The traumatised brain & paragraphs

[Teasel]

I've just read a reply elsewhere where @Lionheart777 mentioned needing short paragraphs to be able to process long posts. And I've seen people mention it before. And think I remember that using paragraphs used to be a rule here.

But it's only today that I've realised maybe that has something to do with me not managing lost posts with more than a few points in sometimes.

It's happened quite often that I post something, then someone replies with lots of points and my brain just stops working.

I can read maybe 2 or 3 points but then after that I might not be able to make any sense out of the post.

Sometimes it's not as bad but it's a very common occurrence for me..

I've been feeling bad about it and I don't know why I didn't think if it having anything to do with what I've seen others mention.

Ok so my question, to anyone who has difficulty with processing long posts especially without paragraphs - does it feel like I've just described?
Thanks

 

[EveHarrington]

Yes, my brain goes in overload!

I'm curious if it's in part a mobile VS non mobile thing?

I'm mobile and this prevents me in part from saying a lot. (If I was non mobile I'd definitely be saying more.) Typing on my phone is tedious.

On the reading side, lots of text looks like so much more when reading on a mobile device i.e. cell phone VS on a desktop/laptop.

 

[Friday]

Yep. My brain just stops.

It's not solely related to reading. Too much information? Too many decisions? Too much to take in and process? I either have to make a clear path / simplify shit immediately, assign it a life and death level of importance (which is very risky, and guarantees a lot of dysregulation), or give it up as a bad job. Paralysis by analysis. Everything just stops.

How much is too much? Depends very much on the day, how symptomatic I am, and how much energy I have. There are days I can't process a fortune cookie, and days I can be eyeballs deep in seriously deep & heavy discourse.

I think a lot of it is related to being in survival mode.

I cannot brain today. I haz the dumb.

 

[Deleted member 541]

I too can’t read a post that isn’t broken up into paragraphs. My pea sized traumatized brain can’t handle it. Not only because of PTSD, but several concussions too... I just can’t see anything but a swarm of words....

 

[digger]

With large blocks of text, it's like I will get part way down and then my head slides off the words. If I can get to the bottom of it, I am unlikely to have any actual comprehension of what I've read.

It doesn't seem to make a difference to me whether I'm reading on a tablet, computer, paper - too much text in one go anywhere I can't take it in properly.

 

[Lionheart]

Definitely feels like a brain overload.

Without short paragraphs, I can become lost, confused, and frustrated. I can' t retain any of what is read either. I kinda feel bad that I can't take in the written material, esp. when someone is sharing their story or a new thread.

Lengthy posts lose me too, but still I can manage for awhile, if it is broken down into paragraphs. Part of the reason I don't often read other's diaries is that the entries tend to be long and difficult for me to read.

 

[whiteraven]

I too can’t read a post that isn’t broken up into paragraphs. My pea sized traumatized brain can’...

I think this is a really interesting topic. I never thought of this before. I have had so much trouble reading in the last couple of years with no real understanding why. The PTSD was diagnosed about that time and I've also had a number of concussions. I really have to take my time with long paragraphs (although I can usually make it through) - sometimes I can't retain all the meaning, though.

 

[ladee]

I can't read something that is one long paragraph that fills up a page. I get lost. But I am a Chatty Cathy and do ramble on, especially in my diary...I do it there, because i can. I am trying to find answers, so it goes on and on.... If it's a long post on a thread, and I'm sure I've done the same thing, I can't retain all I've read. Yet I am an avid reader. I read all the time.

There as an author I tried to read once, his whole book was one huge paragraph... one page into it.... NOPE....

Even in RL , if someone is talking nonstop... I have to stop listening... *in robot voice.... does not compute*

 

[LuckiLee]

It's not a PTSD problem.

I have a hard time getting through long posts too. Most of the time I'll read the beginning then scroll down to the end to see if there's actually a question needing to be addressed.

 

[Teasel]

Cool @C j :tup:

Thinking about it I experience this difficulty in complicated sentences too. Not just long blocks of text. If a sentences has lots of qualifying twists and turns I can't figure out the meaning no matter how many times I read it.

I don't remember ever having either of these problems when I was younger.

 

[EveHarrington]

It's not a PTSD problem.

I have a hard time getting through long posts too. Most of the time I'll rea...

I don't think you're qualified to make such a definitive statement as you don't have ptsd.

In all honesty.

When I'm more symptomatic, difficult/long posts are MUCH harder to read.

I didn't have this problem before ptsd.

 

[LuckiLee]

All I'm saying is I have the same problem without PTSD.