sharing these experiences you've been having with cognitive overload with us.
It sounds like such a frustrating and upsetting thing to have to manage every day that interferes with so much of your life. It makes sense that you've been feeling so exhausted and alone. I can hear you've done research on what could be happening and there could be so many possible reasons. I'm wondering if talking about this with a professional, like a GP could be helpful?
If you'll allow me to roll with your computer analogy, managing life with 10 seconds of RAM sounds incredibly difficult, almost like you're playing on the highest difficulty setting. It sounds like tasks which appear less complicated for others are actually more complicated for you because you have to work around more obstacles.
Though we might not know exactly what's causing this cognitive overload and I would really encourage you to seek advice from a medical professional, you're not alone. There are a lot of people out there who struggle with learning, working memory, executive functioning, and other cognitive processes, who I'm sure can relate to you and who might feel alone as well. Do you have any strategies you use to help with remembering and learning things? Or would it be helpful for me to share some resources around this?
I just wanted to let you know that I've made some edits to your post to align with our guidelines and we'll be sending you an email shortly, so keep an eye out!
