Reading Through Brainfog (Cognitive Dysfunction)

1. An inability to concentrate or to focus on details.

2. A feeling of mental fuzziness or cloudiness.

3. A lack of mental clarity.

4. An inability to remember things, events, names, or details.

5. A decreased attention span.

6. Mental fatigue.

7. A feeling of being emotionally distanced, or of not caring as much as you normally would, in any given situation.

In addition to the above listed symptoms, the individual may also suffer feelings of depression, frustration, or anxiety because of his or her reduced mental capabilities.

Brain fog may develop because of an underlying illness such as Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, or Thyroidism. It may also occur if you suffer from heavy metal poisoning, extreme fatigue, or menopausal symptoms.

A person who suffers from Brain Fog can find the basic processes of reading to be extremely difficult. Not only is there a very strong inability to concentrate on what you are attempting to read but you may also not remember your subject within minutes afterwards.

I was twenty six years old and taking University Courses towards a degree in Social Work when I became disabled by a rare illness. One of the added symptoms of my illness was brain fog.

Rather than moving my gaze along the remainder of each page that I was reading, I suddenly found myself reading the same lines over, and over again. In an attempt to repair this I began to set a guide ruler or blank piece of paper under each line so I would remember what I had read it. But when I would finally manage to reach the bottom of a paragraph or page, I would find myself staring blankly back at the words, and trying desperately to remember if I had really read them or not. Often I would catch myself simply staring at the page in a fog and not reading at all.

I also discovered that I was transferring similar words in for others. Such as our for are, and yew for you, and then would find myself wondering why what I had read, didn't seem to make any sense.

Sometimes my not understanding what I was reading occurred simply because I could no longer focus on the details of what I was reading. My concentration span was virtually non existent. Trying to read was now so frustrating and difficult that I no longer wanted to fight through the fog to even attempt it.

Although I had loved to read previous to the onset of my illness, I have not read a complete book since that time. The brain fog turned my love of reading into a distant memory.

When you become disabled you find ways to live around the negative aspects of that illness in order to acquire the highest quality of life that you are able to.

When the brain fog made it impossible for me to concentrate on reading, I fought to find a way around it's cloudiness, and to discover a means to once again enjoy the benefits of written language. I began by only reading short articles such as those found within the local newspaper or the Reader's Digest magazine. I found that I could skim the headlines to find the articles that most interested me, then I could determine which ones I had enough mental stamina to complete, and it was those that I would read in their entirety. Consuming shorter articles allowed me to feel content with completing, and being able to once again understand, what I had read.

So this is how I have now come to enjoy reading once again. I read bits and pieces, or quips and quotes, of life. Books built on short articles that I can pick up and set down again at any time. Newspapers, magazines, and Online articles.

Longer articles I use a process of skimming and reading to acquire the information that I desire from them. I skim the article to find keywords or areas of interest. When I find a key word then that is where my focus stays, I read around those keywords to acquire the information that I am seeking, and then I continue to skim the article till I come to another keyword or area of interest.

I now read mainly for research purposes, but on days when I feel less cloudy, I will read a small amount simply for the enjoyment that it provides.

Reading a complete book now takes me virtually a lifetime to complete. I pick it up, read an article within it, and then set it back down again. Because I have so many bits and pieces of items that I need or want to read, and so little concentration with which to do it, that same book may not be picked up again for a month or two in the future. I don't mind. This is how I must read if I am to read at all.

So which book will I choose to read next? Naturally it is a book that is based on bits and pieces of life and one that I can read a complete article in at any reading. It is one acquired from the Chicken Soup group of books. These delightful books carry tiny yet delightful stories and antidotes from life. They make for a delightful reading adventure even through the cloudiness of Brain Fog.

1. Use a guide ruler or dark piece of paper to cover material that you have already read. Drag the guide along with you as you read.

2. Read shorter articles so that you are able to complete them without stress or frustration.

3. Read for shorter periods of time.

4. Read earlier in the day when you are more alert.

5. When it is difficult to read skim articles to find keywords that will help you understand what the article is about.

6. Repeat key phrases or words aloud to yourself. This will help you to understand and to remember them.

7. The Brain Fog will come in varying degrees at different times. To prevent frustration try to read when it is at it's lightest. If you are having a really heavy brain fog day, put your bookmark at your spot, and set your book aside. It will be there waiting for you when you feel better.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dysfunction

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-brain-fog.htm

http://www.jigsawhealth.com/articles/brain-fog-symptoms.html