OK, I’d like to get a diagnosis of my mental health from all you teeming millions.
I realize that a message board is no place to get advice of this sort, but hey - it’s a place to start, and you just can’t beat the price.
Basically, it seems like I’m losing the ability to concentrate, and essentially think. I notice this most at work, where I am a computer programmer. Over the past couple of years, I am finding it much more difficult to stay focused, and to think through problems. It thus takes much longer to get projects done, and I am more prone to errors. Sometimes it’s a struggle just to get started. I guess I’d describe it as a sort of “mental paralysis”.
This has the added side effect of increasing my anxiety level. The fact that I can’t concentrate is causing me to worry about it, which turns into an endless cycle. I dread going into work, because of the struggle I’ll have during the day, and I know that I’ll feel guilt at how little I’ve accomplished by quitting time. I worry when I go to bed, and thus I don’t sleep as well as I should.
Just today I was working on a program, and I noticed that one aspect of it was similar to something I wrote about six months ago. I thought I would just take a look at the older project, copy some code, and be on my way. But when I looked at it, I just couldn’t figure it out - how does this work, and why did I do it this way? (I’ll spend a couple of hours with it tomorrow, but why does it seem so complicated now?)
My boss is getting progressively annoyed with me, and I guess I don’t blame him, but he’s not the type who is easy to talk to. He’s the type who likes to point his finger at you and say “you should know this”.
So is it my thinking process that’s really beginning to atrophy, or is my emotional state causing this thick fog to form in my head? Is there a way to tell the difference? In general I guess I’m a worrier and a pessimist, but I try to project a more positive attitude than I’m actually experiencing.
Can depression cause this phenomonon?
Do people go to therapists to get help with this kind of problem?
------- Long time lurker, first time Doper.