Memory and Concentration Problems (where did i put my mind?)

[hope]

I can not remember to tie my shoes sometimes. I've missed appointments because right after I get off the phone I write the wrong time on the Calendar. I went to an appointment yesterday thinking it was the 14th, but it was the 15th. I walk to the fridge to get stuff and stand there for a while trying to figure out what I"m doing and why. My kids are sick and ask for cold medicine and I say I'll get it and never do because I forget, so they remind me.

I talk to people and feel like I can't focus on their faces or what they're saying.

I can't clean a room in the house unless I have a post-it note attached to my wrist to remind me of what I'm doing otherwise I'll get distracted and do something else. My kids are getting away without doing their chores because they know I'll forget that I told them to do them. I inflict a chore or grounding and forget I grounded them.

It's become a joke at our house. My husband was getting mad at me and then finally felt sorry for me and just deals with it.

I tell everyone I'm waiting for my brain to grow back. Please tell me it will grow back.

[darcyb]

It definitely comes back but may feel like its diminished for a long time. At least, that's what it was like with me. The lack of concentration and focus that I once had when doing multiple tasks has permanently been reduced. But that's ok, because it invites me to live a simpler life whish has TONS of other health advantages and lends itself perfectly to an anxiety free life.

In the withdrawal guide I've written :

Concentration : Whozama whuzzit? C-c-c-can't talk? Have you read this page five times already? Paxil withdrawal invites all kinds of challenges with focus and concentration and although rest and relaxing activities can help your comfort, sometimes you just need a little brain boost to get that check book thing right. Ginkgo is the most frequently suggested herb in Paxil withdrawal circles. When used daily (check with your doctor to see if this is ok for you or that it won't interact with other drugs you may be taking) you can expect to have a general sense of detail retention and memory longevity as you work your mind from As to Bs. You won't automatically be able to prove Einstein wrong, although you could if you were so inclined. Some people, including Patricia Griffon, author of Blind Reason, have been able to do incredible work all the while the mind feels scattered.

Note to those with anxious, depressive or compulsive racing thoughts: taking Ginkgo feels like your thoughts are made crisp, agile and poignant. If you're having a hard enough time already dealing with poignant thoughts of the negative kind, Ginkgo may not be useful to you. Instead, I suggest you just take things a little gentler but don't stop enjoying your favorite brain teasers. Try to find mental challenges that don't depend on time or quick results like a crossword puzzle and game of cards.

Until your concentration level is back to where you like it, keep training your mind intentionally. The point is to continue being an active contributor to your knowledge despite the fuzziness.

[hope]

Someone who worked at the local vitamin store told me she had been on Wellbutrin and that some of her memory problems never fully resolved. Are you saying the same thing???? I wonder if that may be one of the long-term effects of the Paxil. I'm wondering if there is any documentation of such anywhere?? If I've lost some of my marbles and they're gone, theyre gone I guess. But it's kind of sad and scary. I'm still trying to keep a positive outlook.

[darcyb]

I haven't heard of any studies since long term studies on SSRI use are hard to come by. It's only been out for 10 years so the market is probably just starting to consider looking into it.

I would say that my faculties have diminished permanently yes. It's noticeable. Not crippling, but new habits had to be developed as I reinvented my lifestyle.

[Scott]

the mind is a powerful thing.. it may feel as though it has been permanently altered but i feel with proper rehabilitation the things that are difficult can be relearned much in the same way we had to learn them in the first place. Just a guess, or wishful thinking.

[safarigal]

I've been off Paxil for over a year.

I do not think my brain has been permanently altered. I can still learn new things and don't forget things anymore than any other person.

I am not the same person I was when I was on Paxil nor the same person I was before Paxil.

That is because I have changed the way I live and my attitudes.

I guess I don't "sweat the small stuff", especially considering that I've been through alot of the big stuff.

Hi. I felt diminished memory and concentration after years of anti-depressant meds. However, when I returned to college it started coming back, little by little. Perhaps from learning new things or being around different people. Maybe it was just that i needed a challenge.

My theory is that this happens to most of us to a degree, as we age because we just aren't able to stimulate our brain in the same way as when we were younger. As children and young adults, everything is a new life experience. We are in a constant state of learning and are mostly around others who are, too. As we age, that degree of learning drops off as we sustain more routine lives. We just aren't around as many new people or experiecing as many new things...in general of course. When I went back to college, I found myself around younger people (as a peer) and it did have an effect on my way of thinking. I'm not saying a person regresses, but perhaps we feed off of it in a positive way. Just a thought.

I used to find if very sad because I felt my creativity was diminished as well. I am an artist and rely heavily on creative processes. However, on a positive note, I feel my age helps me in that I am able to be more patient and have more insight because of all my life experience. It's a trade off I suppose, but one that I personally have learned to embrace.

Keep in mind though, I am only 33 so what the hell do I know. Picasso once said, "It takes a long time to become young".
-mazzy

Iv'e been off paxil for almost 2 months. Still have hazy days but the more I read and study the better I do. I think you have to retrain your brain and emotions again. Postive thinking and knowing that you are in contol now not the paxil will help.