Slow thinking

Hi, Im new here. Have been reading here a lot but never posted.
I have been reading a lot of tms books and after having severe pain for 3 years, Im after 4 weeks 90% pain freee and out and about doing a lot of the physical thing i couldnt do. And Im so happy!

But Im also on disability because of PTSD after being in 2 car accidents ( 2 times someone has came into my lane and we collided), and my anxiety have been high ever since. Im easily scared of everything, but mostly driving. I do drive, but vintertime is worse because both accidents happend in wintertime. Some lost control of their car and hit me. Every winter Im terrified of driving, and I use a lot of energy thinging about how bad the snowing is, and worrying if its to risky to get out that day. And often i have trouble getting out on appointments and such if the weather is to bad. It makes it hard to be social too bacuse Im living in the countryside with almost no other transportation means.

So my main problems are the anxiety, but the other ting is my slow thinking. I have trouble processing what others are saying fast enough to respond with a sensible answer. And if it involves logic I have even more trouble. Makes me feel stupid so often. And of course I worry of what others are thinking of my IQ! I didnt have this trouble before the accidents. Its a few years since then. I do have hypothyroidsm, It came after the accidents. But Im on medication and dont really think a lot about it anymore. Wodering if the slow thinking is bacause of that. But then again I dont see any other with hypothyroidsm having slow thinking like this.

Thanks!

 

You sound like me! I had 2 car accidents - the first which led to years of 'fibromyalgia' - and I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism.
I know what you mean by slow thinking, I think I am a bit like that too. I definitely have trouble remembering words and am terrible with names - this is all i have left of my symptoms - I am 99% better otherwise!
I would say check your thyroid medicine is at the right level - some Drs seem to check it every year - others don't.... There are certain foods which inhibit the uptake as well - everyone is different - but I was able to lower my thyroxine by 25mcg after changing the soya milk i drank to oat milk! I still eat brassicas - because i think they are too good in other ways!
The anxiety is something you will have to manage. It is not surprising after 2 accidents that you would be nervous - it is wise to be - BUT - as a 'TMS' person you know you can be prone to 'catastrophic thinking' and overthinking...... so just make yourself keep it in bounds. I still get very nervous, especially when my husband goes a bit fast... Sometimes it carries me away and I shout at him and an argument ensues... I have to step outside myself and ask ' Am I overreacting because of my prior experiences'? YES! So then I tell myself that my husband is an excellent driver - he is perfectly capable of driving well and making the necessary decisions. Then I shut up and try not to feel anxious - but it ain't always easy! I am better when i am driving - my 'control freak' persona can mostly overcome my 'what if everyone else makes mistakes?' thought process!
It is good if you can give yourself time to 'step outside' and look at yourself and your thought processes objectively... Do that - and be compassionate to yourself.... Don't beat yourelf up - just have a good honest conversation with yourself and make decisions after that - based on the facts - not on anxious thoughts....
Personally I think most people rush through life too quickly -in this technical age - decisions are made with a snap - perhaps others would be wise to slow down a bit and be more 'considerate'!!!!

 

Hi Hecate105, and thanks for answering!
Our stories are so similar! I did not expect do get answer from someone that could relate this well to my own experience! Im happy to hear that you are so much better, even though the slow thinking is the same.
I will try to not be so hard on myself when driving. My husband had a good point the other day; its no use forcing oneself on the road in really bad weather and risking a third accident. That would really make thing hard to beat the anxiety!

I also prefer to drive myself, I can really relate to that need to control the situation (and the car)! I also have to give my husband more credit when he drives. He too knows what he is doing without having me being a passenger driver!

Thank you for your insights, I will definetly be more aware of my thoughts when the anxiety makes an apperance!
Have a great weekend!

 

The term "brain fog" is used to describe mild cognitive impairment, and it is treatable with TMS. Post traumatic brain injury syndromes and Lyme disease are both types of a group of conditions which I know folks who have recovered in time, even though they had "brain fog" and thought it was permanent. I hope this helps.

Not sure if you have "brain fog," but you might read a little on this and see if your experience is similar.

If you treat this as TMS, after eliminating anything serious, and know that TMS "attaches itself" to events, and which main purpose is to scare you or distract you, ----and that there's nothing to be afraid of, this may well improve your situation.

 

Thank you for your reply! I do think that brain fog is an accurate description of my problem. After reading about it I feel it fits very well.
I do not want to have it like this the rest of my life. I will look into the TMS way of treating it, as I have been to so many check ups by doctors that I know its not something serious.

I am really blown away with this connection we all have between our body and mind, its quite remarkable.