In a fog..

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  • Misty
    Participant

    My 13 yr old son seems to be in a fog all the time.  Has for years.  I always thought this was just his “way/character” but I woke this morning with a longing in my heart and a voice saying to dig deeper.  It really came out of no where.

    This boy is wonderful and loves to help.  But at 13 he is well slow in his mental thinking and in every other way he is right on track and doing wonderully.  As I said he always seems like he is in a fog.  In his own world.  Likes to be alone.  Likes dark things (clothing).  Doesn’t really have any hobbies or interests (only recently started to like art). Like he looks at things (all things) and will just quickly give a response.  It took him years to get his multipication down.  Memorizing anything is like pulling teeth.

    We do daily vitamins and he gets St. John’s Wart, which I have read and heard helps with mental clarity.  But it’s really not doing anything and he’s been doing it for months.

    I know he’s 13 going through the crazy teen years.  But I wonder if it’s more.  Especially waking with that tought that it might be.  Could it be depression?  Could it be something more?  Or is it just normal teen years?

    Anythoughts, suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated.

    LindseyD
    Participant

    Misty, it sounds like your son may just have a melancholy personality. A melancholy personality is typically thoughtful, contemplative, and introverted. They are often quiet and can be found in their own world, so to speak. They tend to be very creative, especially in the areas of music and art. Many times a melancholy’s mood can change from happy-go-lucky to worrisome and moody in an instant. A lot of times, melancholies are not thoughful or considerate of others or their feelings because they are focused on their own feelings. 

    If your gut feeling tells you it’s more than just his personality, perhaps you should look at the possibility of his having a hormonal imbalance. You said he’s always been like this; and that this behavior didn’t start when he became a teenager, but it would not be uncommon for him to experience depression as his hormones and body changes. Brain fog is often a symptom of depression, but depression is not the only cause of brain fog. I have hypothyroidism, and before I eliminated grains and sugar from my diet and started taking thyroid-specific supplements, I felt like I was in another world most of the time. I couldn’t focus, was constantly forgetting menial things, felt detached from my children, and was very fatigued. Now, I feel like a veil has been lifted off my brain, and I can feel and think and enjoy life again. I think it would be quite unusual for a child of his age to have thyroid issues, but I suppose it’s not impossible. I also had my Vit. D levels tested, and I found I was extremely low in Vit. D. I am currently taking 10,000 IU daily for 6 weeks until I go back for blood work again. I had been having issues for 18 months, and finally went to have my thyroid hormone levels checked. For all that blood work, I only spent $100, so very worth it to know exactly what’s going on in my body. That might be an option for you too, if only to know exactly what he needs nutritionally or supplementally.

    Whenever I hear people talking about a problem with their child’s behavior, my thinking always takes me to diet. So, I know you’ve seen me post on numerous threads before about diet, and I know you say your family eats very well, but I am going to beat a dead horse again, if I may. As a 13yo, you already know his body and mind are going through hundreds of changes. He’s physically changing, probably growing like crazy, hungry all the time, and experiencing hormones like he never has before. I cannot stress enough the importance of good nutrition during this time in his development. Make sure he’s getting enough Vitamins A, D, and K. The most absorble forms of these vitamins are not found in grains or fruits and veggies; they are found in foods like grass-fed beef, pastured eggs, butter from grass-fed cows, raw milk, and organ meats from healthy animals. Use good supplements if you have to or if you aren’t able to procure these foods. Omega-3’s are also crucial to hormone balance and function and can be found in grass-fed beef, salmon and other cold water fish, pastured eggs, flax seeds and chia seeds. If he were my child, I would make sure that 75% of his daily intake of food was rich in protein and fat and that the other 25% was fruits and veggies. I would limit grains to a bare minimum and only allow a special dessert once per week. 

    One other thing you might try is to stimulate both sides of his brain daily to improve mental function and clarity. Place a drop of an essential oil under one nostril only. Have him listen to heavy metal-type music in one ear only. Then switch sides the next day. The nostrils and ears are the only body parts that are controlled on the same side that they are located on, rather than the rest of the body. For example, the right brain controls the right nostril and ear, but it controls the rest of the left side of the body. This may sound silly, but it works. If you can figure out which side of his brain is the strongest, then you would want to stimulate the opposite side. So if he is left-brain dominate, you would put the oil under his right nostril and have him listen to the heavy music in his left ear only.

    If the St. John’s Wort isn’t working, I would take him off it. It’s pointless to have him taking a supplement daily that isn’t making a difference, and it’s pointless for you to be paying for it.

    If I think of anything else I’ll let you know. You’re a good momma to investigate the concerns you have for your children rather than shirking it off like it’s nothing.

    Blessings,

    Lindsey

    Misty
    Participant

    Lindsey, Thanks I know that he does has a more melancholy personality and has.  I just had this feeling like maybe I could be doing something more to help him a bit.  We do give 5000 IU daily of Vit D.  So that’s a great thing.  We do buy grass feed organic beef (1/2 cow at a time),  we raise our own chickens, eat salmon often, but also do Fish Oil daily to make sure we get enough.  I wonder about the grains thing with him a bit and would love to get rid of them all the way.  I don’t know that I would have enough support from my dh for that unless I had good evidence that wheat can cause brain fog etc.

    What type of oil would I want to try?  Also, good thought about the St. Johns wart.. Thanks Lindsey for the help.  I just.. can’t place why I felt this way this morning.

    Questa7
    Member

    Misty, I agree wholeheartedly with a lot of Lindsey’s suggestions, especially as regards diet.  I do want to say though…what you described doesn’t sound like “just a melancholy personality,” to me.  (With all due respect, Lindsey! I do think this is part of it, but definitely not the whole thing, from what Misty described.)  You mentioned concern about his cognitive processes (“slow in his mental thinking”), and a desire to dig deeper.  You are his mother–and if you feel this way, I think you absolutely should investigate.  Your impulse is probably correct, on some level.  As I remind myself constantly, we are on borrowed time with our children, and have the weighty, moment-by-moment responsibility to do everything we possibly can to help them. 

    Diet can work wonders, as Lindsey said, for hormonal imbalances and all sorts of other issues.  We have seen amazing results with my son after going on the GAPS diet.  However, if you are worried about cognitive or intellectual struggles of any type, nothing can replace a professional opinion, or at least extensive research on your part as to what may be going on and how you can help him.  It never ceases to amaze me how many doors (of all kinds!)  can be opened when you are able just to put a name to a problem.

    Just my 2 cents, and best of luck!!!

    Amanda

    chocodog
    Participant

    Misty,

       I have had brain fogs for several years.  I know what you mean.  When I was younger though I didn’t have them. Does he stare into space or does he just seem like he does things and doesn’t care? 

       I think that I noticed them more after I had a car accident. My top vertebre on my neck was out of place. I noticed when it was out that I have more “fogs”.

      One day I was driving and passed where I was suppose to stop. My friend drove up next to me to tell me to turn around and go back.  That same night I couldn’t concentrate.  I had even more problems with the over head lights.  I think it might be the flickering. You know those florescent kind? I didn’t realize I was in a fog until I drove several miles home and it wasn’t until I saw the red blinking stop light that I realized I didn’t remember the whole trip home. I didnt come fully out of it until I was a little further down the road and saw a flashing sign.  I then realized I hardly remembered the whole night. 

      I later told my friend and she said she wondered what I was doing. She was starting to get frustrated with me. We both had a laugh but it can be a real distraction.  I also noticed that if I am more stressed that I have more problems with going into one or shuting down. 

      I have been diagnosed with RSD and Myophasia Pain Syndrome.  This deals with Nerves, muscles, and Pain receptors misfiring.  I don’t know if your son has these problems at all and you may not find out he has it until he has an accident that he doesn’t recover from….  I was an adult before I found out so exercise is probably the only thing I can think of at his age that would improve it. 

      I am not a medical doctor and I am only giving my case senerio on myself  and my problem with fogs. So, I hope this helps.  I did have a melincoly daughter and she was very athletic and very happy but she was and still is meloncoly.  So, it can be a personality or she could also have what I have and won’t find out till later. She is a wonderful child and always tried to listen. We did notice that she had a retaining disability when she was in the fourth grade. She would read something and not remember what she read.  Maybe that would be some help also. 

       I hope if there is a problem you find it.  I further hope there is no problem and he is just meloncoly. 🙂

       BLessins!

    LindseyD
    Participant

    I only mentioned the personality thing to try to set Misty’s mind at ease. You should absolutely have him checked by a professional if you suspect it’s more. I’ll never regret having our dd evaluated by an OT. Although we discontinued her therapy after 3 months due to insurance reasons, I’m so thankful I know where she’s at with her SPD and that I can work extra hard to meet her needs. We tossed around the idea of her issues stemming from her personality for a long time, but in the end, my gut told me it was deeper. If you have insurance, take him to the pediatrician and demand a referral to an OT to have him tested. I say “demand” because many pedis will simply shrug it off, or worse, try to get you to put him on meds. That is our experience, anyway. After 5 times of our pedi telling me to just try ADD/ADHD meds as a trial, I simply said, “No, we won’t be giving her medication as a ‘trial’. Please give me a referral to an OT, otherwise, I’ll be happy to find another pedi.” That was all it took (and we’ve never been back!).

    Yes, Amanda is right. I just try not to get worked up about something if the solution could be simple. You know your kid. Take the instinct that you have and this opportunity to help your son and get to the bottom of this. He’ll thank you later!

    Blessings!

    chocodog
    Participant

    I agree also.  diet does mean everything and like Lindsey said, “Demand that they test and do everything they can!”  I had the same experiance with my son.  They just wanted to shrug it off. So, I might add to what she said about testing being done and demanding they do it and not just put him on drugs to test. 

      They also wanted to put my son on ADD/ADHD meds and still do.  I can control his ADD ect.. with foods. It was a mold issue he had problems with and they wouldn’t test for that until I demanded an extensive allergy test to be done.  They also just wanted to put him on meds to try it out.  The doctor didn’t want to find the “root of the problem”.   If you think that nothing else is working then with diet ect.. then don’t just put him on drugs to get him by.  Make sure he is tested and every possibility exhausted…   Like Lindsey said, She chose not to put him on meds.  I also ditto that…  

       I would see if he is allergic to mold if he has never been tested for it… A mold allergy diet may pull him out of it.  Many things are a factor if you are allergic to mold.  It will cause fogs also. 

     Just some more thoughts running around in there after Lindsey mentioned the testing…   Blessings!

    momto2blessings
    Participant

    I am no expert in this, but our natural, Christian, nutritionist highly recommends this book: http://www.yeastconnection.com/ftb.html. My friend had brain fog attributed to yeast (but this was from years of sugars, antibiotics, etc.)  It also talks about molds and there’s a short chapter on physical and mental problems of teenagers. But I don’t know how likely that is if he’s always been that way and you guys watch sugars. And if nobody else is having issues I wouldn’t think mold would be it. I hope you find some answers/peace soon. Blessings, Gina

    Misty
    Participant

    Can you explain a bit for those with experience about mold allergies?

    Thanks for the thoughts.  Please pray for him he’s having a rough day.

    HiddenJewel
    Participant

    One of the boys in our area was in a fog until they figured out he was allergic to garlic. 

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