Memory And Concentration

[tabbjuan]

Hello,
I love this web site and info I have received about PTSD. I have PTSD and have been in therapy for almost five years now. I feel so much better, I cope so much better, but I have the desire to finish grad school and or move up in my current career. My concentration and memory at times is horrible, so that's my biggest fear. I've been a nurse for almost 10 years, and I would love to become a nurse practitioner. I know that there are previous discusions on memory and concentration, and how to cope, so I love for someone to point me to those, and others to give me tips and pointers to survive grad school whlie PTSD.

thanks

 

[Panama Pete]

My psychiatrist tells me, and I think he's right, that I don't have a memory problem but a concentration problem. He also says, and I agree, that it is linked to my hypervigilance. What this does is use up most of the "RAM" in my brain so I don't have enough left over for other things. If hypervigilance is one of your symptoms then this could explain what you are experiencing. That being said, I have yet to figure out how to overcome this. That doesn't mean it can't be overcome, just I have yet to find what works for me. Still, at least I have identified this aspect of my condition and that means I can start working on how to overcome it. Good luck in finding what works for you. Hang in there and you will find your answer to this.

 

[doglover]

Try to create a "safe place" for studying - don't study in public where people are in and out, just in private where you know no one is coming into your space.

Consider medication to manage anxiety as anxiety usually drives us to pay so much attention to everything else, or consider a temporary stimulant to support focusing.

I was diagnosed with ADHD as a child but I think it was really hypervigilance and my adrenaline being on so much of the time. Medication did help me get through grad school... reading was the hardest thing... and once I finished I weaned off the medication.

I think of this symptom similar to Panama Pete. The mind is scanning the environment for threats, and this work is deemed by the brain as more important than reading material for a class. So the brain puts more resources into scanning for threats, and there is not much concentration left. The mind IS concentrating - it's just concentrating on looking for danger. And if the mind is doing that all day, then it has less juice left to remember things.

I struggle with this as well. I have one ego state that is good at remembering, but many of them are not. I think promoting a sense of safety is the best option.

Re: other threads, have you tried the search function?

 

[tabbjuan]

Oh yeah, it has to be hypervigilance... I find that I cannot concentrate while alone, even while I am cleaning it is hard. I tend to have flashbacks while cleaning too. I know why, I was traumatized when I was young. I was used as a servent like I was someone's step child. It was horrible. The noise in my head...I can't turn it off.

Medication for anxiety is a no, no for me. I am a nurse and I cannot get hook on those meds. I've seen patients go crazy if they go into withdrawls from those meds. I know I can take antidepressants, but I'm like a zombie on those, and my body pays for it....increased appetite, weight gain, etc...I look like a puffer fish.
So diet has helped a lot...no grains, sweets, or beans...Paleo diet. I tend to focus better when I follow it strictly, but it hard to follow at times... no excuses, I need to follow through for my sake, and my future.


last...I will search other threads, thanks..:)

 

[alleycat]

Might try an antihistimine for your anxiety. Not addictive but useful for some people.

 

[mamachick]

You might find that while following your passion for education, you are able to concentrate better. The more we do it, the better it gets. When we dont have to, I think we loose it. Since you have done so well in therapy, your desire with practice and patience may be the ticket.