Memory issues associated with anxiety depression

[willy851]

Hello
I have been dealing with anxiety depression for about five years and it's getting worse. My problem started when I was exposed to blood from an HIV positive person on a construction site. The doctor tried to assure me that it was impossible for me to catch it, but I was a mess. I eventually got over it and moved on. The next thing was the test results came back and said that I was negative for Hep C unless it was a recent test. That added another five months of turmoil. The stress and anxiety caused my excema to get bad and that became my focus. The rash was getting worse and the medications didn't work. I eventually found a real doctor who correctly identified the problem as stress and sent me to a Dermatologist Psychiatrist. I finally got my life back and was hit with another nightmare, I was losing feeling in my hands and feet. I went to a neurologist who found out that I had cervical stenosis.
I was having a hard time dealing with the fact that I eventually will have to have spine surgery. Then it happened again, I was stuck by a needle using a porta pot. Some A Hole left their used needle under some papers and I put my hand right on it. Three more months of agony waiting for tests. By this time I am a full blown hypochondriac and start with night sweats, panic attacks, weight loss, passing out, dizziness and more.
Then I almost lost my wife due to a kidney stone and septic shock, a month in critical care. Not long after things get back to normal I lost a lifelong friend in an accident. Then my father committed suicide which through me into another spiral and I can't get out of this one.
I recently was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea, which affects memory and cognitive abilities. I tried to tell my doctor something was wrong, but he has had to deal with my mess for a while now. For two years I have convinced myself that I have early onset Alzheimer and my life is over. I can't think and I am constantly forgetting things.
I am only 47 and feel like my memory is equivalent to an 80 year old. I constantly read and think about my memory problem. I recently read an article about corn syrup and it's affect on the brain and memory. So my anxiety went into overdrive and I thought about all the soda I consumed to stay awake and function.
I finally made an appointment with a psychiatrist, because I don't know how much longer I can deal with this constant pain and anxiety.

[bec43]

Willy, there is NO need to worry that you have early onset Alzheimer disease. Events in your past have made you a very worry-some person with good reason, but there is no need to worry about something that isn't there. I have the same exact memory problem and i am 20 years old. I feel like sometimes i have early onset Alzheimer all the time because my memory is so foggy and bad. Truth is memory problems are a very common side affect to anxiety and depression. It can be a very scary thing, but keep telling yourself there is nothing wrong with you and its the anxiety making you believe there is something wrong with your memory. Best of luck to you willy and may your anxiety go away :)

[energychick]

Hi Willy, What you are experiencing with your memory is a very normal symptom of anxiety. When we have anxiety our brain and body is in a fight or flight response. Which means that everything that is happening in our body and brain is geared towards survival. This means that the brain sends blood to the areas that are most important for survival.

When we are experiencing this we often can't access the part of the brain that is responsible for rational thinking. Our brain bypasses it. This is why we can't think ourselves out of it. When we have chronic anxiety it is kind of like being exhausted and that effects us and our memory and thinking, or cognitive functioning. The fight or flight response effects this too.

I know how hard it is, to me it was like living in a fog and it was really hard to think. My way of dealing with it has been to say to myself, this is just an idea but it may not be the truth. I said this to myself when I was really worried about something.

The best thing I have found to help my anxiety is EFT, It really helped me. Memory problems are a symptom of anxiety so just know that it's part of this and also know there is real hope for recovery and don't give up.