Difficulty Thinking, Concentrating, Processing
Difficulty Thinking, Concentrating, and Processing information are common anxiety symptoms. They can occur with all types of anxiety disorder and are especially common anxiety and panic attack symptoms. These symptoms occur because of how anxiety-caused stress affects brain functioning.
This article explains the relationship between anxiety, stress, and difficulty thinking, concentrating and processing information symptoms.
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Common difficulty thinking, concentrating, and processing information anxiety symptom descriptions:
- You have difficulty thinking, concentrating, or forming thoughts.
- You are easily distracted.
- Your thinking feels like it is muddled and impaired. Some people describe this symptom as being “foggy-headed.”
- Your thinking is slow and isn’t as sharp or fast as it normally is.
- It can also feel like your thoughts are elusive, and things you once knew seem hard to comprehend or recall.
- You might also feel like your short-term memory isn’t as good as it used to be and that normal intellectual tasks seem much more difficult.
- You might also find it hard to focus and concentrate.
- You might also find you are more forgetful (forget things you normally wouldn’t).
- You might also have difficulty focusing on and carrying on conversations.
- You might also start something and uncharacteristically forget what you were doing or wanted to do.
- You might also have much more difficulty remembering where you placed things, who you just called, what you just talked about, or what you were looking for or thinking about.
- You uncharacteristically have difficulty focusing on or remembering what you just ate, phone numbers, names, or things you recently did.
- It can also seem like you can’t string two thoughts together.
- It can also seem like you are now misremembering things, such as getting dates wrong, mixing up when you did something, or believing something you did yesterday occurred much longer ago.
- Your thoughts can seem uncharacteristically muddled, and what thought processes you used to do quickly now take much longer and even seem convoluted.
- It also might seem like you can’t maintain your focus and that you have a million thoughts going on at the same time, all demanding your attention.
- It can also seem like you are now “scatter-brained,” where you are having difficulty concentrating and remaining focused.
- Some people describe this symptom as if their brain has become “frozen,” where their thinking has become stuck, and it seems difficult to get moving again.
- Some people also call this symptom "Stuck Brain," where their thinking has become stuck or blocked for a period.
- Some people refer to this symptom as "difficulty processing" information, "delayed" thinking and responding, or "mental fatigue."
This symptom can:
- Occur occasionally, frequently, or persistently.
- Precede, accompany, or follow an escalation of other anxiety symptoms or occur by itself.
- Precede, accompany, or follow a period of nervousness, anxiety, fear, and stress, or occur "out of the blue" and for no reason.
- Range in intensity from slight, to moderate, to severe.
- Come in waves where it’s strong one moment and eases off or subsides the next.
- Occur for a while, subside, then return for no reason.
- Change from day to day, moment to moment, or remain as a constant background during your struggle with anxiety disorder.
All the above combinations and variations are common.
To see if anxiety might be playing a role in your symptoms, rate your level of anxiety using our free one-minute instant results Anxiety Test, Anxiety Disorder Test, or Hyperstimulation Test.
The higher the rating, the more likely anxiety could be contributing to or causing your anxiety symptoms, including feeling like impending doom symptoms.
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What causes difficulty thinking anxiety symptoms?
Medical Advisory
Talk to your doctor about all new, changing, persistent, and returning symptoms as some medical conditions and medications can cause anxiety-like symptoms.
1. The Stress Response
Anxious behavior activates the stress response, which secretes stress hormones into the bloodstream, where they cause many body-wide changes that prepare the body for immediate, emergency action. This survival reaction is often referred to as the fight or flight response.[1][2]
For more information about the many body-wide changes and their effects, visit our “Stress Response” article.
Some of these changes include:
- Increases activity in the fear center of the brain (amygdala and others) and suppresses activity in the rationalization areas of the brain (prefrontal cortex and others). This change in brain function directs our attention toward danger detection and reaction and away from rationalization.
- Stress hormones suppress certain types of memory and our ability to retrieve memories.
- Increases most of the body’s senses so we can detect and react to danger more quickly.
- Increases blood sugar so that the body has more fuel to either “fight or flee.”
- Increases nervous system activity so we can detect and react to danger more quickly.
The degree of stress response is proportional to the degree of anxious behavior. For instance, the more anxious you are, the more dramatic the stress response and its changes.
Since stress responses push the body beyond its internal balance (equilibrium), stress responses stress the body. As such, anxiety stresses the body.
Therefore, anxiety symptoms are symptoms of stress. They are called anxiety symptoms because anxious behavior is the main source of the stress that stresses the body, causing symptoms.
Stress can dramatically affect how the brain processes information. For instance, stress can:
- Impair memory function, making storing and retrieving memories more difficult.
- Impair decision-making, problem-solving, and attention span.
- Impair emotional regulation.
Any combination of these changes can affect how the brain processes information. As long as a stress response is active, we can have problems thinking clearly and processing information.
2. Hyperstimulation (chronic stress)
When stress responses occur infrequently, the body can recover relatively quickly from the many changes caused by the stress response.
However, when stress responses occur too frequently, such as from overly anxious behavior, the body can’t complete recovery.
Incomplete recovery can create a state of semi-stress response readiness (chronic stress), which we call “stress-response hyperstimulation” since stress hormones are powerful stimulants.
Hyperstimulation is also often referred to as “hyperarousal,” “HPA axis dysfunction,” or “nervous system dysregulation.”[3][4]
Visit our “Stress Response Hyperstimulation” section for more information about the many changes caused by hyperstimulation.
Hyperstimulation (chronic stress) can cause the changes of an active stress response even though a stress response hasn’t been activated.
Consequently, hyperstimulation (chronic stress) can cause chronic thinking problems.
As long as the body is hyperstimulated, even slightly, it can produce symptoms, including problems with thinking.
For instance, hyperstimulation (chronic stress):
- Can chronically suppress the rationalization areas of the brain, making thinking difficult.[5]
- Can increase thought generation, making it more difficult to concentrate and think clearly.[6]
- Can adversely affect the hippocampus. Since the hippocampus is primarily responsible for learning and memory, chronic stress dramatically affects our ability to retain and retrieve information.[7][8][9][10]
- Chronically focuses our attention on the threat to the detriment of everything else our attention needs to be focused on.[11]
- Can create fatigue. Fatigue can impair cognitive performance, which can aggravate thinking problems.
- Has a deleterious effect on schema processing. Research has found that prior knowledge, represented as a schema, facilitates memory encoding. Stress can impair the brain regions for this encoding, which can cause memory problems, especially with new or recent information.[12]
- Can cause sleep disruption. Research has found sleep disruption (acute or chronic) can negatively affect cognitive performance and memory (both short- and long-term memory).[13] As the degree, frequency, and duration of sleep disruption increases, cognitive and memory performance decreases.
These are just a few examples of how hyperstimulation can impact thinking, creating difficulty thinking, concentrating, and processing information.
3. Behavior
Anxious behavior is a common cause of difficulty thinking.
Anxious behavior, such as worry, can distract the mind, causing problems with thinking and processing information.
Anxious behavior also activates the stress response, which can compound thinking problems because of how stress hormones affect brain function.
Anxious behavior is also a common cause of hyperstimulation, making this symptom much worse and more persistent.
Moreover, if a person has become worried about anxiety and its symptoms, that worry can consume our thinking and trigger stress responses, also affecting our ability to think and process information correctly.
Another consideration is that those who experience entrenched anxiety often develop a habit of being internally focused (ruminating about their health, how they feel, the implications of anxiety disorder and how that might affect their future, concerns about their recovery, questions about recovery, what others will think, how their struggle may affect their loved ones, and so on).
When they become internally focused, they are easily distracted by “what if” scenarios and implications of long-term suffering.
It’s also common to become so obsessed with trying to figure out their anxiety that everything else takes a back seat, including their attention and focus on the external parts of their lives.
Internally focused, “what if” thinking can become so habituated and automatic that many people are unaware they are doing it.
Unfortunately, when short-term memory and thinking problems occur, many become frightened and think that they might be losing their mind, may be on the doorstep of a complete mental breakdown, or think that their thinking and memory problems are an indication of a serious mental or biological illness, such as Alzheimer’s. These anxieties can further stress an already hyperstimulated body.
4. Other Factors
Other factors can create stress and cause anxiety-like symptoms, as well as aggravate existing anxiety symptoms, including:
- Medication
- Recreational drugs
- Stimulants
- Hyper and hypoventilation
- Low blood sugar
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Dehydration
- Hormone changes
- Pain
Select the relevant link for more information.
HYPERSTIMULATION TEST
How to get rid of the difficulty thinking anxiety symptoms?
When this symptom is caused or aggravated by other factors, addressing those factors can reduce and eliminate difficulty thinking, concentrating, and processing information symptoms.
When this symptom is caused by an anxiety-triggered stress response, calming yourself will end the active stress response and its changes. This symptom will subside as your body recovers from the active stress response.
Keep in mind that it can take up to 20 minutes or more for the body to recover from a major stress response. But this is normal and shouldn’t be a cause for concern.
When this symptom is caused by hyperstimulation (chronic stress), eliminating hyperstimulation will end this anxiety symptom.
You can reduce and eliminate hyperstimulation by:
- Containing anxious behavior.
- Reducing stress.
- Regular deep relaxation.
- Relaxed diaphragmatic breathing.
- Regular light to moderate exercise.
- Getting regular good sleep.
- Eating a healthy diet of whole and natural foods.
- Avoiding stimulants.
- Passively-accepting your symptoms until they subside.
- Being patient as your body recovers.
Visit our “60 Natural Ways To Reduce Stress” article for more ways to reduce stress.
As the body recovers from hyperstimulation (chronic stress), it stops sending symptoms of hyperstimulation, including difficulty thinking symptoms.
However, eliminating hyperstimulation can take much longer than most people think, causing symptoms to linger longer than expected.
As long as the body is hyperstimulated, even slightly, it can present symptoms of any type, number, intensity, duration, frequency, and at any time, including this one.
Even so, since difficulty thinking, concentrating, and processing information are common symptoms of stress (acute and chronic), including anxiety-caused stress, they are temporary and needn't be a cause for concern. They will subside when unhealthy stress has been eliminated and the body has had sufficient time to recover and stabilize. Therefore, there is no reason to worry about anxiety-caused thinking, concentration, and processing symptoms.
Since worrying and becoming upset about anxiety symptoms stress the body, these behaviors can interfere with recovery.
Passively accepting your symptoms – allowing them to persist without reacting to, resisting, worrying about, or fighting them – while doing your recovery work will cause their cessation in time.
Acceptance, practice, and patience are keys to recovery.
Eliminating hyperstimulation will bring results in time!
Remember: Focusing on your symptoms makes them more pronounced. If you'd like to lessen their impact, learn to focus your attention elsewhere through distraction, enjoying your hobbies, undertaking pleasing and calming activities, regular deep relaxation, and by recalling pleasant memories or experiences.
Short-term Strategies
Even though eliminating stress and chronic stress (hyperstimulation) will eliminate this symptom, some people have found the following strategies helpful.
However, keep in mind that each person can have a unique symptom experience, as each individual is somewhat physically, chemically, psychologically, and emotionally distinct. What might work for one person might not for another.
In addition to your recovery strategies:
- Prioritize Quality Sleep — Sleep restores brain function, consolidates memories, heals hyperstimulation, and clears mental clutter. 7 – 9 hours of restful sleep each night can restore mental function.
- Take Regular Breaks — Regular short breaks reduce cognitive load and mental fatigue.
- Nourish Your Brain — Lack of proper nutrition can impact brain function. Dehydration, sugar spikes, stimulants, and nutrient deficiencies can worsen mental symptoms. Eating a healthy diet, staying hydrated, and avoiding stimulants and high-sugar foods can help restore healthy mental function.
- Regular Light to Moderate Physical Activity — Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, delivering oxygen and nutrients while releasing endorphins to combat stress and hyperstimulation.
- Limit Screen Time — Excessive screen exposure (blue light) disrupts sleep and overstimulates the brain. Reducing screen time to avoid this common mental stressor.
Recovery Support
The Recovery Support area of our website contains thousands of pages of important self-help information to help individuals overcome anxiety disorder, hyperstimulation, and symptoms.
Due to the vast amount of information, including a private Discussion Forum, many of our Recovery Support members consider it their online recovery support group.
Therapy
Unidentified and unaddressed underlying factors cause issues with anxiety. As such, they are the primary reason why anxiety symptoms persist.
When this symptom is caused or aggravated by behavior, addressing your underlying factors (Level Two recovery) is most important if you want lasting success.
Addressing Level Two recovery can help you:
- Contain anxious behavior.
- Become unafraid of anxiety symptoms and the strong feelings of anxiety.
- End anxiety symptoms.
- Successfully address the underlying factors that so often cause issues with anxiety.
- End what can feel like out-of-control worry.
All our recommended anxiety therapists have had anxiety disorder and overcame it. Their personal experience with anxiety disorder and their Master's Degree and above professional training gives them insight other therapists don't have.
If you want to achieve lasting success over anxiety disorder, any one of our recommended therapists would be a good choice.
Working with an experienced anxiety disorder therapist is the most effective way to treat anxiety disorder, especially if you have persistent symptoms and difficulty containing anxious behavior, such as worry.[14][15][16]
In many cases, working with an experienced therapist is the only way to overcome stubborn anxiety.
You can connect with one of our recommended therapists by checking their availability, making an appointment, and seeing their Rates and Terms of Service.
Common Anxiety Symptoms
Additional Resources
- For a comprehensive list of Anxiety Disorders Symptoms Signs, Types, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment.
- Anxiety and panic attacks symptoms can be powerful experiences. Find out what they are and how to stop them.
- How to stop an anxiety attack and panic.
- Free online anxiety tests to screen for anxiety. Two minute tests with instant results. Such as:
- Anxiety 101 is a summarized description of anxiety, anxiety disorder, and how to overcome it.
Return to our anxiety disorders signs and symptoms page.
anxietycentre.com: Information, support, and therapy for anxiety disorder and its symptoms, including Difficulty Thinking, Concentrating, and Processing anxiety symptoms.
1. Godoy, Livea, et al. "A Comprehensive Overview on Stress Neurobiology: Basic Concepts and Clinical Implications." Frontiers In Behavioral Neuroscience, 3, July 2018.
2. "Understanding the Stress Response - Harvard Health." Harvard Health, 6 July 2020.
3. Elbers, Jorina, et al. "Wired for Threat: Clinical Features of Nervous System Dysregulation in 80 Children." Pediatric Neurology, Dec 2018.
4. Teixeira, Renata Roland, et al. “Chronic Stress Induces a Hyporeactivity of the Autonomic Nervous System in Response to Acute Mental Stressor and Impairs Cognitive Performance in Business Executives.” Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2015.
5. Liston et al. “Psychosocial stress reversibly disrupts prefrontal processing and attentional control.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2009.
6. Luethi, Mathias, et al. “Stress Effects on Working Memory, Explicit Memory, and Implicit Memory for Neutral and Emotional Stimuli in Healthy Men.” Advances in Pediatrics., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2008.
7. McKim, Daniel B., et al. “Neuroinflammatory Dynamics Underlie Memory Impairments after Repeated Social Defeat.” Journal of Neuroscience, Society for Neuroscience, 2 Mar. 2016.
8. “Chapter 18 – Effects of Stress on Learning and Memory.” Egyptian Journal of Medical Human Genetics, Elsevier.
9. Rossman, Marni, “Effects of Stress on Short-Term and Long-Term Memory"(2010). University of Tennessee Honors Thesis Projects.
10. “Short-Term Stress Can Affect Learning And Memory.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 13 Mar. 2008.
11. Vogel, S, et al. “Stress Affects the Neural Ensemble for Integrating New Information and Prior Knowledge.” Advances in Pediatrics., U.S. National Library of Medicine, June 2018.
12. Alhola, Paula, and Päivi Polo-Kantola. “Sleep Deprivation: Impact on Cognitive Performance.” NCBI PubMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Oct. 2007.
13. Krystal, John H. “Stress, the Aging Brain, and the Mechanisms of Neuron Death.” Advances in Pediatrics., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1993.
14. Hofmann, Stefan G., et al. “The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Review of Meta-Analyses.” Cognitive Therapy and Research, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Oct. 2012.
15. Leichsenring, Falk. “Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy the Gold Standard for Psychotherapy?” JAMA, American Medical Association, 10 Oct. 2017.
16. DISCLAIMER: Because each body is somewhat chemically unique, and because each person will have a unique mix of symptoms and underlying factors, recovery results may vary. Variances can occur for many reasons, including due to the severity of the condition, the ability of the person to apply the recovery concepts, and the commitment to making behavioral change.