I'm sorry you're suffering like this, it must be very frustrating and not a little scary.

I consider myself to have cognitive deficits as well, and mine surround two things: my memory is horrendous. I can't remember what people tell me and what I've already told them. To head this off, I've gotten into the habit of telling people, "I know I've probably already told you this, but..." so they don't think I'm so batty that I can't remember that I told them just yesterday (though they probably will anyway). I frustrate my brother a lot; it shows on his face and in his voice.

The other thing is word-finding. I just can't think of the word I'm looking for. This happens very often and it is very very frustrating and frightening as well. It's easier to write because I have time to think of things, but speaking is something else altogether.

So...why?? I'm 47 and I feel like that's too young to have cognitive deficits, or at least not to this extent. The only thing I can think of is that it's the meds, maybe especially the 'downers' like klonopin and methadone; in fact a pdoc once told me that benzo's are big culprits when it comes to cognitive problems. But I don't feel that I can get off of it because I suffer from so much anxiety, I can feel so paralyzed I can't do anything, and so scared, I can't leave the house.

Also, something weird. I recently had a concussion after a fall, and the hospital did a CT of my head. The radiologist wrote that my brain had shrunk "commensurate with my age." So it's supposed to be appropriate for my age, but I wonder if it's the meds -whichever of the meds I take. I seem to remember having read that certain psych meds can shrink the brain. Anyway, mine is already beginning to shrink lol.

Good luck with everything. You can ask your pdoc if any of your meds cause cognitive decline, and if so, if you can replace it with another that doesn't.