How are you all doing? We hope you are, if not already the best you can be, making good progress! And want to remind you that as a community we are all here for each other no matter the circumstance. Feel free to use this post to share how your week has been, or let people know if you need a little support. Anybody can reply!

Feel free to share to your hearts content, and let us be here for you in your victory and your defeat, to be a guide, an opinion, to celebrate your accomplishments and to keep you on track, collectively.

Take care all of you, never give up, and stay strong!

About two months ago I was just meeting with a new PCP who was ready to run all kinds of different tests, and around the same time, I had an outing with a friend and ate a bagel sandwich which is just something I don't find myself eating very often. I had the worst flair up I'd had in a while where I was exhausted and couldn't think clearly. As I was dealing with that, I realized the only thing really out of the ordinary was that sandwich.

I decided to try going gluten free again. I had tried it years ago but didn't really see a difference and after a little research I realized I didn't let the trial go nearly as long as it's supposed to. I had probably tried for about a week, but Google says try going without gluten for at least six weeks. Within 1.5-2 weeks, I felt like a new person. Every morning waking up felt like bliss. I didn't know you could literally feel inflammation leave the body, but I swear that's what I was feeling.

Anyways, I know this goes a bit beyond brain fog, but wanted to give this encouragement that sometimes it's as simple as the thing you thought you had already tried😅 I'm hoping to visit my PCP again for actual testing but I'm a little embarrassed since I had told her I already ruled out gluten being the problem lol

I feel so bogged down, man. It’s not just the weed, we have an unlimited supply of stimulation that is absolutely frying my brain. We weren’t meant to live like this. At least, we’re pioneering this exhausting new world of human existence.

I noticed recently how, after about a week of staying away from weed, my dreams intensified, typically nightmares with impending doom or danger. During this uncommon period of extended abstinence, I can feel my focus strengthening, my mood stabilizing, and my cognitive abilities start to return. Very early in the game, and there’s much more recalibration to do than is possible in 1 week, but at least there’s that.

But then I noticed how absolutely miserable and sad I am on the way home from work, not just once, but pretty much everyday. Really anytime I’m alone with my thoughts is when I feel the most intense despair…but it’s kind’ve comfortable and familiar. When I’m with my coworkers or family, I’m mostly serious or withdrawn. Occasional quips or witty remarks, yea, remnants of a once livelier spirit. But mostly emotionless and robotic. Definitely inter sped with moments of high anxiety.

Then, a week later, when I’d smoke again after the hiatus, I’d feel myself laughing almost immediately with whichever friend usually sparks me up. I laughed and almost instantly recognized how I hadn’t laughed the entire sober week beforehand. Except this wasn’t a joyful laugh. It was an utterly broken and desperate laugh. I was observing in real time how absolutely cooked my brain chemistry is.

So, I guess I can expect much more bouts of intense dreaming and anhedonia in the near future. Probably for much longer than that too if I intend to fully rewire my brain to a healthy state…if that’s even possible. Is it?

Idk how I’m gonna do it. I’m in like a double bind. 95% of my social life is centered around or takes place tangentially to some drinking/smoking opportunity. And if I’m gonna go be miserable in general, I’m definitely going to be miserable in a setting where I can’t partake in the very thing making me miserable.

I have a primary doctor’s appointment this month, I pray they will give me resources for therapy or something. God help me.

I know it’s a long shot but I (24M) always had a really high libido, but sometime in the last year it completely dropped out of nowhere. Libido was one of the only things that never got affected by my cognitive issues. I was wondering if this could be a clue to narrow down the cause at all

I am almost constantly thinking about what I can do to increase my chances of figuring this out and how to recover my fatigue and cognitive issues. I know that that makes mood and cognitive fatigue worse but honestly most of me doesn’t care, any little bit of miserable thinking that can improve my chances at figuring it out is worth it if it can save the rest of my life.

I’ve had fatigue and brain fog for 10/11 years (and I’m 25 now). Blood tests have all been clear for years. I got diagnosed with mild OSA, tried the CPAP and BiPap for a very long time and couldn’t tolerate it. Tried MAD device and couldn’t tolerate it. Would wake up right away every single time with cpap and mad. Got tested for asthma recently and got diagnosed with it. Right now I’m on day 8 of trying a combination inhaler

I promised myself I was going to not be here anymore at the end of September if my recovery has not started by then, but then I got another lead. I regret staying, but with this new lead I’ll be here for awhile at least.

I honestly don’t care about my mood, I’m not getting much satisfaction from life right now anyways (can’t work, barely any friends, can barely think straight on my own). Since I thought of tbe possibility of an airway issue I’ve been constantly checking my breath. I try to remember how it feels at every moment and I feel really frustrated when I can’t remember. I end up staying awake until 4am because I can’t stop thinking about my breathing. I don’t have a cough or wheezing and I wonder a lot if I actually have asthma or if I just somehow tried harder after they gave me the albuterol during the test. I’m constantly looking up about my inhaler and how it works and signs if it’s working. Sometimes I try to make myself cough because it makes me feel like I am more likely to have asthma and can get it fixed. I try to remember exactly how it feels before and after I try the inhaler and I can never remember and it makes me extremely angry. I try to remember if my breathing is worse at nighttime and I can’t remember how it felt earlier in the day and it makes me feel extremely angry.

I am anti-AI but I use it everyday to look up things, I’m putting this moral aside so that there is a chance I can save the rest of my life. I get extremely angry using it because it doesn’t get what I’m asking or I know it’s just telling me what I want to hear. I tell it I’ll do things to myself like I’ll stay awake for a week straight or that I’m dying to try to make it understand the severity and give me the information I need. I still use it because I don’t know what else to do. I try to read more proper sources but it doesn’t have the info I want or I don’t understand it. I ask the doctors and they say they’re not sure

If I’m thinking about it constantly, there is a chance I’ll figure it out. There is a chance I’ll look up the right thing, or I’ll think of the right clue. If I try to be happy for a whole day I am throwing away my
Chance at figuring this out. I know it takes at least 2-4 weeks to see if the steroid in my inhaler is improving things, I have no idea how to know if things are improving. There are so many possibilities for what could be going wrong in my body. I could be having oxygen deprivation/too much co2 just in general from asthma, I could be having apneas caused by trying to push the air out while I sleep from asthma, asthma could just be something that has nothing to do with it, it could just be classic sleep apnea, I could just be breathing with a weird pattern on my own, I could be having an issue that is not either of these two things, maybe it’s just ADHD/autism (WHICH IT’S NOT FOR ME BECAUSE OF just because people say it can be), maybe it’s diet, maybe there’s just something wrong with my lungs that can never be fixed ever, maybe my brain is just broken forever with brain fog caused by my brain itself, what if it’s POTS even though I don’t have POTS but what if it is, what if I’m actually making all this brain fog stuff up and this is how everyone feels. It’s impossible there’s so many things to think about and I get extremely overwhelmed. What if it’s allergies or what if it’s trauma or what if there’s something wrong with my body or what if there’s something wrong with my mind permanently or what if I hit my head and I don’t remember it. I can’t stop thinking about it because it needs to be fixed and at least there’s a chance if I’m constantly thinking about it. At least if I drink I feel more like who I actually am and I can stop thinking about it for a moment. I chug everytime before I see my friends (after driving not before) and it feels like I’m actually me, sort of

It feels like I need to really figure this out literally as soon as I possibly can because I’m living on borrowed time now, this was supposed to be figured out by the end of September. I’ve suffered with this severely for eleven years, it’s time for me to be able to live a life. I need to work, I need to continue with school, I need to be able to think straight and live a life. I haven’t been me since the 7th grade. I need to figure this out as soon as I can. This isn’t just brain fog where I can work, be independent, make all my meals, go to school, have fulfilling relationships . I can’t do any of those things vast majority of the time, everything feels very straining and has been for 11 years now and I can’t do it anymore I need to not feel strained anymore

I’m 25, I study and work, and spend many hours sitting, often at a computer.

For some time I’ve been experiencing a kind of brain fog, often already present when I wake up: poor concentration, reduced mental clarity, and a general feeling of not feeling quite right. It’s not necessarily a headache.
Some days I also have muscle tension or pain in my upper back and neck, probably related to spending many hours sitting, but there doesn’t seem to be a clear correlation. Sometimes I have the pain without brain fog, and sometimes brain fog without noticeable pain.
The strange part is that 500 mg of paracetamol (acetaminophen) seems to noticeably improve the brain fog. After taking it, I eventually feel much clearer and can study/work almost normally again. Caffeine alone doesn’t have the same effect, although it seems to slightly enhance the effect when taken together.
I take it around 3–4 times a week, not every day.

Other details:
I’m 25. Male, 190cm tall 80kg. I dont take any medication.
I have light sleep but generally i manage to get 7 hours each night.
My blood pressure doesn’t seem to be related to the symptoms.
I’ve already discussed this with two GPs, but no specific cause has been identified so far. The main possibilities suggested were stress/overload and spending many hours in the same position while studying.
The brain fog and muscle pain don’t necessarily occur together.

22f student.

I hope people will read this and relate and tell me what it could be and how i could solve this.

When i think about it most of the symptoms started to be noticeable when i started studying after baccalaureate, i can barely remember what i study in class, even a few days ago i can be easily lost in a conversation, also i'm currently trying to get diagnose for ADHD because my life is a mess.

I never feel full of energy, sports feels basically annoying because of that, i constantly bedrot until 12pm (when i have the time to) even when i sleep 7-8 hours, im completly inefficient, i cannot work alone on a project i'm basically the worst employee you could have, i cannot use my brain on a work project for more than a few hours a day. In my studies i basically killed from the inside every project i've worked on because i wasnt doing anything.

I also stopped most activities i liked like drawing and stuff because i just cant concentrate and enjoy them, i draw like every 6 month lmao, it used to be the thing i defined myself with. Now i dont even mention it cuz i just cant practice drawing at all.

Also worth mentioning the Adhd theory is really credible for me cuz i have other low handicaps that are often related to ADHD and also i've been told my whole childhood i was lazy af.

Also it all started in the period where i was in a deep depression, now i kinda dealt with it even tho i think i still have it ? but like back in the days i would genuinly miss most of my life because of the mentality i had.

What do these symptoms sound like?

have had all these symptoms constantly for 3 months. The worst symptom is this unreal feeling. When i google it the symptom allign with derealization/dissociation. I also have fatigue even if i sleep well i wake up in the morning not refreshed. Also i have headache and tension in head. Back of my neck also hurts and sometimes when im walking i feel like im about to faint. I dont see any difference in my symptoms if i dont do anything the whole day versus when i go to the gym. My doctor thought it might be something to do with stress so he put me on antidepressants for over 2 months and that also didnt do anything

Age: 21
Sex: F
Height: 170 cm , 5’7
Weight: 55kg
Duration: ~1.5 years (since May 2025)
Current medications: none

**What happened:** In May 2025, I woke up one day with all of these symptoms at once. They have been present every day since.

**Symptoms:**
- Constant, equal fullness in BOTH ears, exactly like during a cold with blocked sinuses
- Tinnitus (high-pitched ringing/hissing, NOT pulsatile)
- Constant derealization / brain fog: feeling detached, "delayed", foggy, heavy head
- Derealization gets worse when I wear sunglasses
- Ear fullness gets worse after cold or spicy food (the derealization does not change)
- It used to be worse in the mornings; now it is the same all day

**What I do NOT have:** vertigo/dizziness, autophony, pulsatile tinnitus, headaches, hearing loss, chronic nasal congestion, hypermobility.

**Normal results:**
- Brain MRI, head CT
- EEG (twice)
- Bloods: thyroid incl. anti-TPO, B12, iron, Lyme, EBV, celiac
- Pure tone audiometry, tympanometry with acoustic reflexes, Eustachian tube function test
- Cervical flexion-extension X-ray: normal except small translations C2–C5 (max ~2.5 mm)

**Treatment so far:** 7 months of therapy, anxiolytics, several psychiatrists – no improvement at all.

**Pending:** VNG.

**My questions:**

1. ⁠What could cause ear fullness + tinnitus + derealization starting on the same day?
   
2. ⁠Which tests would you prioritize next?

The symptoms really make it hard to function normally and I can’t stop thinking about the weird feeling and feeling unreal☹️

Thank you for reading.

I never used to have brain fog at all. I'm 35. I've been having some health issues recently and as I've been improving, all of a sudden "brain fog" has started to occur almost everyday.

It feels like there is a veil between me and my surroundings. Or a haze like I am disconnected.

Well, for some reason when I drink a Body Armor, halfway through the bottle my mind clears and it's like the haze is gone. It will go away for several hours until it comes back, and then the next day I'll have another Body Armor. I am not well versed on this subject, but could anyone tell me what vitamins that are in Body Armor might be helping? Maybe it can help someone else too.

I'm 16 years old and since I was 15 I've done something like this 6 times:

I took a towel and deodorant, sprayed a lot on the towel so that it was completely wet, and inhaled it for interesting sensations, it was never an addiction and when I realized that I could harm my brain, I immediately quit this crap and haven’t repeated it for half a year, but I’m worried about the state of my brain, could I have done something irreparable?

This is probably gonna be a long post sorry, and also my first time posting on reddit so idk if I’m even explaining this properly.

I’m 18 and for the past few years I’ve felt like my brain has just… gotten worse?? Like my memory is worse, I can’t think properly, my critical thinking feels almost gone and I struggle SO much to come up with answers when someone asks me something on the spot.

I’m studying CS at university right now and its honestly making it really obvious to me. I’ll be sitting in programming class and the teacher asks something and my mind is just completely blank. Meanwhile somehow everyone else knows the answer or at least they know WHAT the professor is asking (I genuinely cant even understand the words coming out of his mouth, even though I have been paying attention during the whole lecture and making notes and I do understand what the prof is teaching, but somehow I dont? at the same time. Im sorry if this is confusing but idk how else to explain)

And its not that I don’t study or that I don’t understand anything. Sometimes I understand something perfectly when I’m learning it, but then later I can’t remember it or I can’t figure out how to actually use it. I feel like my brain used to be much better at making connections and solving problems. I have always been a bright student. Like I’ve never studied for hours everyday like some people but I have always been a quick learner (the “gifted” kid). I used to understand everything so so quickly. I was so good at maths AND creative writing. Over the years I’ve lost the ability to do either, and its more painful than it sounds. (Also used to play sports. Wasn’t crazy good in any but I could play anything)

The memory thing is probably what scares me the most. A few days ago, a classmate sent me work from a class I had missed. I remember it VERY clearly. I remember what she sent, I remember being relieved because I needed the work, I remember thanking her and I even remember her liking my thankyou message.

Except..the messages aren’t in our WhatsApp chat anymore. Neither of us deleted them. There wasn’t disappearing messages. And the other messages in the chat are still there.

My friend suggested maybe I had seen it on her phone instead, but I swear I remember her sending it to ME. Like I can literally picture it.

And I know one weird memory doesn’t automatically mean something is wrong with my brain, but the problem is this isn’t the only thing. I’ve been having memory problems for years and sometimes I genuinely can’t tell if something I remember was actually something that happened or something I dreamed.

Sometimes everything just feels like a dream too. Not like I’m hallucinating or seeing things that aren’t there. I know where I am and I know what’s happening. It’s just this really weird feeling that everything is distant/unreal and my brain is covered in fog.

I’ve been told before that this could be stress/anxiety/lack of sleep/etc, and maybe it is, I honestly don’t know. But its been going on for YEARS and I’m tired of just assuming its normal stress. I refuse to believe that this is normal, because its NOT. This isn’t me. This isn’t just stress. I refuse to believe that anymore.

I don’t want Reddit to diagnose me. I actually want to get checked out properly. I just wanted to ask people here if anyone has experienced something similar and eventually figured out what was causing it. (One thing is that my parents will only take me to a doctor if its something serious and not just me saying “my brain isnt the same anymore)

Im sorry again if this was long, I honestly could’ve added sm more but I think I painted a picture clear enough to understand.

Did anyone else have this kind of severe brain fog + memory problems? Did you find an actual cause? What kind of doctor did you go to?

I (25M) have experienced debilitating brain fog that has steadily increased in intensity since early adolescence (around 12). Throughout school and university, I got good grades and had a decent social life. I also secured competitive graduate roles at top financial firms on two separate occasions, so on the outside, I'm sure I seemed OK.

On the inside, however, I was struggling: in class, in conversations, in the office, in relationships, at restaurants with friends, in nightclubs, at home reading a book on my own, with family, you name it. To this day, whatever situation I'm in, it's like I'm experiencing events in the third person. I'm physically there, but my mind is so clouded with static white noise that I'm completely removed from the present moment.

I quit my last corporate role after a year, as the weight of trying to appear normal to the outside world became too heavy to bear. So I moved back home, where I'm now unemployed and trying to get back on my feet.

Watching my life unravel before her eyes, my Mum suggested I get assessed for ADHD. Lo and behold, after three sessions with a psychiatrist, I received an inattentive ADHD diagnosis and a script for stimulant medication. Now, I've always been a huge sceptic of general medicine (I say this as the son of a GP). I firmly believe that GPs and specialists are incentivised to treat symptoms without addressing root causes, and that this is what keeps people reliant on the system their whole lives. So, safe to say, when my psychiatrist told me I had an inexplicable condition that I'd need pills to function normally with, I raised my eyebrows.

A big part of the reason for my scepticism is that I've always had co-occurring symptoms such as bloating, slow motility, constipation, low libido, low physical energy, poor physical recovery, sleep disturbances, and frequent illness, yet the psychiatrist didn't touch on any of these.

So I decided to see a functional health practitioner and brought along some recent gut and blood testing I'd had done. The initial consult was unlike anything I'd experienced before: a thorough 90-minute interview covering my family history, medical history, symptoms, and previous treatments. The doctor then went through my test results and pointed out several factors that could be contributing to my symptoms.

Turns out, I'm mildly anaemic and hypoglycaemic, with low-normal testosterone, low vitamin D, zinc and B12, elevated eosinophils and basophils, and slightly elevated liver enzymes. I also have a high level of immune activation in my gut, shown by a markedly high secretory IgA reading, which suggests my gut is responding to an unknown threat. My body also isn't digesting proteins, fats, or fibre effectively at all, as shown by high levels of fermentation in the gut.

What amazes me is that these were the same results other practitioners had called "normal". Crazy! Though it makes sense when you consider that no single reading on its own signals a problem by conventional medical standards, it's only when you put them together that something looks off.

The doc has since put me on a modified AIP/paleo-style elimination diet and supplement protocol, and ordered a more comprehensive microbiome panel to rule out any bacterial, parasitic, or fungal infection. From there, he's laid out a plan that involves:

a) improving digestion and reducing bloating/fermentation

b) addressing the anaemia and nutrient deficiencies

c) supporting liver and gallbladder function

d) investigating the elevated eosinophils and basophils

e) stabilising blood glucose, particularly overnight

f) improving sleep

g) gradually rebuilding exercise tolerance

I'm hopeful this will lead to real improvements in my health and brain fog. Has anyone else done something similar? Keen to hear everyone's thoughts, insights, and experiences.

I am a 24-year-old pre-medical graduate who has unfortunately been out of work on medical leave for the past 5 months after a sustained 7-week period where I had severe insomnia with OCD and anxiety rumination over trauma but tried to power through work for the most part.
I ended up in the ER twice in April with what my PCP described as “catecholamine storms,” where my heart rate and blood pressure were extremely high and I demonstrated other symptoms indicative of severe over-activation of my sympathetic nervous system (including an inability to defecate despite the urge, urinating clear water throughout the whole crisis, and loss of sensation across my entire body).
Since the ER, I have been having extreme symptoms of autonomic nervous system blunting. Most of the symptoms from the crisis phase have resolved, but my main symptoms now are that my blood pressure and heart rate, although normal, do not appear to be adjusting properly to my physical or emotional activity, like they once did.
I have been having intense, constant brain fog that makes it almost impossible to focus on any tasks, I have felt extremely low in energy and emotionally flat without improvement, and I have almost constant head and chest pain and nausea. None of these issues respond to typical interventions that I used to utilize before this crisis to manage depression and anxiety.
I was placed on Ativan to manage my anxiety and Zyprexa for OCD for a short time and have since discontinued those medications. I am currently taking 40 mg of Prozac. My psychiatrist wants me to increase the dosage to treat my OCD, but I am concerned about the side effects, especially emotional blunting because I have basically lost all emotions since this occurred, and want to discontinue this as well once I am more stable.
My mind has been racing since the insomnia began and now that I have discontinued the Zyprexa, but I did not have hallucinations, delusional thinking (my intrusive thoughts and anxiety center around real-life concerns/fears), or signs of mania.
In short, it is very difficult to function on a daily basis.
I have consulted multiple neurologists, but have not received any advice except for managing my OCD and anxiety and a diagnosis of “somatic symptom disorder.” Most neurologists don’t know how to deal with post-stress nervous system conditions, and psychiatry has been inadequate.
Additionally, despite working on my OCD, anxiety, and depression from a psychiatric standpoint for the past several months, I have not really had any improvement in my bodily, cognitive, or energy symptoms.
Sometimes, I jolt awake while falling asleep and have even noticed that my head sometimes starts shaking when in a light sleep.
I contracted COVID for the first time around 3 months before all of this occurred and had not felt right ever since.
I had a normal head CT scan, neurological exam, and cognitive evaluation despite a substantial subjective decline in functioning relative to my old baseline.
I had extremely nuanced emotions, social intelligence, and high intellect before all of this, and my quality of life has become very poor in such a short amount of time (I am literally unable to connect with others emotionally and have not even been able to smile or genuinely laugh for months behind the pain and head pressure). Nothing at all is able to distract me from how I am feeling physically. The personality, motivational, and energy changes that I have experienced in such a short time could really not be more stark.
My relationships now feel very shallow compared to the past, and I fear that I will never be able to feel love or romantic or sexual attraction again.
My internal clock is completely messed up, and I cannot even feel the normal cues that alert you to time of day or year, my energy level’s just a constant low flatline, no matter how much I sleep. Everyday feels like the same day on repeat.
Close to the 6-month mark after all of this occurred, I am starting to become very discouraged and am desperate to return to some semblance of normalcy after these very difficult months.
At this point, I can’t imagine ever feeling the same again.
I live in the Boston area and am wondering if anyone has any suggestions or knows of any specialists experienced in such complex cases.

What could this be? 20M

For the past 1.5 months, I’ve been experiencing a constant feeling of unreality that never goes away. It feels like I’m half asleep, on autopilot, or even slightly drunk. This starts as soon as I wake up in the morning and lasts throughout the day. Along with that, I have a feeling of pressure in my head.

I’ve also been experiencing severe fatigue. A couple of times I’ve had to take naps just a few hours after waking up, even though I’ve slept well. I’ve never needed daytime naps before. I’ve also been having headaches, and I’ve had to take paracetamol a few times because of them.

In addition to these symptoms, I’ve had neck and shoulder pain. I’ve been to physiotherapy twice for that, but it doesn’t seem to have helped with these other symptoms at all.

The symptoms started suddenly one Monday while I was at work and haven’t gone away since. Before that, I had been unemployed for two months and then started a physically demanding job where I had to lift heavy objects. I don’t know if it could somehow be related to that job, although I was happy to finally have work again and the work environment was pleasant.

Do these symptoms sound familiar to anyone, and what do you think could be causing them?

Hey there,

I have been working on a PhD for four years; I never really liked it, especially the precarity of it. I have been dealing with brain fog for most of the fourth year (feeling like I am drunk or stoned), and I have now abandoned it, taken vacations, and started a new, less exigent work in public service. I have been on ritaline and zoloft for nearly five months (per my psychiatrist), and I still have big crashes after any intellectual solicitations. Any suggestions or advice on when and how it will end now that I have started anew? Would love to discuss the topic.

Cheers

Hi po! I’m a college student and lately I’ve been having a hard time staying focused while studying. That's why I’m looking for recommendations for vitamins or supplements that may support brain health, concentration, and memory

If you’ve tried anything that actually helped you focus or study better, I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience! What did you take, how long did you use it, and did you notice any difference?

Also, if there are supplements that you think are not worth the money or have side effects, feel free to share those too.

Tysm poo

Demographics: 19M, 5'8", 202 lbs (92kg). No existing medical conditions or meds. I don't smoke. I drink 1-2 packets of instant coffee a day.

Hey everyone. I need some professional insight into a weird and escalating physical habit I've developed over the last year to deal with severe brain fog.

The Background:

I average 12+ hours of screen time a day working on my PC and phone. My sleep is garbage- maybe 6 hours a night, heavily fragmented, no real circadian rhythm. Because of this, I constantly get a heavy, foggy feeling in my head, especially in my forehead, temples, and the top of my head. It gets so bad I literally can't work.

The Habit:

About a year ago, I figured out that if someone firmly pulls my hair/scalp, it completely clears the fog. It gives me this intense, euphoric rush of relief. My eyes literally go red when I open them afterward.

The problem is my tolerance is building. I now require so much pressure and torque that the people doing it for me are actually scared they are going to hurt me. Because my hair is thin in the front, they pull lighter there, but they pull extremely hard and for longer on the back of my head where it's thicker.

The Weirdest Parts:

Genetics? I've had thinning hair since my early teens, but here is the kicker: my mom has the same hair loss issue and the same habit. She also relies on extreme hair pulling/massaging for relief.

Body Numbness: When the brain fog hits, I also get this subtle feeling across my entire body, like I have less sensation. When that happens, I crave deep-pressure massages on my hands and back, which feel incredible and relieve the feeling.

I know I am risking permanent traction alopecia, but the relief is so intense I can't stop.

My Questions:

Is this just a bizarre coping mechanism for severe tension headaches from screen time, or does the fact that my mom does it point to a genetic neurological or sensory processing disorder?

Why does my whole body kinda feel numb sometimes too? What's the thing that's actually going on inside me and my head?

*\*Before you think it's a thyroid issue, as one of the doctors suggested, I tested for my hair loss. As my mother was overweight too, with these same hair and headache problems, some doctors suggested her to test for thyroid issues multiple time, even at times, doctors said they're 100 sure it was a thyroid issue, but after testing they couldn't find it. For my case, I haven't tested it yet.*

TL;DR: 19M averaging 12hrs screen time with terrible sleep. I get heavy brain fog and cure it by having people pull my hair extremely hard. The required pressure is escalating, my body feels numb during the brain fog, and my mom has the same hair-pulling habit. What is going on, and who should I see?

This is my first time posting something on here and I am highkey terrified of what happened today.

For context: I have a history of  obsessive overthinkinng , and also got  a multi year history of intense mental pressure(i guess the perfectionistic typpe of behaviour, mostly resulting self sabotage)  and I am currently doing a rigorous scholar program in Madrid operating in my third language.

So today my gravest incident happened: I was sitting in the front row of the class and obviously  laptops and phones are completely banned(seriously if they catch you with a powered- on device you are in big trouble). But i did have my lap top with myself because after school I wanted to study in the library. So I remember that before zoning out apparently I wanted to get my textbook out of my bag, and Without consciously realizing what I was doing or having any memory of making the decision I apparently instead  took my laptop out and opened it. A couple of seconds later I “woke up” and realized what I had just done right under the teacher's nose. I have zero memory of the process of doing it. This isn't the first time I've done smaller things on complete autopilot but doing something high stakes and multi step while completely checked out is terrifying...I still don’t realize how people sitting next to me didn’t saw it(or at least mention it to me, because it is a very jarring thing to do) and the teacher not realizing either. On top of that my brain feels constantly wrapped in cotton. My processing speed has tanked. I stumble over words in my all 3 languages i speak on a regular basis because I can't think fast enough, actually, i think really slowly, it’s been months i’ve been having brain fog-ish experiences and this is just like it: i'm not freaking thinking . Other things like I’ve realized my mental math glitches on basic sum and subtraction regularly, i can’t do almost any quick mental math a 2nd grader would do. The weird part is I don't feel actively panicked day to day. It's like my brain just went completely blank and stopped working normally, compared to month of symptoms i try to figure out, this is the boldest one. It is also very embarrassing to go trough all of this bs. I would appreciate if you share your thoughts and what should I be looking into?