Five Months of Severe Mental Fog
I’m a 21-year-old female, standing at 5 feet 4 inches and weighing 115 pounds. My current medication includes Lexapro, which I initially began taking at a dosage of 5mg in March 2025 and increased to 10mg as of May 21, 2025.
Honestly, I’m grappling with substantial mental health challenges, including major depression, agoraphobia, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and OCD. After returning from my sophomore year of college in May, where I faced bullying, I began preparing for the upcoming fall semester. However, I was struck by an overwhelming wave of depression that felt immobilizing. I was in such a low place that I completely overlooked the option of reaching out to my doctor via telehealth, a method I had previously relied on consistently.
Despite my struggles, I attempted to push through, but this only exacerbated my situation. Over the course of five months, I found myself initiating various activities but failing to see them through. I even enrolled at two different universities while neglecting to focus on my junior year at my original college. In an unusual turn for me, I started attending church regularly, a practice I had never engaged in before.
Additionally, I missed numerous job opportunities because I was too incapacitated to click a link to apply. Even simpler tasks, like sending an email or making a quick phone call to my former employer for potential rehire, eluded me. I went through interviews only to ask irrelevant questions and missed basic inquiries like, "Could I have your contact information?" or "What hours are available for work?" I repeatedly forgot about a job opportunity I already had lined up—making just one phone call could have secured it.
For months, I found myself locked in conflicts with my parents about the necessity of returning to school. Each time I reached out to the school, I'd become sidetracked by other commitments. For example, I would prioritize a work-related test recommended by my dad, neglecting the crucial call I needed to make regarding housing at my school. It felt as though I was in a constant state of forgetfulness, frequently voicing my frustration about my absent-mindedness, setting reminders that went unheeded, and continually overlooking my obligations. By the time I realized a deadline had passed, I often ended up canceling opportunities I truly desired. I even stopped writing to-do lists, an activity I used to relish and which was typically a staple in my life. I used to cover my walls with sticky notes filled with tasks, but I fell out of that habit for months, as if I had completely forgotten the straightforward solutions to my challenges, almost as though I had never encountered them before.