Posted by Ktemene on January 12, 2005, at 5:05:51
In reply to Re: Can't read! -- Addendem, posted by AMD on January 11, 2005, at 17:07:25
Hi AMD,
I just wanted to say that I agree with Lars that your problems are almost certainly symptoms of depression. I have had similar problems with depression. I went through a bad period several years ago, and as I felt myself becoming more depressed I could feel my intellectual abilities slipping away. I had exactly the experience with reading that you mention. At the time I was a college student, and I found that I could not take in what I was reading. I actually had to read the text out loud to myself in order to get an even minimal comprehension of it. Even my memory deteriorated. I have always had a very good memory, and I could easily call to mind passages in books or articles that I had not read in a long time and quote them almost verbatim. But when I was sliding into depression I found I could no longer do this. It terrified me. There was one particular occasion that brought home to me just how bad my condition really was. I was at a college party, and a couple of the other people there happened to be discussing Samuel Johnson, whose works I particularly liked. They were quoting some of their favorite witty passages in Johnson. I remember standing there at the party listening to them and realizing that I used to have a memory like theirs, and that I had taken it for granted that I would always have the ability to recall in detail the things that I had read, but that I could no longer remember what I read. It was a horrifying realization. I had no idea what was wrong with me and I was afraid it would just get worse. Now I know that I was depressed, and the loss of intellectual abilities was just a symptom indicating that my depression was deepening. Since then I have gotten my depression more or less under control and my ability to read and my memory have come back in full strength. I am sure this will happen for you once you get your depression into remission. As Lars pointed out, the fact that you were already depressed when this happened to you makes it exceedingly likely that depression is the cause. I have also had the experience of taking a hit of marijuana and having my short-term memory zapped and feeling totally stupid for the whole evening (in fact, that's why I decided not to smoke marijuana again). But for a single hit of marijuana to cause the loss of intellectual abilities you mention is just unheard of, as far as I know. Depression, on the other hand, often causes temporary impairment of intellectual abilites. I suggest that you speak to your pdoc about a change in medication. There are some depression medications that actually appear to enhance intellectual ability. I have read that there is evidence that Remeron, for instance, increases one's ability to learn and remember. Just my two cents worth, of course, and YMMV. But I think that a more effective medication would eliminate your reading problem.
poster:Ktemene
thread:440207
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050108/msgs/441045.html