brain lapses
 

I wasn't sure what to call this because I don't know what they are but for the past few days I've been experiencing these moments where I mean to say one word and end up saying a different, unrelated word. Or, even weirder, sometimes mixing up letters between words. Examples just from today: My neighbors were walking by our house and I meant to call out "Hi guys!" but instead called out "Guy Highs!" Then later when I was driving with my kids, I meant to tell my daughter that we'd do valentine cards when we got home and I said "We'll do valentine houses when we get home." I sort of feel like I'm losing my mind!

Stuff like that, but continually throughout the past three days. I'm only 42 and though I have of course experienced lots of memory loss in my time, never anything like this.

I'm on Day 53 and was just wondering if anyone else has gone through this. I don't want to suddenly blame anything and everything on the fact that I quit drinking but maybe it's an effect of quitting that I don't know about?

Stymied,
Jackie

we did some damage to ourselves, right?

It gets better in time!!!!!!

I think it's pretty common - I certainly experienced that Jackie.
Like sugarbear says it gets better :)

D

At day 77 I'm having the same thing! I feel like shouting, "I'm not drunk!" every time. I made an unintelligible order at Starbucks yesterday and it freaked me out. I mixed two words together. Weird.

Yes, same here, I actually feel embarrassed because I was ordering some tacos yesterday and was bumbling and not making very good sense and the guy was just looking at me, waiting for me to spit it out. I feel like I look like an idiot or drunk or both. Sorry you're having it too, peanutty, but glad I'm not alone! Let me know if it starts to get worse or better for you as some time goes by.

Heavy drinkers typically bring upon ourselves a range of cognitive deficits, including language deficits. Our brains become used to functioning under duress while we're drinking, and all that wiring is overloaded when we put down the drink. What people are describing in this thread is the verbal equivalent of making typos. Depending on the extent of the damage, these deficits and their symptoms are more or less fleeting.

If the symptoms are severe and/or persistent, best to consult a neurologist or neuropsychologist.

Do it all the time, but since childhood I've always been off in my own world, and don't concentrate as much on the present as I could.
Does it mainly happen when you're distracted, or doing a few things at once?
You do lose some brain connections when you drink, but the brain is pretty good at self repair, which is why people with brain damage can improve over time.

Well here I am too also able to relate with this.I'm over five months in & some days are better & others worse,but yeah I get this effect when I get nervous or in a rush. I have in the last 2 weeks been catching sensing it before it actually comes about but haven't yet been able to correct it.But the days in between seem to be spreading out farther apart ,hence it seems as though its reversing somewhat.I think it has something to do with retraining the brain & the rate of speed at which the mind is processing the words now. Seems asif the ratio/blending of words is messed up,,,but is deffinatly getting better,as I am now typing alot better/faster than before I joined this site just a fews days back ! Has self confidence (and forgive yourself,its something we have to remaster/takes time) whilst you pass thru this as we will be doing it together.Peace

I definitely experienced this for quite a few months in the beginning of sobriety (heck, I probably did it when I was drinking but just didn't recognize it). Heavy drinking over a prolonged period of time is an assault on the brain (and other organs also). It takes time for the mind and body to recover.

Your brain is healing and getting back to normal functioning. Give yourself time. It will get better. :)

I stumble over words at least a few times every day and my boss always points it out. I did it when drinking too.... it's irritating for the boss to always point it out - but that makes your post stand out to me. I never thought about this being a part of my not drinking. I sure hope it gets better... I'm sure I have sounded like an idiot at times, talking.

I do it alot. My kids get a laugh out of it. I always did to some extent, especially when my brain is on overload and I'm thinking about too many things at once...which is most of the time! Also, my brain feels a little foggy lately, like I'm having trouble remembering things or I'll have a vague recollection of something but I dont recall it exactly. Its like I had a blackout but I'm not even drinking! Sometimes I'll have to ask or check if I already said or did something, because I'll get a feeling like I did but can't remember! I've gotten some crazy looks from people when I do that. Hoping it gets better!

That sort of thing happened to me when I was drinking, also in the hangover phase when I was not directly intoxicated. I would also sometimes switch letters within words in writing. Found it very annoying - the cognitive effects (among many others) were some of my main motivators to finally decide I should quit for good. I think I have personally been doing this much less frequently since about 1 week into sobriety. I'm still only ~1 month, perhaps there will be phases when it comes back later? We'll see.

One of my close friends in the past was also an alcoholic and we wrote many emails and IM messages to each-other all the time for years intoxicated, hangover, feeling OK, and everything in between. I noticed many similar errors in his messages.

Like others said, this should get better with time. I would also suggest paying extra attention to nutrition, probably many of the nutritional deficiencies associated with alcohol abuse are at least partially responsible for impaired cognitive functions.

Guess we just need to tough it out :)

So glad you posted this! I thought I was going crazy. It usually happens when I'm a bit distracted or doing a couple of things at once. It is a little disconcerning, but I am hoping it fades. If not, I will just blame it on being a busy mom:)

Absolutely, not only that but forgetting a word that I'm looking to use. Love it when that happens right in the middle of a meeting. The memory banks are churning and trying to either find a replacement word or a way to reword what I just said so that it makes sense.

This is why I was drunk in grad school. My brain was so used to working under the influence. When I needed to write good prose, I would drink. All those language issues would disappear. Of course this is not sustainable. I too find difficulty searching for words. Interestingly my math was better sober. For the math portions of schoolwork I would do them sober, then start drinking to write prose around the math. I did very well. I would have done better if I had simply done the whole thing sober.

YES!!! Sorry, I know it's scary but I had to laugh at this.
I'm at 91 days and still have those weird moments.
Yesterday, standing in the kitchen, to son "Please hand me that....... THING I COOK IN"
(PAN! PAN! PAN!!)
Could NOT think of the word.
I have to laugh about it or my anxiety will convince me I'm crazy.
You're not alone.

this may explain it:
Brain Farts | Maladaptive Brain Activity Changes!

:lmao

I know this one well!

Yes, I too am finding this happens either after a nap or when I'm distracted/not totally focused. I order the same thing at Starbucks all the time so I wasn't giving it much thought. Very interesting.