I really hate the fucking Cognitive therapy my new therapist is doing. Oh to have someone who does EMDR again.

2,338 notes

4 months ago

# school # grad school # studying # chronic illness # mental illness

chroniccurve:

I get a lot of students asking me for advice on how to change their study habits to fight brain fog*. It’s no easy task and often feels like a lose-lose situation. Pain medication might make you feel sleepy and out of it. Pain itself is distracting and takes up a good portion of your mental effort. Add brain fog to that mix and retaining large quantities of complex information is quite a task.

     

I’ve shared these tips with an anon ask in the past, but it’s appropriate to include them in my College and Chronic Illness series. Plus, I’ve updated my list. Enjoy!

1. Color Coded— Writing the main concepts, theories, formulas, whatever, in a bright color (or multiple colors) helps me recall the content later (especially helpful for those of you who tend to have a photographic memory). Color coding your content with various colored pens works too.  
    
    
2. Highlight, Highlight, Highlight— Even if the entire 12 page section has to be highlighted, do it. This can help you track where you are when you’re reading, while also forcing you to pay attention to exactly what you’re highlighting.
    
    
3. Write— If you’re a flashcard person, perfect. If not, writing out study content onto sheets of paper (copying notes, concepts, whatever) at least five times  can help with retaining information and preventing memory lapses. It’s not particularly easy on the hands, but absolutely worth it if it works for you. If typing the information and then highlighting it after it’s printed, that might be a better alternative if you struggle to write like I do.
    
    
4. Try Study Groups— if you are in the process of figuring out which study habits work best for you, try getting a group of people together to study. If you don’t have any friends learning the same content, send out a mass email to your class and see who’d like to get together or if study groups have already formed. Great way to meet new people and motivate and help each other get through difficult content. 
   
    
5. Repeat, Vocalize— Repeating terms and study content aloud allows you to hear it, focus on it, and remember it. It’s a great way to study.
    
    
6. Have someone quiz you— When you get the answer wrong, have the person quizzing you repeat the correct answer to you twice. Then, start from the beginning each time you get wrong. This forces you to go back over all the ones you already got correct (reinforcing them) AND the ones you got wrong. Keep doing this until you get past the one you got wrong. This is hands down the best method I’ve utilized to study and it really works well.
    
    
7. Acronyms— I think this speaks for itself.
    
    
8. Method of Loci— Method of what? MOL: a metacognitive technique/mnemonc strategy in learning; based on the idea that you can best remember places that one is familiar with. If one links something worth remembering with a familiar place, the location will act as a clue to help trigger the memory. As LupineLady put it, “you picture a room you know really well, and attach pieces of information to each thing in the room.” You can read more about how to use this technique here. 
    
    
9. Time Management— This is probably the most important tip of all.  Instead of cramming four chapter’s worth of information into your brain the two days before the exam, start a week (or more ) in advance and take in information slowly. Then, the two days prior to your exam should be reviewing the entire four chapters and focusing on any content you found particularly difficult to retain.
   
    
10. 10/20, 20/40— Study 20 minutes, then take a 10 minute brain-break OR study 40 minutes, then take a 20 minute brain-break. Break your study periods up into blocks. This gives you brain a break and you avoid the brain drain of studying without breaks for an hour+. Play around with what time increments work best for you.
    
     
11. The Feynman Technique — a technique that helps you pinpoint exactly what you are struggling to understand or remember about a specific concept and make your study habit(s) more efficient. Simple and so effective. Here’s a PDF file with instructions for those who don’t want a video (the video is not too long & is better). 
    
     
12. Study Stress Free— Okay, maybe stress-free isn’t realistic, but being in the right frame of mind helps. If you cannot force yourself out of bed, if you’re in agony or you know it isn’t going to happen— don’t force it. That said, plan ahead so you don’t end up without the option of not forcing it…avoid cram sessions unless it works for you.
     
     
13. Prep Your Study Space— Do you like to study with music? Make a playlist. Do you like a candle lit? Snacks? Prep your environment. If you need to take pain medication in order to be able to study, take meds 30 minutes (or however long they take to work) prior to your set study time. Have some ice packs or your heating pad ready.
    
     
14. Avoid Social Media Distraction— Get off of facebook, twitter, instagram, Reddit, whatever your weakness is. If you know you lack the self control to put these away, use a program that limits your internet access for a period of time. If you know you won’t be able to study if you have access to the internet, use a program that limits your access (google to find ones that work for Mac and PC).
     
     
15. Create a Physically Comfortable Work Area— Do you have a comfortable desk chair to sit in? Large space to spread your materials out? Curling up in a corner on the floor? Find/create your ideal study work area. When you are less distracted by physical pain (amplified by uncomfortable seating), you’re more likely to focus and have one less thing keeping you from studying. 
    
     
16. Good Eats— Gum, mints, trail mix, fruit, etc. Healthy snacks are a great way to gain some nutritional value. Do not forget to take breaks to eat actual meals. Use dinner and lunch as a study break. Cook a healthy meal, enjoy it, and give your brain some fuel and a rest.
     
     
17. Stay Hydrated— this is paramount, especially for those of you inhaling massive amounts of caffeine to combat the fatigue (Starbucks espresso shot & 5 hour energy users, I am speaking to you). Drink a LOT of water while you study and don’t drink yourself into a caffeine crash. FYI: two Monster energy drinks have over FOURTEEN soda can’s worth of caffeine. Think about that and then think about your heart rate before you open up another can. 
     
     
18. Utilize Outside Resources— I use Khan Academy to review (and sometimes learn…) course content. I find the interactive step by step videos to be easier than learning a concept from a textbook. KA is totally free and the concepts are explained correctly and quite simply. You can review a video as many times as you want at your own pace. Definitely something to hold onto whether you’re fighting the fog or not, for everything from stats to American History. If you are struggling with a particular concept, go ask your professor, TA, or find free tutoring on campus (it’s there, you just have to find it). Google the concept or find online interactive tools. Another good one for technical concepts (math, formula/calculation work) is Wolfram Alpha, the Computational Knowledge Engine. Find someone who will walk you through the basics and will work with your foggy brain and…
     
    
     
19. Don’t Be Embarrassed! Even people without brain fog go to tutoring and need concepts broken down. So what if we need them broken down a little more? So what if we need to re-learn basics again? So what if we forget basic algebra because our brains function in slow-motion? Who cares? Remember that this education is for YOU. YOU are earning your degree and anyone who looks down upon you for going at your own pace is not someone whose opinions you should take to heart anyway! “It does not matter how slow you go, so long as you do not stop.”

These are great tips for students regardless of whether or not one is dealing with brain fog, but for those of us who are struggling to fight the fog, it’s crucial we adapt our study habits to our bodies. I will add to this as I find more study strategies. Feel free to leave your comments, feedback, and/or any suggestions you have for others in the Disqus box!
 

*Please note that brain fog is not being tired, worn out, or “studied out.” It is cognitive dysfunction as a result of very serious disease(s). Please click & read this follow up to learn how not to use this term and how “fatigue” is defined here on Chronic Curve.

RELATED:

College & Chronic Illness: Surviving Finals Week

College & Chronic Illness: Professor Etiquette

College & Chronic Illness: Chronic Curve’s Study Space

So I’ve told you before about my livescribe pen which not only records the lecture as i take notes, but also will let me upload my notes onto my computer and onto the web (lecture and all) so I can access it anywhere. It has made grad school so much easier.

I suffer from low concentration due to my bipolar and PTSD and OMG I LOVE THIS THING.  Just wanted to pass it on in case it could help anyone else (through this link you get 15% off).  I’d try looking at the refurbished pens first. I just bought a 4gb refurbished (I lost my 8gb one b/c I suck) for $80 and I can’t wait until I unearth it from my mess of a house since school started today and I’m scared to not have it for my classes since my concentration is so poor. Maybe I’ll find it today, but then again, maybe not. I CAN’T RISK IT, but lord knows I’m ripping my house apart to find the damn thing.

My grades have gone up SO MUCH because I can go home and listen to the lecture and go over my notes. It’s fucking amazing. I love this thing. (I know I sound like an ad, but good god damn I found something that works - it’s like striking gold.)

136 notes

4 months ago

# mental health # mental illness # ted talks

sprintingbackwards:

TEDTalks: TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from different worlds.

Ruby Wax: What’s so funny about mental illness?: Diseases of the body garner sympathy, says comedian Ruby Wax — except those of the brain. Why is that? With dazzling energy and humor, Wax, diagnosed a decade ago with clinical depression, urges us to put an end to the stigma of mental illness. Ruby Wax is a loud, funny woman — who spent much of her comedy career battling depression in silence. Now her work blends mental health advocacy and laughs.

 TEDxTerryTalks - Laura Bain - Living with Bipolar Type II: Laura Bain speaks about living with Bipolar Type II Disorder, the trials and tribulations, but also how it informs her vibrant character and wonderful sense of identity. ”Laura is a very passionate person and as a 5th year Biology student she is a lover of Science. She is an avid cyclist, a teacher, an artist and a silly dancer. She is a windsurf instructor, the former vice commodore of the UBC sailing club, and a summer landscaper. She is a friend, roommate, a well-loved daughter and baby sister to three big brothers. She is also an auntie to the cutest little niece ever. Oh, there is one more thing, she is living with Bipolar Disorder.”

Elyn Saks: A tale of mental illness — from the inside: ”Is it okay if I totally trash your office?” It’s a question Elyn Saks once asked her doctor, and it wasn’t a joke. A legal scholar, in 2007 Saks came forward with her own story of schizophrenia, controlled by drugs and therapy but ever-present. In this powerful talk, she asks us to see people with mental illness clearly, honestly and compassionately.  Elyn Saks asks bold questions about how society treats people with mental illness

Sherwin Nuland: How electroshock therapy changed me: Surgeon and author Sherwin Nuland discusses the development of electroshock therapy as a cure for severe, life-threatening depression — including his own. It’s a moving and heartfelt talk about relief, redemption and second chances. A practicing surgeon for three decades, Sherwin Nuland witnessed life and death in every variety. Then he turned to writing, exploring what there is to people beyond just anatomy

TEDxTokyo - Kathy Pike - Don’t Call Me Crazy: Kathy Pike speaks about the urgent need to prioritize mental health

TEDxWaterloo - Alicia Raimundo - Mental Health Superhero: Alicia Raimundo has been a mental health advocate since she was 13, after she experienced serious bouts of suicidal ideation as the result of her depression and anxiety. She knows she came perilously close to being part ofCanada’s grim suicide statistics. Ten years later, she spends her days finishing her undergrad degree in psychology, while volunteering at half a dozen mental health-related causes. She co-founded the online portion of Almond Health emotional wellbeing community website and is a member of a young adult team that works to translate academic mental health information into language that resonates with young people. She is also a facilitator of a “young survivors of suicide loss” group and takes every opportunity to speak publicly about mental health. Last October, she was on a panel of speakers forCanadaAM’s Speak Out On Suicide program and contributed to MTV’s Let’s Talk mental health campaign. Alicia’s goal is to make people more connected to mental health issues while helping to eliminate the stigma attached to it. 

Joshua Walters: On being just crazy enough: At TED’s Full Spectrum Auditions, comedian Joshua Walters, who’s bipolar, walks the line between mental illness and mental “skillness.” In this funny, thought-provoking talk, he asks: What’s the right balance between medicating craziness away and riding the manic edge of creativity and drive? Joshua Walters is a bipolar comedian whose work explores language, creativity, beatboxing and madness 

 TEDxDU Andrew Steward: Beating Mental Illness: ”When someone breaks their arm, we rush to sign their cast. When someone is diagnosed with mental illness, we run the other way.” Andrew Steward is a flute performance major at the University ofDenver, excelling in school and planning a graduate education. But a chapter of his life included debilitating mental illness and tormenting hallucinations. Andrew bravely pulls mental illness out from under the rug so that we can erase the stigma and focus on helping people who are ill.

 Vikram Patel: Mental health for all by involving all: Nearly 450 million people are affected by mental illness worldwide. In wealthy nations, just half receive appropriate care, but in developing countries, close to 90 percent go untreated because psychiatrists are in such short supply. Vikram Patel outlines a highly promising approach — training members of communities to give mental health interventions, empowering ordinary people to care for others. Vikram Patel helps bring better mental health care to low-resource communities — by teaching ordinary people to deliver basic psychiatric services.

 TEDxMarrakesh - Jon Ronson - How to Spot a Psychopath: Jon Ronson is an award-winning writer and documentary maker. He is the author of two previous bestsellers, Them: Adventures with Extremists and The Men Who Stare at Goats, and two collections, Out of the Ordinary: True Tales of Everyday Craziness and What I Do: More True Tales of Everyday Craziness and his latest book — also a Sunday Times top ten bestseller — is The Psychopath Test. Jon Ronson lives with his family in London.

 TEDxDU Temple Grandin — Different kinds of minds: A tireless advocate for people who think differently, Grandin makes the case that we need the collaboration of all kinds of minds to solve problems, prevent disasters, and accomplish objectives. Diagnosed with autism and someone who “thinks in pictures”, Grandin sees the value in every individual’s ability to make a contribution

TED — Jill Bolte Taylor’s stroke of insight: Jill Bolte Taylor got a research opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: She had a massive stroke, and watched as her brain functions — motion, speech, self-awareness — shut down one by one. An astonishing story. Brain researcher Jill Bolte Taylor studied her own stroke as it happened — and has become a powerful voice for brain recovery.

TEDxMaribor - Neel Burton - The Anatomy of Melancholy: Can depression be good for you?: Dr Neel Burton is a psychiatrist, philosopher, and writer who lives and teaches inOxford,England, where he also runs theOxfordWineAcademy and the Meaning of Madness Course. He is the recipient of the Society of Authors’ Richard Asher Prize, the British Medical Association’s Young Authors’ Award, and the Medical Journalists’ Association Open Book Award.

Dan Ariely: Our buggy moral code: Behavioral economist Dan Ariely studies the bugs in our moral code: the hidden reasons we think it’s OK to cheat or steal (sometimes). Clever studies help make his point that we’re predictably irrational — and can be influenced in ways we can’t grasp. It’s become increasingly obvious that the dismal science of economics is not as firmly grounded in actual behavior as was once supposed. In “Predictably Irrational,” Dan Ariely tells us why.

Dan Ariely asks, Are we in control of our decisions?: Behavioral economist Dan Ariely, the author of Predictably Irrational, uses classic visual illusions and his own counterintuitive (and sometimes shocking) research findings to show how we’re not as rational as we think when we make decisions.

 Henry Markram: A brain in a supercomputer: Henry Markram says the mysteries of the mind can be solved — soon. Mental illness, memory, perception: they’re made of neurons and electric signals, and he plans to find them with a supercomputer that models all the brain’s 100,000,000,000,000 synapses. Henry Markram is director of Blue Brain, a supercomputing project that can model components of the mammalian brain to precise cellular detail — and simulate their activity in 3D. Soon he’ll simulate a whole rat brain in real time.