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How has FM changed you mentally?

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Posted 4/28/2015 5:20 AM (GMT 0)
I'm not sure how to ask, I normally speak French.

I was talking to a friend I hadn't seen in a long time. Someone who knew me back in High school. She was comparing the old me to the new FM me.
I was telling her about my anxiety, short fuse, almost paranoia. Like I lost my common sense. I snap at nothing. I don't like being around people that much anymore.
Tonight a stranger rang my door bell and I started panicking thinking it was some bad news. I didn't even open. I have a lot less patience.
FM changed me mentally. How I do things.

How did it changed you?
Posted 4/28/2015 6:07 AM (GMT 0)
I've noticed I've become apathetic.
My patience has thinned too. On bad days I just want to be alone.
Posted 4/28/2015 10:33 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Anna,

Interesting question. Fibro has made me more mindful in realizing how important it is to take good care of myself through exercise and diet and stretches and trying to keep any stress to a minimum.

I pay more attention to the details without letting them interfere too much with my day to day living. Living would be much more difficult for me if I did nothing to help myself naturally and only turned to meds.

Fibro has made me feel smarter if that makes any sense.

Post Edited (almost medfree) : 4/28/2015 5:27:45 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/28/2015 11:08 AM (GMT 0)
Wow , where do I begin , lol. Now, I can't multi task, if situations get slightly complex I have to give it all my focus. But I have to make a lot of effort to focus.

It's hard to have a normal conversation. I start talking and forget what I was saying or pause so much trying to remember words that I want to use. Social situations are a mess and seem to take energy and effort along with anxiety.


I feel like when things get too complex for me, my mind shuts down and I can't get past certain points in my thoughts , then I get frustrated with anxiety. Like I can't think through a problem.

There's probably more but I can't remember :)
Posted 4/28/2015 12:15 PM (GMT 0)
I'm very much like Purple. I am more forgetful and sometimes have problems coming up with words. In the evenings or when I'm really tired it's like my brain shuts down. When the fog first hit me years ago, I forgot entire conversations and STILL don't remember them. I thought I was getting Alzheimer's and saw my doctor about it.

I use techniques from The Memory Book by Harry Lorayne and Jerry Lucas, I write notes to myself, and really make a concerted effort to remember things. I also take folic acid which seems to help some, too.

The best thing is not to get upset or anxious. That just makes it worse and you definitely will not remember things. I find laughing it off is a good thing. If I am forgetful in a social setting, I say that I'm sorry but I have a cognitive memory problem due to an illness that I have. It's the truth and you get the "sympathy vote". turn

Sherrine
Posted 4/28/2015 4:26 PM (GMT 0)
Well, I've always been an airhead, but Fibro has taken me way, way further out into space.

Pretty much what everyone else has said....concentration nil, losing things, forgetting what I talked about with people.

Last week I really scared myself. Our daughters were over with their boyfriends and we were sitting around talking about a show we all watch. One couple had seen the latest episode and the other hadn't. So I said to the boyfriend who had, "Remember ~ they haven't seen it, so don't say too much."

about 20 seconds later, the daughter who had NOT seen it was talking about possible outcomes, and getting way too close to what had actually happened on the show, then, "Mom's giving me these really crazy looks," (which I was - I didn't want her to spill the beans!!) Whoo boy, talk about feeling like an absolute idiot. So of course they now knew everything ;(

I've done these things all my life (kicked the soccer ball the wrong way on the field, ha ha) but the fact that I had JUST known a few seconds before who knew and who didn't in this instance really kind of jarred me.

Oh well. On we go...

Debbie
Posted 4/28/2015 6:27 PM (GMT 0)
My Husband tells me that my illness has affected my thinking. He is likely correct. My hearing is quite poor so that doesn't help. I find that if I am in a whole lot of pain I really can't think straight and I frankly don't even want to think. I forget things that I thought about 5 minutes before. I have a hard time speaking. I know what I want to say but it just doesn't come out right. My body parts are not behaving the way my brain thinks it should. I just get up and do what I can.

Loring

Osteoarthritis in Multiple Joints, Fibromyalgia, Neuralgia, Chronic Daily Headaches, I.B., Hard of Hearing...
Posted 4/28/2015 6:35 PM (GMT 0)
My attention span is now tiny.  I have a hard time remembering things, even things I just thought of.

I have become even more introverted, I believe.  I am less likely to want to talk and do things.  I am crankier than I used to be. 

I am losing the spelling of words, which is actually a new development that has been bothering me.  My therapist says this is likely the result of stress.  But I will start to type a word, and then stare at the screen, retype it several ways until spell-check agrees with me.

 

Posted 4/28/2015 7:16 PM (GMT 0)
Today I woke up at 8am knowing I had a dr appt, about 9:40 I was in the bathroom and I said OH Crap (said worse but can't say what I said here, lol) and ran out the door to go the dr. Got there at 9:55 and I said am I too late, she said no and put up my papers for the nurse. Then about 5 minutes later the 2 receptionist were talking and one said, Lisa your appt isn't until 10:40. LOL. Absent minded me, was a hour early for my appt, I went home for 30 minutes and told my mom, she just laughed and said I was as bad as my dad.
Posted 4/28/2015 11:39 PM (GMT 0)
Excellent question
Fibro changed me into a better seeker of wellness, but not right away. It also changed my patience, I get easily flustered. I make sure to inform my friends and family when I am being short because it is a bad day. I am definitely more isolated. I found friends and family who just couldn't reconcile the old outgoing figure out every detail with the new pain event planner.
I feel like I received a terrible, but beautiful gift. I understand so many others now :).
I am not paranoid but I can be what others think of as pessimistic. I explain it is not that, it is reality for me and I accept it. It really helped me to find support groups, stay in touch with drs and get books to understand how to live well. If being paranoid feels like panic, delve into how to change it or accept it.
I hope this helps. Everyone on this thread posted invaluable insight.
Blessings
Posted 5/4/2015 3:50 PM (GMT 0)
OMG....I can't believe this question... I've been really scared lately that I'm getting Alzheimers. I get so loopy. I've always been organized and can usually have a normal conversation with people but lately I'm a wreck. So good to hear it's not just me... My husband is noticing and giving me weird looks. I told him this last weekend that I need him to "keep me on track" and he laughed and totally agreed.

I have RA, Fibro and after a recent back injury now have bulging disks L3-L5 w/issuse from L5-S1. Degenerative disk disease to Lumbar. I've been off work and on FMLA for 8 weeks. I can't sit, stand or walk too long. MD gave me a script for Tramadol.. I really thought it was the tramadol and all my other meds making me loopy.... LOL Big Sigh... I have an appointment with my specialist today. I'm going to push for cortisone injections to calm down this back of mine. My FMLA ends May 25. I've been told by my work if I can't come back they will do a medical layoff and I will lose my job. Thank god I filed for short term disability but haven't herd if I qualify....

Thanks for the original posted question Anna! You just made my day... smilewinkgrin
Posted 5/6/2015 5:39 AM (GMT 0)
Fibro has made me terrible ,memory is fading,cognitive problems,brain fog,walking is wobbly,pain ,no patience,sleepy and tired all time,and much more ..can't recall...
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