One of the most debilitating symptoms I experienced during my chronic illness journey was cognitive dysfunction or brain fog. Traditional and even integrative medicine doesn’t really have a diagnosis or name that encapsulates the extremely debilitating nature of these sorts of brain symptoms – the label ‘brain fog’ doesn’t do it justice. I myself never knew how to describe what I was feeling in my brain, and in the beginning I even gaslit myself into thinking I was imagining it.

I’m first going to try and describe a few of the neurological symptoms I would get. In doing this I hope I’m able to describe it in a way that resonates with others experiencing the same sensations (then you can then read with excitement about how I have healed them). These brain symptoms would vary in how extreme they were and there were different types. In my experience even the best holistic medical practitioners don’t understand these symptoms and the nuance in them.

I also wanted to note that with brain retraining now I have learnt to distance myself from focusing on these symptoms and needing to give them a label. However, this post is aimed at those who have these symptoms and don’t know where to turn, I always write my posts with my former self in mind, who was desperate for answers. These are a few ways of describing the varied brain sensations I experienced:

• At my worst I was unable to read text messages and it would take incredible amounts of energy to try and reply to texts and know if they made any sense. My brain had no capacity to concentrate
• I couldn’t read any books and would lie in bed with my head throbbing. It was this deep, throbbing headache that no painkiller would touch and it would vary where I felt it in my head.
• At times I felt like my brain was in the next room, people were talking to me and I would reply but I didn’t feel present at all. It was almost a feeling of dissociation where I was in the world but never truly present.
• Other times it felt like I had low blood sugar and was unable to focus. I would be in conversations with friends and would completely zone out. It was like my brain had an energy meter and if I thought for too long I’d be zapped and then I was unable to be part of the conversation.
• My concentration and ability to think critically was impaired to the point that I was unable to play board games against my cousin’s children for years and struggled beating 5 year old children at games like memory. For many years I even struggled sitting up to play any games because of the pain in my head.
• People often asked why I didn’t just go out in a wheelchair but it was the brain and cognitive issues that were a bigger problem than the fatigue and inability to move my body. I could sit in a wheelchair but I couldn’t keep my head up to focus on what was being said around me.
• At its worst I felt like I was being tortured through my brain, I would lie in bed in agony because my brain just hurt. That’s the only way I can describe it, as though my brain was on fire
• I often felt like I was hungover all the time with this heaviness in my brain (as well as my body).
• I was unable to study, read, complete any higher level thinking. Coming back to being able to do this has been gradual and I am still working on increasing my capacity to think for longer periods of time and to study more complex material
• I recall when it first started I was trying to write emails for university and I just had to shut my laptop as I couldn’t look at the screen without being in pain.
• In the midst of illness somebody bought me a mindfulness colouring book, I tried to colour in but I can only describe feeling pain in my brain from that and struggling with the task
• I struggled immensely with noises and my hearing became very sensitive. If I was out and there was a lot of noise I couldn’t focus on conversation
• I constantly felt over stimulated by the world and it was as though everything was too much for my brain to take in

I tried lots of treatment to try and heal these cognitive issues. I initially believed they were due to infection and I did different herbs and antibiotics. Some of the treatments for Lyme and other stealth infections helped, but it took years to feel progress. Doing disulfuram and hyperthermia were the two main treatments where I felt improvements cognitively (I’ve written about this here). I experimented with a nasal spray for awhile called Synapsin with little change. I also did a lot of Marcons treatment with not much improvement (and a lot of herxing that caused severe brain symptoms!). I was also diagnosed with CCSVI, the arteries in my neck were shown to have reduced blood flow which was a contributor to my brain impairments – the treatment for this was the same as the Lyme treatment, antibiotics and biofilm busters.

I completed over six years of treatment focusing on infections and I had some brain improvements, I was able to read novels and wasn’t in constant brain pain, but even with everything I did, I still was unable to work due to my cognitive impairments. I recall returning from treatment in Germany in 2022 and feeling frustrated as I zoned out in a simple social conversation. I remember feeling very frustrated and defeated that I had done a lot of treatment and STILL my brain wasn’t working.

When I started brain retraining using DNRS I wasn’t convinced it would be able to help me for my specific brain symptoms, I didn’t see many people talking about it in their recovery stories, but I thought I’d try it for other symptoms and see what happened. After about three months in the program I felt a softening in my brain and a subtle improvement in my brain clarity and cognition.

Someone described that when the nervous system is in a survival state, all the blood flow in the brain goes to the limbic system (which is responsible for safety) not the prefrontal cortex (which is responsible for higher level thinking). I remember feeling as though I could feel that change in my brain, as though the front of my brain had more blood flow again. That was one of my ‘aha’ moments when I realised how important nervous system regulation was for brain symptoms.

Another thing I also believe is that brain fog is a symptom sent by the nervous system when it feels threatened. One giveaway for me was realising my nervous system is more sensitive around my period. I noticed that at this time of the month I would experience more brain fog type symptoms and dissociation. I also noticed when I had some acute colds I would have a big flare up in old symptoms and my brain and neurological symptoms would return. A normal, healthy person doesn’t get brain fog when they have a cold. I realised there was a cross-wiring in my brain that sent these brain related symptoms when it felt threatened or perceived danger or stress.

I also later learnt about dissociation and trauma and how when some emotions are too much for the brain to feel it shuts down and freezes. I could FEEL this in action when my brain symptoms were flaring up during my recovery. The brain dissociates because it feels safer to do this than to be in the world. After a lot of medical trauma it is no wonder my brain retreated in this way. I truly believe now that the brain has different ways it can get stuck in a cross-wire and send symptoms, for some it’s mould sensitivity or chronic back pain, and for others like me it’s brain symptoms.

Thankfully with more time working on nervous system regulation, my brain power has continued to improve. To be able to think clearly again has been one of my most rewarding health improvements, as it truly was such a debilitating symptom that I had for many years. I am almost crying tears of joy as I type this, I will never take the ability to think for granted again!

Gaining full brain cognition and clarity is definitely something that has taken time for me, I am not yet at my 22 year old, pre illness levels of brain clarity and cognition, but I also have to remind myself that back then I had 18 years of uninterrupted education that had kept my brain very sharp.

These are the ways I have healed brain fog and am continuing to heal this:

• General nervous system regulation using DNRS and Primal Trust has over time lead to significant improvements and is my main treatment and the number one thing that has lead to the most brain improvements. A lot of this occurred without specifically focusing on these symptoms. Allowing my nervous system to build capacity and feel safe again with a consistent practice has allowed these brain symptoms to improve.
• Doing DNRS rounds when I feel brain fog kicking in to teach the brain new neural pathways and remind it we are safe. Previously when these symptoms arose I would put off my rounds for later in the day when I was feeling better, instead I made myself intentionally do them at this time.
• I also went through a phase when I would purposely push myself with study and when I felt symptoms coming I would do a DNRS round or meditation, a form of intentional incremental training.
• Learning to ease and soften when I feel brain sensations helped a lot. Not getting frustrated by it, but recognising this is a time when my nervous system needs more messages of safety communicated to it. This is also where I use my different nervous system tools such as FasterEFT, breathwork, havening or humming.
• Saying to my brain “we are safe” when I feel those sensations and humming to myself and allowing my body to soften. Loosening my shoulders and allowing it to be.
• Redirecting my thoughts around this sensation, instead of, “oh no, this is an infection, why does this happen?” I redirect to, “ahhh, nervous system, we are safe right now, I see that you’re detecting danger and need a little break, but we are safe!”
• I had a breakthrough one week where I finally had less ruminating thoughts, at the same time my cognition and clarity of thought jumped up another level. Again this confirmed the link between the brain being in safety and being able to think. I believe when we are ruminating this uses up a lot of energy in the brain and takes away from being able to think clearly. Using the brain retraining tools from DNRS and Primal Trust and learning to redirect my thoughts has also helped significantly with this. I have written more extensively about it here.
• I spend most of my time working on calming my mind these days with full acceptance and surrender to any symptoms that arise. The more I learn to respond not react, and the more capacity for stress my body builds, the more my cognition improves.
• I have been balancing challenging my brain with new tasks such as my brain retraining program Brain HQ, alongside giving my nervous system time to heal. I was pushing myself trying to study last year thinking that my cognition was from lack of use and not symptoms anymore, but then I had some time off and when I came back to it the study was easier. I now think it’s a mix of training up my brain again after years of not being used whilst also leaning into sending messages of safety to the brain.
• I am being gentle with myself and reminding myself that the brain is a muscle and I did not use it for many years. However, I have also been excited watching some old neural networks come back online. I started work in finance a few months ago and was surprised at the old knowledge that came back after ten years. I also travelled to Taiwan last year (pictured above!), I studied mandarin ten years ago and it was nice feeling some of those old neural networks come back online during the trip, I was surprised at how much of the language I remembered. These were nice reminders that the more I practice and work at different areas these cognitive skills will keep returning.
• Recently I have been working through a Joe Dispenza meditation course to continue improving my focus, I know that with time my brain will change and deep focus will become second nature. When I am consistent with these meditations I feel a change in my ability to concentrate, it still takes diligence right now, but I know with time thanks to neuroplasticity it will become my brains natural way of being.

I hope this helps those who are struggling with these symptoms. I can see the irony that I have made such a long and complex post about brain fog and neurological symptoms when those suffering from them will struggle to read it, but I hope it gives a sense of hope and belief that you CAN and WILL heal from cognitive dysfunction.

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