Degrees of the “Fog”
By Cheryl Stevenson October 2017
With me, I can have different degrees of fog.
Thin fog is when I can function fairly well & I probably don't realize that things aren't quite right until I have trouble remembering something. I can be in & out of the fog for a day or so, & then go back to my "normal." During the thin fog, I'm just going about my day, just having a few problems with my memory from time to time, but it is not a big deal. It is not really impacting my life.
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Medium fog, I'm more aware of & I might be struggling with recognizing people. Medium fog is lasting much longer & happening more frequently. It can impact my life a little more, & conversations with people are becoming a challenge. That might help me to notice the fog. My memory & comprehension are also impacted by this fog.
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Heavy fog is when I'm usually very aware that I'm in the fog & I will probably have trouble communicating with someone if they are with me. It is as if there is a thin see through wall separating me from the world around me. If someone is with me, I'm usually aware that they are there. Sometimes when I'm in the thick fog, I might not recognize where I am or who I am with. The heavy fog usually will roll in & can last from only a couple minutes to much longer. When I'm in the thick fog, I'm not able to do much & most of time communicating is difficult & sometimes impossible. I'm usually very aware that I'm in the "fog" & I just try to stay calm. I will tell myself that everything will be okay. If I'm home while this is happening, I'm just sitting on my couch, waiting for the fog to pass. After I come out of the fog, I'm usually able to talk about what was happening to me. I can usually journal about it soon afterwards, but if I wait too long to write about it, the words are lost forever!
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The "fog" can be very scary, especially the thick fog! The best thing for me to do is to just try to relax. Listening to music will usually help me to relax. The thick fog makes everything other than breathing much more difficult for me!
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Someone close to me once described the thick fog like this, "my eyes are glassy and I am staring into space.”I seem to be with him, in body only, but my mind is definitely somewhere else. Even though we are sitting next to each other, we are miles apart. The fog creates this distance between us.