Confusion/forgetfulness

[emre43]

I seem to get confused very easily as well as forgetful. I was wondering whether it is just me as I am only 21 and these things shouldn't be afflicting me just yet.

Earlier today I had a hospital appointment but my train was cancelled so I couldn't make it. I dialled 118 118 and told them that I needed the hospital's number and they said is this the one in Monmouthshire (I thought she said London) and I said yes. She then told me the number was 0207 something-something and I told her that I would like it texted to me. She said ok and asked for my mobile number. And I immediately replied 0207 (I was going to say the number that she told me). And she replied no, that's a landline number, I need your mobile. I insisted that it was my mobile number and she was getting annoyed with me. Until I realised that I was reading out the number that she had just given me. I quickly told her the proper number and said bye and hung up. I felt so embarassed...

 

[Waybuloo]

It happens to me to and I think it might be due to anxiety meddling with your cognitive ability to function. I also remember an instance to do with a hospital, where I was making an appointment to see a GP, the woman on the line told me 10 to 3, and I thought she meant I had to be there from 10am to 3pm.

Also for me, my thinking has been less clear and concise over the years due to disuse.

I remember that normal people also had these types of mishaps, so it's not uncommon. Do you experience it regularly?

 

[emre43]

It happens almost every day in some shape or form. I feel that I come across as a Mr. Bean type character, which although it sounds amusing, it isn't for me.

 

[Flyingheart]

With anxiety, you often don't pay attention when you should be during conversation. Do you become anxious easily in social situations? If that's the case, your mind was probably too distracted with thoughts of how you are coming across to that person and worrying unecessarily about sounding stupid or whatever. You need to work consistently to fight against these thoughts (if that's what's happening of course) because they don't in any way help yourself. Just think that even if you do stumble on your words or get confused it's not a bad thing. There are so many people who make the same mistakes.
Next time when your making a phone call, or speaking to someone in a shop, anything at all, just remind yourself that it's YOU you have to concentrate on, you're calling up the hospital to sort something out for yourself and the person at the hospital is there to assist; they're just doing their job and they will forget you in 1 minute.
It sounds really simple, but just don't let your mind get clouded by useless negative thoughts.

 

[emre43]

With anxiety, you often don't pay attention when you should be during conversation. Do you become anxious easily in social situations? If that's the case, your mind was probably too distracted with thoughts of how you are coming across to that person and worrying unecessarily about sounding stupid or whatever. You need to work consistently to fight against these thoughts (if that's what's happening of course) because they don't in any way help yourself. Just think that even if you do stumble on your words or get confused it's not a bad thing. There are so many people who make the same mistakes.

That's exactly how I feel in these situations.

Next time when your making a phone call, or speaking to someone in a shop, anything at all, just remind yourself that it's YOU you have to concentrate on, you're calling up the hospital to sort something out for yourself and the person at the hospital is there to assist; they're just doing their job and they will forget you in 1 minute.
It sounds really simple, but just don't let your mind get clouded by useless negative thoughts.

I will try my best to do this in future but I find it difficult to comprehend how I would go about doing this after 22 years of doing the opposite.