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Bad memory and lack of concentration

Hi i am 20 years of age and all through my life since i was born i have had such a bad concentration, basicaly i feel spaced out 24 7 ive never known what its like to not be spaced out and actually think like other people. Alot of people have noticed it through my life and ive been called everything from dopey to weird, because i cant concentrate no matter how hard i try, i can concentrate for about 10 seconds if i really try then my mind goes into other thoughts, its like i have a lack of interest in everything because i cant concentrate on it. I drive and put it this way i hate driving because i worry that i might hit something or hit someone because im so dopey, and when im driving all the time its like ill be driving and not actually concentrating to the full on the road, ill be really trying to concentrate luckily i havent had an accident yet. But anyways i wish i could just concentrate for once, when i born i was pulled out of my mum with forceps basicaly i had a bad birth and as they pulled my head out with forceps they left a massive bruise on the front of my head and to this day i still have the scar just faintly on my head. I'm not sure if this had anything to do with the way my brain is. Also in school i had such bad learning difficuilties because i was so dopey especialy in primary school they tested my iq and it was so low like i didnt get any score. as ive got older ive obviously learnt to live with my concentration and im used to it, i have retested my iq but i had to really really concentrate hard and i did get quite a good iq over average just, so i know that im not stupid its just if my concentration was better i know it owuld make me a known dopey person and i;d feel normal. I also have depression and sometimes anxiety, and also not the most confident of people. But anways please could someone please give me any advice on what i could do about my concentration, i want to stop being spaced out for once. Thanks for reading...
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460185 tn?1326077772
It could be ADD or it could be a brain injury.  Have you ever had any tests for brain damage?  My son is dyslexic and had a terrible time with it.  He thought he was stupid or "dopey" too but he isn't.  He had low IQ scores but I don't like IQ tests for a number of reasons.  It also sounds like you're depressed and that does effect the concentration.

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Avatar universal
hi arion ,.........do you think you can take in what im saying to you now ,......i wouldn't say it was anything to do with your birth ,........there are thousands of babys born that way ,.my son was one and he is ok that way ,........in fact he is 11 years old and thinks like a 16 year old boy ,.......please dont call yourself dopey ,.......there is nobody dopey on this earth ,.......you have wrote down a lot here does that not show you anything ,......i dont understand ,.you say your not stupid ,...and then you call yourself dopey ,........you should not drive if you cannot concentrate ,....you know that is so dangerous to you and someone else as you have  put it ,......i think you should go and see your g,p, and talk to him he might be able to send you  to see someone that deals in that field ,......do yo suffer with depression ,........because that is one of things that people have with  depression ,.....its just a thought ,.......
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Avatar universal
You might Google "attention-deficit disorder".

The top two returns are:

Attention Deficit Disorder association -
http://www.add.org/

Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder
http://www.chadd.org/

I would bet that depression and anxiety also could play a big role in memory.  And if both of those feed into insomnia, that too affects memory.  Trust me- I KNOW!  At the height of my depression and anxiety and insomnia (mostly due to work), I truly felt like a walking zombie with a memory span of 50 microseconds if I was lucky.

On the same day as my last day at work, the insomnia completely disappeared!  (That says something about where I worked and with whom...)  However, I still take Lexapro for depression and anxiety and also took several sessions with a psychologist that really helped to boost my self-esteem.

So, besides researching attention deficit disorder, you probably would be well-advised to get help for your anxiety and depression - for which I would highly recommend either Wellbutrin or Lexapro and maybe even some counseling session.  Those are among the newest meds and also have a low occurrence of side effects.

Counseling sessions could also help with feelings of low self-confidence.   But I would also recommend visiting a church congregation near you that has a group of people your own age.  (You may need to visit several before you make a final choice.)  Mixing with people who constantly show you care and concern would provide a big boost to your self-confidence. If there is one thing in my church, it is diversity.  In one chair, you might have a forklift driver in a warehouse.  In the next there might be a research engineer.  And they both chat avidly to each other regardless of their financial income!  At our church congregation we are all on equal footing.  If this is aspect interesting to you, write to me and I will provide some suggestions!

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