Hello to everyone. I'm a researcher (that also has lyme) at a top university with a concentration in cognitive difficulties especially in autoimmune conditions (but with a widened focus on illnesses such as CFS and Fibromyalgia). I would appreciate it if you could answer what your brain fog feels like from the choices below. A request before you look at the choices.I know it's tempting to describe yourself as many things. All of the choices might feel like they might apply to you. But please only select the choice that truly, objectively applies to you. Nothing else. Your brain fog feels like:
A (This is a rare type of brain fog. As a result, please choose it only if you feel like it most truly describes your brain fog.): Feels like an actual physical feeling. Almost as if there were balls of cotton or something tangible physically blocking different parts of my head. These objects were primarily felt in the frontal lobe with some being felt in other places occassionally. The
location here is important. Significantly impaired abstract thinking, simple-math, and reasoning capability. If you have any of the significantly impaired “X” but not a physical feeling please do not select this. Some descript
ions of this category are 1) . “a headache that’s actually not a headache.” 2). A feeling of pressure as if something is pressing down on the brain (different from the pressure one gets in a cold or during a bout of sinus. 3). A feeling as if parts of the brain are missing or that you can’t access it. Again this is different from something like doing a math problem and not understanding and feeling like a part of your brain is missing. That’s figurative. I must again stress that this is a physical feeling i.e. equal to you touching something and rare. Lastly, this is different from the pressure one gets from lightheadedness. If you have it you'll know.
B. Felt as if things were foggy. Not a physical sensation but things just seemed unclear as if they were covered by a veil. Almost as if reality wasn't well that “real." Things seem more distant to you.
C. A spacey feeling. You’ve started to forget things you wouldn’t have before. You accidentally tried putting your car keys in your apartment lock. Driving is harder because you're too spaced out to drive and you can't keep your attention on the road. You’ve forgotten appointments or meetings or you’ve accidentally gotten on the wrong bus. You just aren’t in the moment as much. I must stress that this is not a physical feeling. But you do feel that something’s off or you aren’t what you used to be.
D. Felt as if someone had wrapped a tight band around my head and were squeezing harder and harder. Again, this is physical feeling that you can feel in your head. Many people feel this way after being frustrated or working long hours. That is figurative. Please do not select it if it is. It must be physical.
E. Numb. Unmotivated. As if someone had sucked out your vitality and you weren’t what you were. Things seem hollow and things that interested you don’t anymore. You’re not depressed but you’re not happy either. You simply don’t care.
F. Something else entirely. Please explain.
You can also select multiple options though I recommend doing so only if you truly must. Finally, when you select an option, I would appreciate an explanation of why you chose that option.
Thank you so much. Your effort will help me and other researchers like me a lot. Cheers![
Post Edited (SabalSabal) : 8/18/2015 1:24:16 AM (GMT-6)