Energy Economy - 10 Ways to COMBAT Cognitive Dysfunction (Brain Fog, Fibro Fog)

10 Ways To Combat Brain Fog

As I see it, dealing with cognitive dysfunction falls into two categories:  1. Coping, and 2. Combatting.

Coping means to accept that it is a problem and do what you can to live within its limits.  Cope can literally mean to come into contact with, to meet.  So to cope is to go out and meet the challenge as best we can.  Last week we discussed 10 ways to cope with this problem.  Today we will discuss how to combat it.

When I think of Combat, I think of a battle.  And often battles are fought over territory.  So, ‘to combat’ means to fight for our mental territory.  Literally it can mean to take action to reduce, destroy, or prevent something.

Coping With Chronic Illness - Talk. And Talk Some More.

Talking Is Important During Chronic Illness.

I am not a big talker.  I prefer to listen, to watch, and to work things out in my head.  But coping with illness involves many different emotions and I just can’t seem to sort through them all on my own.  

 Somehow, just speaking the words out loud to a trusted person clarifies things.  And because the person(s) is trusted I don’t have to worry whether I am right or wrong, betraying a flaw, being little or petulant or negative, whether I sound like a crazy person.  They will not form a negative opinion of me based on the wild talk of a grieving person, or the confusion of an overwhelmed one.  They will listen and they will help me find sanity again.

Energy Economy - 10 Was to COPE with Cognitive Dysfunction (Brain Fog, Fibro Fog)

Brain Fog (Cognitive Dysfunction) and Chronic Illness

One of the most difficult and devastating things I have had to deal with in this last year is a worsening of my brain fog/cognitive dysfunction.  I thought, ‘so my body doesn’t work, at least I can catch up on some reading and studying’.  But no.  To my horror, I found that even reading caused extreme exhaustion, pain, and debilitation.  This realization was a very low point for me.
 

Cognitive dysfunction (or brain fog) has many causes.  It can be a symptom in illnesses like depression, lupus, Celiac disease, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis, fibromyalgia, sjogren’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, MCS (multiple chemical sensitivity), and many more.  It is also sometimes a symptom in ADHD and peri-menopause.  And this barely scratches the surface.

Coping With Chronic Illness - 18 Ways to Ward Off Sadness

Coping With Chronic Illness - How to Ward Off Sadness

It is not practical to expect that every day or every moment I will think positive thoughts.  Dealing with our illnesses is going to get us down sometimes.  And I have periods of time when I do not have the physical, mental, and emotional strength to fight off negative feelings.  That is just life.  Sometimes we don’t so much cope as just exist.

I have done my share of just existing.  And then, when my inner strength has been renewed, I feel like I have to re-learn  how to live and how to cope.   So, I keep lists.  I have lists reminding me what foods I can get for myself at different levels of health.  I have lists reminding me how to be a friend.  I have lists reminding me how to contribute to a good atmosphere in my home life.  And I have a list reminding me of what helps when I am down.  These lists are really plans of action, or battle plans, for when I have the energy to fight.

Coping With Chronic Illness - 3 Ways To Advance In A New Direction

Accepting our illnesses is not a sign of failure.  It does not mean we give up.  We simply advance in a new direction.

It is true we may have lost much.  (See It’s Ok To Grieve Your Losses.)  However, we also need to understand what is still there.   Here is a plan of action for moving forward.

Evaluate your condition

•    Think of what you need to alter and then seek to change what is changeable.  This will help you reclaim some control.  (Some things you may be able to change are diet, sleep habits, mental attitudes, household arrangements, healthcare, work, exercise, daily activities, the way you get around, the way you care for yourself, etc...  With the help of loved ones, perhaps you could set up some systems or strategies to help you accomplish what you can’t do alone.  See also the posts under Energy Economy for suggestions on changing what is changeable.)

Coping With Chronic Illness - Cultivate Other Interests

Do Not Eat, Breathe, and Sleep Your Illness

It is a very tricky balance to find.  Too little interest in my illness can mean I’m in denial of reality and that can be detrimental to my health and healing.  But focusing too much on my illness can cause feelings of depression, anger, hopelessness, worthlessness, and ultimately giving up / despair.   It can sink me even further into my illness.  It can also push others away.

So, for me the key is to diversify.  I try to be interested in my illness intensely but not exclusively.  This illness is a big part of my life.  But it is not the only part of my life.  It affects me deeply, but it is not the only thing that affects me.   It shapes who I am, but it is not the only thing that shapes me.  It is important to live congenially with my illness, not pushing beyond my limits, keeping in mind the requirements of my health.  It is equally important to engage my mind and heart in better things.  So, here are some of the "other things" I engage myself in.

Coping With Chronic Illness - Knowledge Is Power

Knowledge Is Power

My first reaction to becoming seriously ill was to bury my head in the sand and hope that when I looked up again things would magically have improved.   This was not an effective coping mechanism. 

Ignorance does not help us heal.  Instead it keeps us scared and immobilized and, simultaneously, in a pattern of doing more damage to ourselves.. I have learned that knowledge really is powerful.  

Learning as much as possible about your illness can: