Fibro Is Brain Jogging Related to Fibromyalgia and Brain Fog

[spinningmytires]

During my 50s I was suffering from fibromyalgia and brain fog after my mother, father and sister unexpectedly died within a very short time. This was too much to bear. I wasn't sleeping well nor had I any other close family ties. Functioning from day to day became difficult. Then there was my brain fog. Fortunately my fibro is now mostly mild. But because PTSD suffers often have this condition I wanted to share my thoughts if this might be of any help.

With brain fog I was never feeling fully awake. I wasn't on any drugs, if any, it was only for blood-pressure. Yet I was often trying to jog my brain in my effort to think more clearly.

This brain jogging activity might commonly be applied when trying to recall a long forgotten name. And by the way, I'm not referring to trauma recall here, but rather only my everyday wakeful state. To me, it seemed as if my 'brain jolting' attempts might have actually been disturbing my brain's functioning.

I'm thinking that for most people an occasional jogging of the brain might not disturb their brain functioning. Yet for someone struggling with a chronic brain fog condition this brain jogging activity might be performed in excess. And might this ongoing activity have aggravated or over-excited ones nerve pain sensitivity just as any other excessive emotional stress or physical exertion might also over-excite ones nervous system.

During my 20s, while once listening to music and imagining seeing color-shapes rapidly changing within my mind, I must have over-excited my brain via my own thoughts and to the point where both of my legs were repeatedly and involuntarily convulsing for a minute or so. I then discontinued that type of imagining -- seizures I certainly didn't want.

As for another example of brain dysfunction, I did eventually out grow my sleep-paralysis during my early 20s while this disturbance also seemed to first begin with a negative, sudden thought while half-asleep at night. Sleep-paralysis is an awful and frightening experience. The sensation is a bit similar to touching an electric livestock fence only with sleep-paralysis this feeling of electricity flows through ones entire body in waves.

My mother, younger sister, older half-sister and maternal grandfather unfortunately continued to have sleep-paralysis through their adulthood. Genetic? I had once witnessed my mother having a sleep-paralysis episode during her 70s while she was in bed one night. I had at the time heard her making short vocalizations as if trying to speak. So I immediately went to her side while touching her arm and asking her if she was okay. She immediately came out of it. She said that the sensation of touch on her arm had actually brought her out of her paralysis. We would often try to vocalize during an episode in our attempt to break its wave cycle.

Sleep-paralysis is frightening to witness! When I first entered my mother's bedroom, I immediately switched on the ceiling light and could then see the very frightened, frozen expression on her face. Her eyes were extremely wide open, not moving nor blinking. Normally a person would be squinting with this bright ceiling light suddenly shining in their face yet she didn't squint nor move. I don't know but could sleep-paralysis sometimes be a form of dissociation? I've heard that it's simply the body's way of disconnecting during our dream state. Anyway I'll digress…

In regards to this 'brain jogging' my point is that, I suspect that its possible to easily mess-up ones normal brain functioning by means of thought alone. And with my prior chronic fibro fog my ongoing 'brain jogging' might have only worsened my fibromyalgia symptoms by causing my normal pain signals to over-excite and overreact.

This 'brain jogging' activity I've sometimes performed intentionally where it could have possibly been omitted. Perhaps the drugs used to treat fibromyalgia might also serve to suppress excessive brain jogging activities. Just my own two cents.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Could you describe brain jogging......you wrote a lot....and I don't get a real mental image of what you do when you jog your brain.....it sounds like you are describing.....thinking.

 

[spinningmytires]

Could you describe brain jogging......you wrote a lot....and I don't get a real mental image of what you do when you jog your brain.....it sounds like you are describing.....thinking.

@TruthSeeker

Well firstly, I'm not a brain scientist. But when I talk about brain jogging or brain jolting please don't take this literally. I am referring to thought only and thought is not easy to describe. Basically, I'm talking about my own personal experience, in regards, to willfully attempting to increase my mental clarity, alertness and wakefulness. I'm not sure of what this might entail for others.

All that I know is that, I have at times deliberately attempted to jog my brain into retrieving material related to my mental inquiry, such as, a forgotten name. And that this will feel very much like an exertion that can seemingly drain me of mental energy.

Because each individual's way of processing and retrieving information would likely differ, ones own personal experience might offer the more satifactory answer to your question.

 

[TruthSeeker]

I'm familiar with brain fog, and times when everything around me didn't seem in focus and I wasn't processing things at my usual capacity. It is though I'm looking through a glass....and everything seems a bit out of focus.....maybe a tad distorted. I can tell you the things that create this sensation: a) lack of regular sleep (pulling stressful all-nighters worrying over some shit); too much or too little glucose (poor diet or too many sugary drinks); lack of vitamins in my diet or iron; lack of sufficient protein (I drink protein shakes to prevent this) and looming stress or constant obsession over something......Lastly, failing to take my regular meds...so med levels are off can cause brain fog.

All of these things directly impact my brain, and consequently, how I perceive the world around me. Some are a result of poor self care, other's life with dysfunctional people. I have done my best to back away from their stressors. In my case, jogging my brain for a piece of information is made more difficult when I don't take care of my health, have family dysfunction issues, or I get off my regular schedule and end up with irregular sleep, vitamin deficiencies, and lack of exercise. Exercise plays a huge part in keeping my body chemistry and brain chemistry level. When I take care of myself, I have energy......and when I don't.....I have brain fog and everything seems hard-even simple thinking tasks. I don't know if this helps.....but this is my take on the issue.

 

[Friday]

Sorry, I’m a bit confused, also.

Brain Jogging >>> Would “mental exercise” or “keeping your mind busy/ active/ engaged” be comparable phrases? Things like learning a new language, focused study of something interesting/challenging (academic, musical, mechanical, whatever), practicing old skills to sharpen them up or apply differently (like sudoku for maths, or getting back to playing the guitar you haven’t picked up in years), memory & recall games, &/or other cerebral pursuits.? Things that challenge your mind, according to your own tastes?

>>> Or are you thinking more in purposeful disassociation-land? Daydreaming, meditating, etc.

>>> Or distraction? Getting out of your own head via books, movies, other people’s lives, etc.?

>>> Or cognitive therapy? (Most common for Speech Pathology, Concussion, TBI, Trauma, Pregnancy/Nursing “Mommy-Brain”, Cancer Patients “Chemo-Brain”, Stroke, Dementia, etc., but also often useful for a huuuuuuuge range of psych disorders.)

Brain Jolting >>> Same as the above/as a synonym for Brain Jogging... or attempting to surprise yourself (like hot sauna to cold pool), or trigger yourself, or excite yourself? ...Or doing an activity that -suddenly- requires all your focus and attention / doesn’t leave room for other thoughts? (Driving very fast, picking a fight, skiing, surfing, etc.?)

 

[blackemerald1]

I don't know but could sleep-paralysis sometimes be a form of dissociation? I've heard that it's simply the body's way of disconnecting during our dream state.

^All humans go into a particular state of paralysis when deeply asleep. Yeah! I know...strange but true. Bit like taking out the batteries or shutting down the mainframe for a few moments. Allows for complete rest, rehabilitation of nervous system cells and other stuff.

^The jolt during sleep is also quite normal, annoying but normal.

Was your family members ever actually diagnosed with a sleep paralytic state... something that humans should not ordinarily expect to happen?

 

[spinningmytires]

I'm familiar with brain fog, and times when everything around me didn't seem in focus and I wasn't processing things at my usual capacity. It is though I'm looking through a glass....and everything seems a bit out of focus.....maybe a tad distorted. I can tell you the things that create this sensation: a) lack of regular sleep (pulling stressful all-nighters worrying over some shit); too much or too little glucose (poor diet or too many sugary drinks); lack of vitamins in my diet or iron; lack of sufficient protein (I drink protein shakes to prevent this) and looming stress or constant obsession over something......Lastly, failing to take my regular meds...so med levels are off can cause brain fog.

All of these things directly impact my brain, and consequently, how I perceive the world around me. Some are a result of poor self care, other's life with dysfunctional people. I have done my best to back away from their stressors. In my case, jogging my brain for a piece of information is made more difficult when I don't take care of my health, have family dysfunction issues, or I get off my regular schedule and end up with irregular sleep, vitamin deficiencies, and lack of exercise. Exercise plays a huge part in keeping my body chemistry and brain chemistry level. When I take care of myself, I have energy......and when I don't.....I have brain fog and everything seems hard-even simple thinking tasks. I don't know if this helps.....but this is my take on the issue.

@TruthSeeker

This is all very helpful and useful information to remember when preventing brain fog, thank you.

I was trying to stay healthy though, I wasn't sleeping well and felt exhausted all of the time. I wanted to shut the world out. I had just lost my mother, sister and father suddenly within a period of only 4 weeks. I was in a state of shock.

Months later I joined a bereavement group and can recall resisting my desire to crawl under a table -- this was how bad I felt. My life seemed as though it were merely a performance during that time. About two years later, I felt like I was beginning to get my true self back. My recovery from fibromyalgia and brain fog had been a gradual one.

By the way, the magnet therapy wasn't doing a single thing for my fibro pain relief.

^All humans go into a particular state of paralysis when deeply asleep. Yeah! I know...strange but true. Bit like taking out the batteries or shutting down the mainframe for a few moments. Allows for complete rest, rehabilitation of nervous system cells and other stuff.

^The jolt during sleep is also quite normal, annoying but normal.

Was your family members ever actually diagnosed with a sleep paralytic state... something that humans should not ordinarily expect to happen?

So then this must be why my neurologist was telling me that, I wasn't getting enough needed REM sleep prior to my brain tumor resection a few years ago. He said that I seriously needed it -- for the rehabilitation of my nervous system, no doubt. The tumor had also interfering with the flow of my CSF.

For years we didn't know what this sleep-paralysis was about, not until my older half-sister was tested at the sleep center. She told me that she was diagnosed with narcolepsy. She also once told me that, there were times when she thought she had her hand on the bedroom doorknob only to then realize that she was still in bed. My younger sister was also tested at the sleep center yet I know nothing about her test results. I don't know what this sleep paralytic state is.

As for my previous sleep-paralysis episodes, it's sort of terrifying to awaken feeling fully conscious without ones batteries and especially when I wasn't fully logged out.

 

[spinningmytires]

Sorry, I’m a bit confused, also.

Brain Jogging >>> Would “mental exercise” or “keeping your mind busy/ active/ engaged” be comparable phrases? Things like learning a new language, focused study of something interesting/challenging (academic, musical, mechanical, whatever), practicing old skills to sharpen them up or apply differently (like sudoku for maths, or getting back to playing the guitar you haven’t picked up in years), memory & recall games, &/or other cerebral pursuits.? Things that challenge your mind, according to your own tastes?

>>> Or are you thinking more in purposeful disassociation-land? Daydreaming, meditating, etc.

>>> Or distraction? Getting out of your own head via books, movies, other people’s lives, etc.?

>>> Or cognitive therapy? (Most common for Speech Pathology, Concussion, TBI, Trauma, Pregnancy/Nursing “Mommy-Brain”, Cancer Patients “Chemo-Brain”, Stroke, Dementia, etc., but also often useful for a huuuuuuuge range of psych disorders.)

Brain Jolting >>> Same as the above/as a synonym for Brain Jogging... or attempting to surprise yourself (like hot sauna to cold pool), or trigger yourself, or excite yourself? ...Or doing an activity that -suddenly- requires all your focus and attention / doesn’t leave room for other thoughts? (Driving very fast, picking a fight, skiing, surfing, etc.?)

I'm not sure I understand your questions but I'll try. Easiest answer first...

My brain jogging or brain jolting are exactly the same thing. No hot peppers, ice-water pool dips, running through thunderstorms nor other excitements required. Video game playing I once did to intentionally block painful thoughts but this pertained only to my grief about 20 years ago -- this has nothing to do with my brain jogging.

Or doing an activity that suddenly requires my entire focus and attention ...that will omit other thoughts? No because any sudden demand wouldn't allow me enough time to perform my brain jogging. And beside these are external activities, such as, driving or picking a fight. I've never skied nor surfed. My brain jogging I most often use for internal processing activities.

Is my brain jogging comparable to mental exercises such as focusing on practicing challenging skills? No, not at all. These practices that you have mentions generally occur during an hour long session of study activity. While my brain jogging actually occurs very abruptly where my concentration will be so intense that I wouldn't be able to sustain that degree of intense focus for more than several seconds. Then I will need to break for a moment and repeat. This is how I jog my brain.

I use to often play the piano for an hour or more where my degree of focus would be fairly consistent throughout that activity. Challenges pertaining to my aphasia difficulties however will sometimes lead me to jog my brain. It's as if my brain sometimes gets stuck or it simply locks-up for no apparent reason. I will know that I know the information yet I won't be able to retrieve that information because my brain will simply go blank. Sometimes an hour or so might pass before this information for simply pop-up in my mind. It gets very frustrating. And so I'll sometimes try to jog my brain to get unstuck.

Does my brain jogging activity lead me into a dissociation-land? Or a daydream state... I don't think it does, no. Rather I will most often be trying to concentrate on retrieving information within my memory that I know I know. Or my brain jogging might also occur when my mental processing is very challenging and focus-demanding, such as, when doing math in my head.

Or distractions? No I like being inside my own head most of the time. ...though I would like to get out of some other peoples lives!

Or cognitive therapy? ......etc, but also often useful for a huge range of psych disorders. Was this a question?

 

[Friday]

I'm not sure I understand your questions but I'll try.

Just trying to find a working-definition of what ‘brain jogging’ means.

If I’d stumbled across a really useful technique I called ‘heart wellies’ (wellingtons/galoshes) & was excited to share that process to help people out; because *I* know what I mean, I could very easily skip over telling people what I specifically mean by that in an attempt to be as broad minded as possible to include the greatest number of people. And accidentally include no-one, as there isn’t a shared definition, and be asked a similar series of Q’s.

Heart Wellies >>> Would ‘guarding your heart’ or ‘emotional distancing’ be comparable?
>>> Or is this more in the land of emotional monitoring & regulation? (Examples follow)
>>> Or overriding the autonomic with the somatic / using purposeful action to slow your heart rate during times of panic? (Examples follow)
>>> Or working on your emotional intelligence / self awareness? (Examples follow)
>>> Or akin to mindfulness, but instead of directing attention outward it’s directed inward? (Examples follow)
>>> Or CBT / feelings aren’t facts / reality checking? (Examples follow)

While my brain jogging actually occurs very abruptly where my concentration will be so intense that I wouldn't be able to sustain that degree of intense focus for more than several seconds

So, if I’m understanding correctly, brain jogging is intense concentration for a few seconds ________ and then returning to whatever you were doing/thinking previously?

 

[spinningmytires]

Just trying to find a working-definition of what ‘brain jogging’ means.

If I’d stumbled across a really useful technique I called ‘heart wellies’ (wellingtons/galoshes) & was excited to share that process to help people out; because *I* know what I mean, I could very easily skip over telling people what I specifically mean by that in an attempt to be as broad minded as possible to include the greatest number of people. And accidentally include no-one, as there isn’t a shared definition, and be asked a similar series of Q’s.

Heart Wellies >>> Would ‘guarding your heart’ or ‘emotional distancing’ be comparable?
>>> Or is this more in the land of emotional monitoring & regulation? (Examples follow)
>>> Or overriding the autonomic with the somatic / using purposeful action to slow your heart rate during times of panic? (Examples follow)
>>> Or working on your emotional intelligence / self awareness? (Examples follow)
>>> Or akin to mindfulness, but instead of directing attention outward it’s directed inward? (Examples follow)
>>> Or CBT / feelings aren’t facts / reality checking? (Examples follow)


So, if I’m understanding correctly, brain jogging is intense concentration for a few seconds ________ and then returning to whatever you were doing/thinking previously?

I've only adopted this simply idiom of 'Jogging the Brain' for lack of a better word description. I'm now beginning to suspect that, my 'brain jogging' activity isn't commonly used by others. This was never a technique taught to me nor had I ever read anything describing it. Because I have aphasia I rarely read books as reading is just too laborious and time-consuming. The desire has to be there. And yes, if I were to confine myself to shared definitions only, I would greatly be limiting my understanding of myself. I think we're all pretty unique.

Yes to me, brain jogging is an intense concentration for a few seconds .... but then, no, this brain jogging does not return me to whatever I was doing or thinking previously. Rather it is more like a 'restart' or 'starting over again' because nothing was being previously processed. When my brain stops processing and goes blank, this is when I will apply my brain jog, in my attempt to reactivate my thinking. I'm wondering, if, these 'thought shut-downs' where my mind will suddenly go blank might be a form of dissociation. Perhaps my brain jogging is my attempt to disrupt my dissociation.

 

[TruthSeeker]

I'm not sure I understand your questions but I'll try. Easiest answer first...

My brain jogging or brain jolting are exactly the same thing. No hot peppers, ice-water pool dips, running through thunderstorms nor other excitements required. Video game playing I once did to intentionally block painful thoughts but this pertained only to my grief about 20 years ago -- this has nothing to do with my brain jogging.

Or doing an activity that suddenly requires my entire focus and attention ...that will omit other thoughts? No because any sudden demand wouldn't allow me enough time to perform my brain jogging. And beside these are external activities, such as, driving or picking a fight. I've never skied nor surfed. My brain jogging I most often use for internal processing activities.

Is my brain jogging comparable to mental exercises such as focusing on practicing challenging skills? No, not at all. These practices that you have mentions generally occur during an hour long session of study activity. While my brain jogging actually occurs very abruptly where my concentration will be so intense that I wouldn't be able to sustain that degree of intense focus for more than several seconds. Then I will need to break for a moment and repeat. This is how I jog my brain.

I use to often play the piano for an hour or more where my degree of focus would be fairly consistent throughout that activity. Challenges pertaining to my aphasia difficulties however will sometimes lead me to jog my brain. It's as if my brain sometimes gets stuck or it simply locks-up for no apparent reason. I will know that I know the information yet I won't be able to retrieve that information because my brain will simply go blank. Sometimes an hour or so might pass before this information for simply pop-up in my mind. It gets very frustrating. And so I'll sometimes try to jog my brain to get unstuck.

Does my brain jogging activity lead me into a dissociation-land? Or a daydream state... I don't think it does, no. Rather I will most often be trying to concentrate on retrieving information within my memory that I know I know. Or my brain jogging might also occur when my mental processing is very challenging and focus-demanding, such as, when doing math in my head.

Or distractions? No I like being inside my own head most of the time. ...though I would like to get out of some other peoples lives!

Or cognitive therapy? ......etc, but also often useful for a huge range of psych disorders. Was this a question?

I've heard the expression, "gotta jog my brain" in the context of trying to recall...." Interestingly, you define brain jogging as a conscious, purposeful thing you do to kinda shift gears .....your description comes across as a process and not a natural thing everyone does. I think your brain jogging is just the way you think...... I do have a word I use to describe the "stuckness" felt when I can't recall....I call it "glitching." That's when information feels likes its almost there....but out of reach....and in that moment....I'm glitching.....I don't have control over retrieving info as easily as usual. I do find that maintaining a healthy lifestyle helps tremendously in the "thinking" and "memory retrieval" department.

@spinningmytires As far as dissociation, that's a whole other ball of wax! I'm not in deep thought or really thinking when I'm dissociated...just the opposite.....I'm not connected to my thoughts or the present moment. Dissociating to me is like melting into the wall.....and poof....I'm gone....it is one step this side of not existing. Now, I do have control over that....if I want to or I can let go...and choose to dissociate-and that has been long time coming when I couldn't choose because I didn't understand it. It takes practice to stay in the moment and stay clear headed, but I think it's becoming a new norm....I think I'm getting there even in T when I talk deep stuff. But when you've spent a lifetime not really being present, switching your brain's gears and staying grounded is work. Dissociating is a very different or separate topic from thinking and recall.......and brain jogging......unless I'm missing your boat.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Another thing....memory needs to be practiced....as you get older. It's like with sex or anything else, don't use it you'll lose it, right. I found an app on my phone called Elevate. It is a really well-developed app for language, math, and speaking. It's not trivia...it's more basic than that. However, it is a good app for brain work....I'd recommend it to anyone who has had a TBI....seizures.....concussions.....or trauma!