Explaining 'grief brain' to others (and to yourself)

No matter how well your memory worked before your loss, no mater how sharp and quick your mind was, your capacity to remember, comprehend, and sustain attention have most likely been impacted by grief.

Because we don’t talk about the reality of grief in our culture, lots of grieving people think they've lost their minds.⁣⁣⁣ Cognitive changes, memory loss, confusion, and shortened attention spans are all common side effects of grief.

Understanding why these things are happening can help you better support yourself inside your grief. But what about people around you who don't understand your sudden absentmindedness, difficulty comprehending things or expressing yourself? How do you explain your grief brain to them?

Want to ask me a question? Every month, I host a live video Q&A grief clinic. If you've wanted to talk to me, but didn't know how to gain access - my monthly Q&A is your place.

[eileencarlson]

Omg. I needed this today. I keep saying how did I function in my job when I was constantly making decisions and now it takes me forever to decide on something then I proceed to doubt and question that decision over and over again thank you.

[EagleRockers]

I'm going through this right now. I've also noticed my attention span has shortened greatly. Sometimes I feel like have ADHD. I hope all this goes away.

[diannebertold]

It was awful. I kept finding full cups of cold coffee around the house. On stressful days (6 months later) my brain shuts down.