Whats wrong with my brain?

[rwalters21]

Im a 21 year old male who is having serious problems with his brain. My symptoms are as follows: memory retention problems(have an extremely hard time learning and retaining new information,confusion,drowsiness,personality changes,my brain feels foggy and feels kinda like there is pressure,my senses arent acute, and have problem solving troubles and speech difficulties.. I've started feeling alot of these hardcore about 6 months ago. I want to join the airforce but I cant pass the asvab because I forget almost everything i learn and when I learn something and then am asked a question that is the same kind of question but a different variation such as a math problem its like there is no thoughts and no activity in the brain and its the same during interviews and i'm unable to secure employment by normal means only through temp services because of my speech troubles. I read,read and read about science,the human body, the brain,dna and genetics, so I should be a genious by now but I forget it all and feels like I didnt read anything. I've been to a couple docs and they keep telling me im too young too have atumor or its highly unlikely that I have one. I tried different meds for social anxiety and add but they dont help because all my problems stem from the memory,speech, and confusion symptoms. Im taking a math and science class at my local adult learning center because college is too expensive and im doing it to join the airforce and I started today and the science its life science and I couldnt remember anything I had to right it all down and I never had to do this before and never experienced these problems I was always bright. I feel like I lost my old self and I want him back. What could be wrong?

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Have you seen a doctor about this?

[ydoaPs]

Have you seen a doctor about this?

 

Let's ask him:

I've been to a couple docs and they keep telling me im too young too have atumor or its highly unlikely that I have one.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Ah. Sorry, it was a bit hard to read.

 

I don't feel like the Internet is qualified to answer these questions, but that instead you should pursue things further with the doctors. It sounds like there's something radically wrong, and you don't want to trust your mental health to the Internet.

[ydoaPs]

Ah. Sorry, it was a bit hard to read.

 

I don't feel like the Internet is qualified to answer these questions, but that instead you should pursue things further with the doctors. It sounds like there's something radically wrong, and you don't want to trust your mental health to the Internet.

Unless, of course, you're on drugs. Stop taking drugs.

[Icefire]

The only thing I can think of is that it stems from depression/stress. Do this for ten minutes every day and see if it helps. Couldn't hurt.

[ewmon]

I also thought of depression, and I found this: Adolescent Depression

 

- Depression can sometimes occur because life doesn't progress as we plan.

- Depression can occur when circumstances unconsciously trigger a very bad memory.

 

However, more specifically focused on your situation, memory loss seems like a key symptom.

 

- May we rule out drug or excessive alcohol use?

 

- Does it occur immediately (such as reading something and then not remembering it when the next paragraph references back to it)?

- Does it happen overnight (not remembering during a class what you studied the night before)?

- Does it happen a week or more later?

- Does it affect your memory of non-academic facts (such as remembering people's names, remembering to meet people for get-togethers,etc)?

- Does it affect your memory of non-verbal facts: people's faces, voices, where you put your keys, directions to someone's house, etc?

- Does it affect only attempts at current memorizations or does it also affect very old memories from early childhood?

 

At this point, the most important symptom here is that you recognize it's wrong, you don't like it, and you want to fix it. So, although your symptoms make you uncomfortable/unhappy, feel confident that you have this higher level functioning and that you're on the right track.

[skyhook]

memory problem....you can read up how to remedy poor memory. I'm not expert in the diet and stuff. but they say zinc supplements may help, most multi vitamins have it. or you eat a balanced diet that contain zinc and see if it works. zinc is found in seafood, probably shellfish,crabs,.... red meat and some nuts ...

Sometimes, if you sleep well, the memory may improve.

 

I understand how it feels. I remember during my army recruit time. It was a tough time. Didn't have enough sleep. and have some problems adjusting to the environment. After a few days, I had problems remembering the steps of the rifle drills.

 

You have an ambition, and it isn't right for me to comment on it. Me I wish others don't dampen my dream too. but if it gets tough, you can see the Medical officer, if you get into the air force.

 

I took anxiety drugs, and was off for 6 months now. I requested for very low dose. but still it caused some effects. One of the effect is my little bro is affected, and that makes me worried. At another doctor, a different drugs caused the face to feel stiff, or rubbery, like a second skin on the face. Before that , I went to docs complaining about pains on the body here and there and they can't find anything wrong.

 

do you think anxiety disorder is depression ? I thought that I read it before somewhere.

[Mr Skeptic]

Im a 21 year old male who is having serious problems with his brain. My symptoms are as follows: memory retention problems(have an extremely hard time learning and retaining new information,confusion,drowsiness,personality changes,my brain feels foggy and feels kinda like there is pressure,my senses arent acute, and have problem solving troubles and speech difficulties.. I've started feeling alot of these hardcore about 6 months ago.

 

These are unfortunately fairly generic symptoms. For example, lack of sleep would account for all of them.

 

I've been to a couple docs and they keep telling me im too young too have atumor or its highly unlikely that I have one.

 

Have you asked them if it might be something other than a tumor? Do the doctors think there is anything wrong with you?

 

I tried different meds for social anxiety and add but they dont help because all my problems stem from the memory,speech, and confusion symptoms.

 

You're taking drugs to treat a condition you don't know what it is?

[fredrik]

Im a 21 year old male who is having serious problems with his brain. My symptoms are as follows: memory retention problems(have an extremely hard time learning and retaining new information,confusion,drowsiness,personality changes,my brain feels foggy and feels kinda like there is pressure,my senses arent acute, and have problem solving troubles and speech difficulties...

 

...I was always bright. I feel like I lost my old self and I want him back. What could be wrong?

 

I too think these are very generic symptoms, that in theory could have a wide range of causes, ranging from simple stress/depression, to bacterial or viral infections or tumours. And it's probably not rational to jump into worrying about worst case scenarious without further examinations and considerations of the more natural causes, like stress, depression etc. As we know the state of the brain and mind, can actually give symptoms on the physical body as well by feedback mechanisms of the brain controlling body functions, even if it's subconscios.

 

I've been to a couple docs and they keep telling me im too young too have atumor or its highly unlikely that I have one.

 

Although anything can happen to all us us, it's probably no rational to worry about this based on weak generic symptoms. But some people are somewhat hypocondric, and then it's easy to overinterpret generic harmless symptoms.

 

That said, if you are seriously worried about a specific disease, infection or tumour, I think the doctor should take is serious and make a test. To doubt something since it's statistically unlikely, is a rational first response bit if no other cause is found, I'd expect that you can demand to get a test, to at least release yourself for the pain of worrying, incease you've been increasinly worried, that itself may increase the symptoms.

 

/Fredrik

[Iggy]

Unfortunately, rwalters21 forgot that he posted here

[webbed_feet]

Im a 21 year old male who is having serious problems with his brain. My symptoms are as follows: memory retention problems(have an extremely hard time learning and retaining new information,confusion,drowsiness,personality changes,my brain feels foggy and feels kinda like there is pressure,my senses arent acute, and have problem solving troubles and speech difficulties.. I've started feeling alot of these hardcore about 6 months ago. I want to join the airforce but I cant pass the asvab because I forget almost everything i learn and when I learn something and then am asked a question that is the same kind of question but a different variation such as a math problem its like there is no thoughts and no activity in the brain and its the same during interviews and i'm unable to secure employment by normal means only through temp services because of my speech troubles. I read,read and read about science,the human body, the brain,dna and genetics, so I should be a genious by now but I forget it all and feels like I didnt read anything. I've been to a couple docs and they keep telling me im too young too have atumor or its highly unlikely that I have one. I tried different meds for social anxiety and add but they dont help because all my problems stem from the memory,speech, and confusion symptoms. Im taking a math and science class at my local adult learning center because college is too expensive and im doing it to join the airforce and I started today and the science its life science and I couldnt remember anything I had to right it all down and I never had to do this before and never experienced these problems I was always bright. I feel like I lost my old self and I want him back. What could be wrong?

 

Been there done that. At your age I had many of the same symptoms and it just got worse as I got older. I bet the harder you try the worse your symptoms get... right? You have problems with your prefrontal cortex (ADD/ADHD - although I don't really like these kind of terms). This explains the social anxiety, memory problems, and your speech problems. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is instrumental in all of these processes.

 

In my experience there are a few things you can do. First, you can try stimulant meds like adderall, or secondly, you can seek out neurofeedback help (expensive). Another thing you can try, which is affordable, is A/V stimulation - mindalive.ca is a good place to start.

 

To help better understand your problem I'll just tell you that your PFC is underpowered and you probably feel overwhelmed by your life because of this. Hence, the reason you seem to be getting worse - stress increases when we get older and try to take on more responsibility and since your brain is not processing the incoming stimuli properly it essentially shuts down (memory problems, anxiety, speech, writing difficulties/organizing thoughts, brain fog, drowsness). This is a clear case of a learning disorder. Many learning disorders have depression and anxiety and are therefore misdiagnosed as being just depression/anxiety. But I'd stay away from meds like SSRI's since they increase serotonin. Serotonin will just slow down your PFC even more and likely make things worse. Read Dr. Amen's book, "Change Your Brain, Change Your Life" (Amazon - Daniel Amen). There is a good section in this book on the PFC and it's function and how it affects processes in the brain. You appear to have all the classic symptoms.

 

I'll check back to see your reply. If you can't afford the A/V stimulation I have a unit I can sell you cheap and give you advice on how to use it. This must be treated or you'll just get worse and it will ruin your life. The good news is that it is a fairly simple "fix" once you know what the problem is and how to best treat it.

 

wf

Edited May 30, 2010 by webbed_feet
Forgot some imortant info

[nec209]

Some people do not have a memory problem but have a retention problems.Meaning information must come slow so your brain can process it.If the information is coming fast you will not get it. When reading books read slow and stop and think about it so your brain can process it.

 

Well people who have ADD/ADHD seem to have memory problem .

[kristvic]

 

Been there done that. At your age I had many of the same symptoms and it just got worse as I got older. I bet the harder you try the worse your symptoms get... right? You have problems with your prefrontal cortex (ADD/ADHD - although I don't really like these kind of terms). This explains the social anxiety, memory problems, and your speech problems. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is instrumental in all of these processes.

 

In my experience there are a few things you can do. First, you can try stimulant meds like adderall, or secondly, you can seek out neurofeedback help (expensive). Another thing you can try, which is affordable, is A/V stimulation - mindalive.ca is a good place to start.

 

To help better understand your problem I'll just tell you that your PFC is underpowered and you probably feel overwhelmed by your life because of this. Hence, the reason you seem to be getting worse - stress increases when we get older and try to take on more responsibility and since your brain is not processing the incoming stimuli properly it essentially shuts down (memory problems, anxiety, speech, writing difficulties/organizing thoughts, brain fog, drowsness). This is a clear case of a learning disorder. Many learning disorders have depression and anxiety and are therefore misdiagnosed as being just depression/anxiety. But I'd stay away from meds like SSRI's since they increase serotonin. Serotonin will just slow down your PFC even more and likely make things worse. Read Dr. Amen's book, "Change Your Brain, Change Your Life" (Amazon - Daniel Amen). There is a good section in this book on the PFC and it's function and how it affects processes in the brain. You appear to have all the classic symptoms.

 

I'll check back to see your reply. If you can't afford the A/V stimulation I have a unit I can sell you cheap and give you advice on how to use it. This must be treated or you'll just get worse and it will ruin your life. The good news is that it is a fairly simple "fix" once you know what the problem is and how to best treat it.

 

wf

[physica]

A lot more information is needed before we can speculate meaningfully. He's already been to a few doctors resulting in nothing so you have to go for the most common cause for such symptoms which is also the most undiagnosed. If this guy abuses alcohol regularly and has a poor diet the it will most probably cause Wernicke's encephalopathy which is due to vitamin B being used to break down the alcohol. Poor diet doesn't replenish it and as a result the patient develops lesions on the brain and has all the symptoms this patient is describing. The onset is so gradual the most diagnosis's happen in autopsy. It's so under-diagnosed that the ER where I work with give people who are drunk an IV dose of B vitamins no matter their demographics. Of course this is mere speculation. He hasn't told us if he is abusing alcohol. If he is he needs a blood test measuring B vitamin levels, needs an MRI head and needs to start taking vitamin B supplements and improve his diet.

[Delbert]

What's your diet like? And what's it been like in the past? That includes anything that's passed your lips or been consumed in any other way.

 

On a slightly different tack, the other day my local surgery invited me for a health check (think they were conducting some sort of survey), and when the nurse asked me what I had for breakfast that morning and I replied porridge, she was ecstatic! Indeed, a similar response for my report of other meals. The impression I got was that such was unusual. Moreover, what did I see the other day? Someone sitting in a coffee shop very early in the morning obviously having breakfast, which consisted of a substantial piece of chocolate cake and a coffee.

[Phi for All]

What's your diet like? And what's it been like in the past?

 

Five year old necromanced thread. Response unlikely.

[Delbert]

 

Five year old necromanced thread. Response unlikely.

Yes! Didn't notice as the only date I looked at was the preceding post from Physica.

Edited May 22, 2015 by Delbert

[Phi for All]

Yes! Didn't notice as the only date I looked at was the preceding post from Physica.

 

There was a post before Physica's that did the digging, but after getting responses, the poster erased what they had written.