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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 15 of 15. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by alesta on December 8, 2004, at 1:06:31
i was under extreme stress today (for about 5 hours), and now literally cannot think. this has never happened to me before. i'm having trouble understanding what i'm reading and just thinking. this is really scary! has anyone ever experienced this? is it temporary, or can severe stress lead to brain damage? please tell me the truth. btw, i'm not a hypochondriac or anything, either..:) man, it's always something..
somebody please help me.
ami
Posted by saw on December 8, 2004, at 1:18:26
In reply to stress - trouble thinking, posted by alesta on December 8, 2004, at 1:06:31
Hi Alesta
This happens to me all the time. My brain turns to mush after extreme stress. I cannot compute even the simplest of things. It is not brain damage, but sweetie, just your brain's way of saying time out, I'm bushed and I need a break. When this is at its worst for me (almost every second day), I grab my pillow and the remote and mindlessly channel hop without even focusing on the TV. (Or have a real good cry). Your brain gets so very tired from being under extreme stress, especially for 5 hours! Try not to worry more about it, it will pass. Maybe you can shut out all external stimuli and run a warm bath with some bubble bath or something. Just lie there with the lights off and not worry about what you can or cannot think about.
Don't let this panic you. It's a perfectly normal after reaction to your stress.
BTW - are you ok with what placed you under such stress?
Sabrina
Posted by alesta on December 8, 2004, at 1:59:04
In reply to Re: stress - trouble thinking, posted by saw on December 8, 2004, at 1:18:26
thank you, thank you sabrina! i feel a little better now. this has happened to me before, but never like this. it's scary. there are responses i want to make on this site but maybe they'll have to wait. i did rest earlier..maybe i do feel a bit better already.
> BTW - are you ok with what placed you under such stress?
yeah. a friend of my bf needed some last-minute medical transcription work done (i used to do that, but got carpal tunnel from it - it was a very short career), and i very stupidly agreed to help them out. it was a HUGE amount of work to do in such a short time, and i feel like i fried my brain. also, my wrists were hurting anyway, but i needed the money. sometimes my will power works against me, as in this case.
again, thank you, sabri! what causes you to feel burned out, your work?
amy :)
Posted by saw on December 8, 2004, at 2:27:12
In reply to Re: stress - trouble thinking » saw, posted by alesta on December 8, 2004, at 1:59:04
Oh yes, work. I used to work well under pressure but I burned out badly in January and have never really recovered. What you were describing was a part of my daily life back then on top of fainting and vomiting and just feeling awful. My work load was ridiculously high for one person and the people dumping the work on me failed to hear my plea of "enough". I have lost respect for my career since then and where I used to relish a deadline, get very tense and pressured if I have to work to one.
Now along with GAD, I don't cope well with normal everyday stresses, never mind work. This year alone has been burn out, give up smoking, move house, get married, medication, death of father, move house (again), and more. I feel constantly brain fried and my thoughts are either non existant or they race. I become overwhelmed by the tiniest things.
Enough about me though. You do talk so little about yourself.
I am glad that you are feeling a little more rested. Please take it easy.
(I have also had carpal tunnel - ouch. I sometimes hit a speed wobble at 120 wpm)
Posted by alesta on December 8, 2004, at 2:45:33
In reply to Re: stress - trouble thinking, posted by saw on December 8, 2004, at 2:27:12
> Now along with GAD, I don't cope well with normal everyday stresses, never mind work. This year alone has been burn out, give up smoking, move house, get married, medication, death of father, move house (again), and more. I feel constantly brain fried and my thoughts are either non existant or they race. I become overwhelmed by the tiniest things.sounds like a very, very tense time. i, too, am experiencing lots of changes. my heart goes out to you.
> Enough about me though. You do talk so little about yourself.
yeah, why is that? (lol)
> I am glad that you are feeling a little more rested. Please take it easy.
ok, doc!
> (I have also had carpal tunnel - ouch. I sometimes hit a speed wobble at 120 wpm)
120 wpm?? jesus h chr&*! did you use one of those keyboards with the different letter arrangement? (i forget what it's called right now - like i said, braindead.)
your friend (almost wrote fiend, oh lord)
amy :)
Posted by saw on December 8, 2004, at 3:03:36
In reply to Re: stress - trouble thinking » saw, posted by alesta on December 8, 2004, at 2:45:33
Mmm, might be a touch of mania, it doesn't happen all the time. I average at about 100 and probably about 50 with mistakes on blehh day.
I type afterhours for an extra income and often have to cram as much in until about 2 am when I am either too stressed or too drunk to continue.
I am terrified to try one of those keyboards. They look like they fell from a space craft. I do use one of those gel squishy wrist resting thingys though.
Posted by alesta on December 8, 2004, at 3:17:38
In reply to Re: stress - trouble thinking, posted by saw on December 8, 2004, at 3:03:36
> Mmm, might be a touch of mania, it doesn't happen all the time. I average at about 100 and probably about 50 with mistakes on blehh day.
an average of 100 is still *really* good. impressive!
> I type afterhours for an extra income and often have to cram as much in until about 2 am when I am either too stressed or too drunk to continue.
sabri, that sounds like a horrible pace to have to keep up. maybe you could cut some of your expenses so you don't need the extra income? (hope i'm not getting too personal/meddling.) i know sometimes that's not possible. take it easy please!
> I am terrified to try one of those keyboards. They look like they fell from a space craft.
lol!
amy :)
Posted by saw on December 8, 2004, at 5:13:15
In reply to Re: stress - trouble thinking » saw, posted by alesta on December 8, 2004, at 3:17:38
I must put your heart at ease STAT!
You are not meddling. Thanks for your concern. I was probably over dramatizing because it isn't *every* single night. I would miss the extra income, as it is, it is never constant, but it is not absolutely essential. I could have been a bit clearer and told you why I mentioned that, and that is that all the practice typing, keeps my speed up. (I hope).
I think I would cope so much better if I just didn't make a mountain out of a mole hill about everything.
But, as with stress, everything always appears larger than life.
You must be exhausted. Have you had *any* sleep? It is 1.10 pm here which makes it very early hours of the morning by you?
S
Posted by anastasia56 on December 8, 2004, at 9:14:58
In reply to Re: stress - trouble thinking » saw, posted by alesta on December 8, 2004, at 3:17:38
alesta,
it is so good seeing you back here
Posted by Dinah on December 8, 2004, at 11:56:56
In reply to stress - trouble thinking, posted by alesta on December 8, 2004, at 1:06:31
It happened to me my last deadline, and it scared me. My body sort of gave out at the same time. I had all kinds of tests done, all came back ok. But I know how scary it can be.
Posted by alesta on December 8, 2004, at 13:19:02
In reply to Re: stress - trouble thinking, posted by saw on December 8, 2004, at 5:13:15
hi sabri,
i'm feeling much better now. (still not 100%)yesterday was rough, rough i tell you! and, yes, i was short on sleep, too.
thanks again. you're always there when we need you. you're a beacon of light in the darkness!
thanks for being so supportive. truly.
you have a good one, now, ya hear?
(: amy :)
Posted by alesta on December 8, 2004, at 13:23:09
In reply to Re: stress - trouble thinking, posted by anastasia56 on December 8, 2004, at 9:14:58
> alesta,
> it is so good seeing you back hereanastasia, thank you! i appreciate that!!
wishing you a nice day, :-)
amy
Posted by alesta on December 8, 2004, at 13:26:15
In reply to Re: stress - trouble thinking » alesta, posted by Dinah on December 8, 2004, at 11:56:56
> It happened to me my last deadline, and it scared me. My body sort of gave out at the same time. I had all kinds of tests done, all came back ok. But I know how scary it can be.
thanks, dinah. so i'm assuming you're back to 100%?? please let me know really quick..i'm paranoid right now.
thanks :)
Posted by Dinah on December 8, 2004, at 14:11:27
In reply to Re: stress - trouble thinking » Dinah, posted by alesta on December 8, 2004, at 13:26:15
Well, my stress isn't gone, so I'm not 100%. I'm having real trouble concentrating. I can't even comprehend the longer posts here. But I assume when the stress lessens so will the problems.
Posted by alesta on December 8, 2004, at 14:28:46
In reply to Re: stress - trouble thinking » alesta, posted by Dinah on December 8, 2004, at 14:11:27
> Well, my stress isn't gone, so I'm not 100%. I'm having real trouble concentrating. I can't even comprehend the longer posts here. But I assume when the stress lessens so will the problems.
thank you dinah. stress is a bit*&. i know what you mean about the longer posts. even shorter posts have been more difficult for me. scary stuff. it's like the meaning of the words just doesn't register, although it is much better for me than yesterday, thank god.
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