what is happening to my brain?

[acdc01]

My family's been telling me over and over that my brain is going downhill and has decreased sharply ever since I retired. I thought it was just my adhd acting up since I didn't have a set routine at the beginning but yesterday I couldn't even calculate a 15% tip without a calculator and then I messed up even with a calculator. My brain just feels fuzzier than ever and more often. I can't seem to remember song lyrics as easily anymore either.


Is this periomenopause (I'm 44)? ADHD getting worse? The fact that I don't have to think as much now that I don't work?


Anyone else get this brain decline at around my age?

[sarahsweets]

I am in perimenopause which is the medical name for can't f**king decide and I have noticed feeling almost..dumber than usual. My short term memory sucks. Plus I believe the hard drinking I did caused irreparable damage which makes me sad.

[Fuzzy12]

I don't know if it's age related or related to me taking a break from work for 1.5 years but I can definitely a decline in my cognitive abilities. My working memory, in particular, seems to be noticeably worse. I find it more difficult to focus or think straight even when medicated.

It could be lack of sleep as well or maybe now at my age (40) the lack of sleep has more impact.

In the past, however, when I was younger I definitely felt this way after every break from university. It would take my brain a couple of months to get back into being able to think algorithmically (not sure how to call or explain it. It's like the thinking bit of a problem solving disregarding any knowledge required). My brain always felt sharpest during exams.

The only thing I can recommend is to keep learning new things. Anything. AnYthing that engages those grey cells. that might play a role in preventing or delaying dementia apparently. That and physical exercise.

[acdc01]

Thanks for responding guys. Probably periomenopause then and interesting about what happened during breaks from university.

It probably is me not using my brain as much anymore too. It's hard to keep up as much without working. I seem to do better now with physical exercise but not the mental part (besides the class I took at the computer nonprofit).

[SashaBV]

The 40's weren't a lot worse than the 30's...I think...but that's relying on my present memory, which is slippy-sliding away these days.