Over a decade ago, during an extra-stressful year and for about a year following, my brain did not function properly. I would mess up the most simple tasks with no lack of effort. I would check my schedule, double-check, triple-check, and still somehow end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. I would check my work, double-check, triple-check, and still miss mistakes that my normally detail-oriented self should have caught the first time. I felt so out of control, like some drunken imbecile was inhabiting my body and making me do stupid things. My bosses both of these years had to talk to me about my performance and I just sat there with no explanation, not understanding it myself. It was so frustrating and confusing.
According to The Trauma Practice, brain fog can manifest as...
- Feeling like your head is cloudy or foggy
- A general lack of mental clarity
- Tired eyes
- A sense of detachment from what is going on in the present moment
- You might feel emotional quickly
- You may feel like you have to work really hard to process everyday tasks or think of a simple plan in relation to everyday life.
- Have difficulty concentrating on the task in hand
- You feel as if your mind constantly wonders making it difficult to concentrate or focus on what you are doing.
- You might be forgetful regarding simple tasks like taking your keys with you when you go out
- You might feel chronically fatigued a lot of the time even if you have had a reasonable night’s sleep.
I regularly experience 10/10 of these. My brain is better now than it was back then, but I've noticed that when I, for example, send an email, I quadruple-check every single detail to make sure I'm not making some obvious mistake like failing to attach the attachment, because I don't trust my brain anymore.
There are studies about the effects of traumatic stress on the brain, but frankly I have too much brain fog to sift through them. In my case it's probably due to actual sleep deprivation, though. I believe sleep deprivation is especially affecting my short term memory lately, but that's a topic for another time...
