Do your thoughts seem slower?

Thoughts that cannot keep up: four examples

For Tamara the slowing is linked to a bad night, for Kharyton and Alla it lasts longer, and for Omelian it comes with low mood. The section “Slow thoughts and neighbouring states” explains how this kind of slowing differs from similar states.

If at least one of these stories resembles yours, note what exactly has started to take longer. If none of them fits, go back to the questions in the section “Which tasks now take longer to think through?”.

Slow thoughts and neighbouring states

Slowed thinking is easy to confuse with neighbouring difficulties. Compare which is closer to your experience.

• Psychomotor retardation. Not only thoughts but movements and speech have slowed down, and other people can see it. See the page on psychomotor retardation.
• Concentration problems. Your thinking is not slow, but it keeps slipping away. Compare with the description of concentration problems.
• Memory problems. The hard part is not thinking things through but recalling what you need. The page on memory problems looks at what this is like.
• Difficulty making decisions. What feels slow is mainly choosing, not thinking itself. See the page on difficulty making decisions.

These difficulties often occur together, and one of them on its own decides nothing.

Slowed thinking: where help begins

For new or persistent physical symptoms, start with a family doctor. Further investigations depend on your symptoms and examination, not a standard checklist. Mood or anxiety difficulties can also be discussed with a psychiatrist.

The initial psychiatric consultation page shows how a first meeting with a psychiatrist is usually organised. The profiles on the clinic’s doctors page can help you choose a specialist.

Which tasks now take longer to think through?

Slowed thinking is the sense that processing information, putting thoughts into words and making decisions take longer than before. Think back to an ordinary recent day and answer these questions:

• How long have you felt that your thinking has slowed?
• Did it come on gradually or suddenly?
• Has it become harder to do tasks that used to be easy?
• Do other people notice the changes?
• Do you also have low mood, apathy, low energy or loss of interest?
• Do you have problems with concentration or memory?

If the slowing came on suddenly, go straight to the first point of the section “Slowed thinking: from urgent to everyday”.

Giving yourself time to answer and to rest

While you are working out the cause, here is what makes things easier:

• Rest. If the slowing is linked to temporary overwork or lack of sleep, as with Tamara in our example, restore your rest routine and reduce excessive mental load.
• Small parts. Break information into small parts, take short pauses and write down important thoughts.
• One complex task at a time. Do not try to do several demanding mental tasks at once.

If depressive, anxious or marked physical symptoms come with the slowing, it is important to address the underlying cause, not just try to be more productive.

What changes the pace of thinking?

The pace of thinking can be affected by sleep, exhaustion, mood changes, medicines and physical conditions. A doctor will clarify whether the slowing is gradual or a sudden change.

If low mood and loss of interest in life persist along with the slowing, as with Omelian in our example, a doctor may also assess for depression. Slowed thinking on its own does not yet mean that you have this disorder.

Slowed thinking: from urgent to everyday

1. If slowing or confusion of thinking appears suddenly, especially with difficulty speaking, weakness or numbness in the limbs, disorientation, severe headache, or loss of coordination or consciousness, you need urgent medical help: call 103 or 112 in Ukraine.
2. If marked low mood, psychomotor retardation, memory problems, a significant drop in activity or changes in behaviour appear at the same time, a consultation is especially important.
3. If the slowing persists, gets worse or noticeably interferes with work, study, contact with people and everyday tasks, see a doctor or mental health professional.
4. If your thinking slows after a bad night or overload and recovers after rest, start with the steps in the section “Giving yourself time to answer and to rest”.
5. If your movements have slowed too or remembering has become harder, compare your state with the descriptions in the section “Slow thoughts and neighbouring states”.