I hate my inability to think clearly and effectively

[Andrew J]

I don't know what's with me with not being able to think clearly but i've had the problem for a very long time and it really bugs the crap out of me. I feel this way because I feel that it's the cause of a lot of my problems and I feel that how far you go in life is largely determined by our thoughts. My lack of this ability creates a feeling of ineptitude and worthlessness for me. I feel that I should be able to think super powerfully and potently, but yet my thoughts are as sharp as a ball. If our brains were to be compared to hoses were most people's hose water can flow freely my hose is kinked. As I think and read throughout the day I feel that my thoughts have no potentcy and it's like I try to grasp each thought and shove it through my mind for clear thinking and progression but I just can't do it. Every moment it feels like my thoughts have very little forward progression. I'd really love to achieve clearity and potentcy of thought so that I can feel more grounded and confident in life, but each and every day I have a feeling of anxiety (which I know I have) trying to achieve this.

I've rambled enough and hopefully this is enough to paint a clear picture for you of how I'm feeling. I thank you for taking the time to read this if you have come this far. Any and all useful advice would be appreciated. A few other important notes here: I have been diagnosed with slow processing speed before, I feel that I may have asperger's syndrome due to having a lot of symptoms but have gone through testing were they said I don't have it so maybe I have it maybe not, and my father had schizophrenic tendencies (not having the disease itself but tendencies of it, there's a difference).

Lastly, you may feel that I don't have this problem because of my thoughts right here as my mom sometimes says but if you were me you wouldn't feel this way.

 

[may71]

Sorry to hear that you are going through this

I'm not aware of any conventional medical treatment that would address a lack of clear thinking.

I think that this is the sort of thing that could be treated with traditional Chinese herbal medicine, so I would recommend seeing an herbalist/acupucturist for this if you can

 

[BarryW]

Andrew,
I hope your day is going OK when you read this. I'm not a doctor so I won't try to tell you how to improve your ability to concentrate or focus, but that sounds like something a doctor could help you with. Maybe you already tried several things and didn't have luck.
Have you tried to pay attention to whether certain topics are easier to think about for you than others? In other words maybe some topics or situations just flow easily in your mind but certain others give you trouble?

 

[justrob]

Brain fog. Obsessive thoughts. Racing thoughts. All conspired in the past to cloud my thinking. I would suggest you see a doctor and a psychiatrist and determine if there is an underlining medical condition.

At times I would feel like I was seeing the world through cheesecloth, at others times like I was looking at my life like it was a movie I was watching and not participating in. That's when I had low level depression. I was highly functional during that time.

 

[Andrew J]

Brain fog. Obsessive thoughts. Racing thoughts. All conspired in the past to cloud my thinking. I would suggest you see a doctor and a psychiatrist and determine if there is an underlining medical condition.

At times I would feel like I was seeing the world through cheesecloth, at others times like I was looking at my life like it was a movie I was watching and not participating in. That's when I had low level depression. I was highly functional during that time.

I somewhat reasonate with you saying life was like a movie I was watching and not participating in because I feel this way. It's like I can participate in the movie, but I can't. Something is holding me back. I feel frozen in my thought process sometimes like when I try to think clearly about your message and how to respond so that I can find a solution to this problem.

 

[BarryW]

Not sure if it's the same thing you two are talking about, but I often feel that I am a 3rd person or see my life from a too impartial/unbiased perspective. There is some good to this, as one can understand others positions better and put a higher value on their feelings.. but depending on who you are around this can have bad consequences. I'm trying to value myself more. I hope that we all can become active actors in our life stories.

 

[Butterfly]

If you are depressed it can affect your cognition and ability to think clearly. I have Bipolar disorder and had severe depression last year and it affected my cognition severely. Although it has improved somewhat I still struggle and fear it may be permanent. Also certain meds can slow down cognition. I also struggle with word finding and jumbling up my sentences.

 

[Andrew J]

If you are depressed it can affect your cognition and ability to think clearly. I have Bipolar disorder and had severe depression last year and it affected my cognition severely. Although it has improved somewhat I still struggle and fear it may be permanent. Also certain meds can slow down cognition. I also struggle with word finding and jumbling up my sentences.

My anxiety may be part of the cause.

 

[Butterfly]

Anxiety can definitely be tiring on the brain. How long have you suffered with anxiety and does anything in particular trigger it?