Why cant i take in what i read?

hazyjo

I'm 43 and used to read LOADS. I wrote too. Changed drastically in the last few years - I just can't seem to get into anything any more, let alone write. Even a magazine doesn't seem to hold my attention like it used to.

I am sure a lot of mine has been down to major stress. It's totally reduced my brain power! I'm not going to beat myself up about it... my limit now is something mindless like Candy Crush! Sounds silly, but things like that where it uses a more logical part of your brain might help you re-focus. Forums are good to - helps you to keep reading, take in other sorts of information (choose the posts you wish to read), and not feel forced or obliged to read every page of a book.

Know what you mean re characters. I was forever flicking back through books to find out who they are, only to find they're main characters. I love a thriller, but was finding the guilty party was a fairly major player, but I'd not taken on board their character and often had to go back. Helped reading things twice. but you don't always fancy that! Also need more mindless things now if I do read. Loved some weird and wonderful authors (Milan Kundera, Jim Crace, etc), but would now pick up a Jane Green or Helen Fielding.

Same with telly - currently watching the Walking Dead. Only been into it for a week or so and already in series 3 (sorry, SEASON 3 lol, I forget we're speak American now!). There was a bit of a panicky scene in an episode where they were all scrambling round in the dark, there was a fire, some were caught by 'walkers' and I was sitting there going 'who was she?' and 'I don't remember the old man having another daughter and son...'. Just crazy. I seem to remember the characters I'm meant to, the major ones, but the minor ones just don't seem to stay in.

Have checked Alzheimers symptoms, etc, but really don't feel it's related to that.

Oh, and like on the forums here - I remember some people, but, try as I might, I just don't remember others (sorry, peeps! I do try, and do remember a fair few!). Names are familiar, and I remember names that have PMd me and the suchlike, but when someone says things about a person's previous posts (without having to go look), I'm amazed. I rarely remember anything like that.

Jx

Savvy_Sue

Are you, or have you been, on drugs? Even prescription drugs can affect your concentration, and that effect can last for a while afterwards.

Unsurprisingly, my mind hasn't been quite the same since the brain surgery. More surprisingly, the shoulder surgery seems to have removed a few more memory cells ...

But to a certain extent it's habit. I go through periods of hardly reading a book at all, then periods when I read quite a bit.

Oh, and have you tried reading at different times of day? Is your concentration shot by the evening but OK in the mornings?

roobers_2

I used to be able to read a Sunday paper in one sitting and went from that to not being able to finish a paragraph, let alone a whole article. It was only when I spoke with other people who were depressed that I discovered this was an extremely common symptom.

It has affected my work but knowing the cause made me less anxious about it, which helped.

I'm not saying you're necessarily depressed, but it could be a factor here.

halfone

claire16c wrote: »

Whereas if you read it out loud it goes up a bit

I would definitely recommend reading out loud. I do it sometimes - I find it gives me the kickstart I need to get engaged with a book, if my mind is wandering in the early stages. I also find reading out loud quite soothing, even if it makes me feel a bit bonkers when there's no-one else there.

Oftentimes, I'll read the first chapter or so out loud, and then get impatient to read the rest a bit quicker so just switch over to reading in my head once I've got properly into the story and want to see what happens next.

hazyjo

roobers wrote: »

I used to be able to read a Sunday paper in one sitting and went from that to not being able to finish a paragraph, let alone a whole article. It was only when I spoke with other people who were depressed that I discovered this was an extremely common symptom.

It has affected my work but knowing the cause made me less anxious about it, which helped.

I'm not saying you're necessarily depressed, but it could be a factor here.

Thanks for that - goes some way to explaining mine. Not so much depression (although do realise I'm probably a bit borderline), but definitely stress. Had a horrendous few years.

No drugs for me, but have had vertigo twice and pills for that (no, not 'scared of heights', was like being the drunkest you have ever been to the point of throwing up when you moved, on the rockiest/most swaying boat you could possibly imagine. Constantly for weeks!). That could well tie in with timescales and I don't think my brain lets me concentrate like it used to.

OP, let us know if there's been any major trauma or head/ear 'blips' like me.

Jx

Mojisola

claire16c wrote: »

Are you trying to learn facts?

When I did psychology at school we learnt about revision methods and I think just reading something was a recall percentage of 10%.

Whereas if you read it out loud it goes up a bit, and if you teach it to someone else it's more like 80-90%. Which could just be you speaking outloud in your bedroom pretending someone is there and explaining everything you've learnt - not just reading out lines.

As others have said - assuming that there aren't any health problems - the above advice is very good.

I would just add that having to summarise what you've read also helps to fix it in the memory. Read a couple of paragraphs or pages (whatever's appropriate) and then write a summary of what you've read. Check back that you've got the salient facts and rewrite the summary if necessary. It's similar to teaching it to someone else but you can do it public (library, train journey) without looking strange.:)

Bazey

Have you thought about becoming asian? They have a much higher capacity to learn stuff.

MissMoneypenny

Bazey wrote: »

Have you thought about becoming asian? They have a much higher capacity to learn stuff.

Really? Then why are Asian countries 3rd world countries?

Bazey

MissMoneypenny wrote: »

Really? Then why are Asian countries 3rd world countries?

I'm no expert but I think it has it has something to do with money.

Mr_Toad

Hmm. not sure what to say, I can remember all kinds of stuff, things I read years, decades, ago.

Mind you I read 5 to 6 books a week ranging from reference and factual to fiction. Perhaps it is practice, I've always read a lot and I have at least 6 monthly magazine subscriptions on top of the books but read more because a friend of mine buys different ones and we swap.

Apparently I'm a minefield of useless information. :o

I find the time to read because I don't watch much TV. There are programs I like but I record them and watch them when it suits rather than sit in front of the box for hours each day watching anything and everything. It's now been 5 days since I turned the TV on.

I also read quickly, I did a speed reading course at Uni because of the sheer volume of stuff we had to get through. One of the techniques is to train yourself NOT to say the words out loud in your head, if that makes sense? It's a double edged sword though because sometimes I'd like a book to last longer :cool: