am i getting dumber

[worrieddd]

well im not sure. i feel like im going crzy these days. i go from worrying about one thing for a little while, sometimes get all worked up about and then shrug it off and move on to something else. then it comes again later and i worry about something else for a while. proof of this is my posts about 3 different things in the past month or so in this website. i think that may have to do with this.

but is it possible for your intelligence to decrease?? i feel like ive been having trouble understanding things, like the plots of movies or books more so than before. kindof bugging me, but im trying not to obsess over it.

thanks again

Edited June 9, 2009 by worrieddd
sorry i should refrase this

[kaudio]

Hi worrieddd, perhaps you are tired? When one has trouble understanding things, sometimes a nap will do the trick. But, if you feel this is an ongoing issue, perhaps you should see a doctor about it. Have you been getting enough sleep? Eating properly?

You also mention that you experience anxiety. How anxious do you feel now?

[zoomzoom]

Argh! I've had the same problem over the years. I don't know if it is true, I mean I don't know how I would objectively do on an intelligence test, but I really think I have become dumber over the years. Particularly watching movies, I used to be so quick, I understood things right away. Now I find myself wondering what just happened, thinking I didn't quite follow the plot.

So, I don't know if it's stress or aging or what. But, I think worrying about it doesn't help it whatever it is. Like if I am getting dumber, am I so much dumber that I need to see a doctor. For me, no. I think if I told the doctor that I don't pick up on movie plots as quickly as I used to he/she probably wouldn't be too worried.

Now if it was interfering with my life, then I would have to got to the doctor. So, don't worry about it until it interferes with your life, and EVEN THEN you don't need to worry, but make an appointment with the doctor and let them worry.

The next time you have a check up you could mention it, maybe call it coginitive sluggishness or something and see what they say. Maybe they will say to cut sugar out of your diet or eat more fish or something like that. Or maybe they will do tests.

To sumarize, if you fee like it is really interfering with your life, making it so you can't work, can't enjoy things... go to the doctor. Otherwise maybe wait it out a little, see if you feel better. What do you think?

[smallstar]

Maybe it doesn't have anything to do with being dumb or smart. If this is concerning things such as movie plots maybe it has more to do with concentration and attention. I have a hard time watching tv and such and lose what's going on in movies because my mind wanders. I doubt you are getting dumb, maybe just distracted.

[worrieddd]

yeah i watch this crime tv show called numb3rs sometimes which is somewhat complicated and math based, and sometimes to relate mathematical concepts to the plot they come up with this fairly clear and straight forward sounding explanation and i just cant get it sometimes. and when i do its alot slower than before. sometimes my younger brother(hes 11 and im 14) even seems to get it better. i used t think it was a fun an exciting show, but now i have trouble following it. and i also heard this joke the other day that i understood, but i just couldnt quiteget it, i dont know if anyone knows how that feels to get the point of a joke but still be sort of on the edge. its really annoying. i guess you can sort of say its been getting in the way of my life in that matter.

i havent been getting that much sleep really, but i took the end of year exams last week, and they didnt seem nearly as difficult to understand than teh movies or tv. i have been to the doctor, i cant remember if i told her this exact thing, but then again i have trouble remembering i said something to someone anyway as well. she says a probably dont have a brain tumor though. and i havent heard of a 14 year old having dementia.

my friend was teaching me to play this simple card game and it was driving me nuts that i couldn't get it. it bugged me so much that i begged my mom to get help, and before di i got over it and could gave cared less now its popped up again and im not sure what to do. i sound crazy to my mom asking for a doctor at seemingly random times.

i do concentrate on plots and stuff as much as possible, its just i lose it VERY quick. i just cant think about it very fast. anymore. :eek:

Edited June 9, 2009 by worrieddd

[worrieddd]

hmm i do get distracted easy, but i dont think thats the issue with this.

[worrieddd]

i just read i little on this. could my jumping around between feeling ok to having something remind me of an issue thats bothering me mean im bipolar?

most of the time i am able to shrug off worries after a while and then they come back when something reminds me. the same thing is happening now.

i just keep jumping from feeling fine to worrying about something. one minute ill be worrying about this, the next minute i will be onto something else. i go through these phases and its really annoying. im crazy

i keep having these episodes of calm and worrying

Edited June 9, 2009 by worrieddd

[zoomzoom]

Hi Worriedd, I didn't realize you were a teenager. That certainly does rule out old age and dementia. Like SmallStar wrote, it probably has more to do with attention than intelligence. When you see your therapist it would be fine to mention that you are having trouble concentrating or focusing, and that you are concerned about it.

[worrieddd]

thanks,

like i was saying, i seem to have gotten over it a bit. its a coming and going sort of anxiety problem that i worry about stuff for short bursts and then stop and then get stressed after i get a reminder of a certain issue real or unreal taht i experience. its like i get distracted and then something i see makes me think about my own problems and then get all stressed asking for help here.

next day ill have shrugged it off and feel just fine.

unforunatly i dont think my parents will be able to get me a psycologist or therapist any time soon. i have asked multiple times but they are a bit to busy i guess. the doctor doesent seem to think much of it, i havent talked to the neurologist about this specific problem, but for other things he says im fine.

[JulianP]

..............

Edited February 3, 2010 by JulianP
deleted

[kaudio]

It may help to take inventory of your basic needs. You mention that you have not slept well lately, could you tell us what your sleeping habits are like? Sleep is very important as sleep deprivation can impair reaction time, mental functioning, and the immune system. A fourteen year old generally requires around nine hours of sleep.

Diet is very important. As you have already completed your end of year exams, this is a great opportunity to revamp your eating habits by slowly weaning yourself of any junk foods, i.e. Foods that are high in sugar, salt, and/or saturated fats. Milk and eggs are great sources of protein, and can give you that boost through the day to help your concentration. In order to keep your metabolism running as high as possible, try to eat at least three meals a day, or divide these three meals into six if you like. This will ensure that your body receives the fuel it needs to keep you going throughout the day. Also, maintaining proper hydration contributes to high metabolic rates so long as you do not drink too much water.

Are you getting enough exercise? You should be able to squeeze around an hour of exercise every other day. If you are not getting enough exercise, try starting an easy cardio workout schedule to build your endurance. As a suggestion, you can go for a brisk ten minute walk or jog, and slowly build the duration in increments of five minutes every other day until you can jog for a half-hour. Bring this up with your doctor if you have been told to clear exercises with him/her first. Also, if you are interested, local YMCA gyms usually offer free memberships for volunteers.

[worrieddd]

Hey Worrieddd,

Your posts are clear, concise, and intelligent. You are 14 years old. Stop living up to your username Mr. Worrieddd. I also find it interesting that you seem comfortable with your tackling of final exams, but are worried about grasping the plot of tv and movies, which on their own, can have a numbing affect on our brains if we over indulge. Get out of the house, have some fun and create some healthy 14 year old adventure. Perhaps your brain is trying to tell you something - that you are relying too heavily on tv and movies to do the things that your brain is craving to do for you instead.

Think fun!

JP

hmm. its more like connecting things together that i get stuck with. i just cant follow some stuff. i dont actually watch movies and tv alot anymore for this reason, osmtiems i just cant understand stuff. i hated dumb stuff like spongebob or whatever dumb kid show they have.

baahh! your right il be wrrying even more when i get older if i keep this up. i mean people keep telling e to stop, and i do for a little bit and then i slip back in. it drives me freakin batty.

but concise posts? thats another story:p

[crystalr0w3]

Hi worrieddd, there are so many factors that affects our memory that makes you feel dumb like stress and lack of sleep. Sometimes I also having that kind of feelings. I easily forget something and when somebody ask me about anything that seems simple, I cannot answer them correctly. I just laugh it off to cover the embarrassment but this doesn't dampen my spirit because I'm already used to it. We are not perfect humans and having some flaws just make us more human. Don't sweat the small stuff.