My psychologist has recommended the neuropsych evaluation so I definitely intend to obtain it.

I honestly thought I was going through some kind of early mourning related to my mother or just going crazy. I guess I can remember thinking my emotions seemed a bit extreme and I needed to hide them. I don't think I was even telling the psychologist everything.

The scariest/saddest part was when my Psychologist asked me to ask my wife for her observations and I started finding out about stuff I had no idea had been going on and for how long. Just stuff like the being a completely emotionless or if I showed any emotion it was just getting angry to the point of throwing things or hitting things over small issues.

I do have this one almost kind of like distant memory of coldly telling my wife that I had supported her emotionally for 10 years and now I was too tired and it was just her turn to support me for awhile while she cried and I was emotionless.

My medications are phentermine, mobic, and Topamax (50mg 1xday). The Psychologist is referring to the Topamax prescribed for weight loss may be another reason for all this. But my symptoms started 3-4 weeks before I was started on Topamax. And the fogginess has cleared up though I continue on it.

I just read an NIH study (that took my ALL day to process!!) that looked at other studies re the cognitive effects of Topamax and they all show problems at doses at least twice mine. And to get my same problems, it's like 6 to 12 times my dosage!

I also read that there is evidence Topamax may help repair damage after a TBI. Could be I just lucked out by getting on the Topamax and it helped my headaches and all w/out anyone realizing it.

I looked into it Bc I thought I might stop taking it. But I just don't see how these symptoms of fogginess, apathy, mood swings, confusion, anxiety, and memory problems, etc, could be caused by a medicine I didn't even start taking until AFTER the symptoms started.

In any case, I worry that they will waste my time with looking for the "easy fixes" that are wrong-- like blaming Topamax even though logically the timing makes no sense. And then I fall more behind ...

But I have already found some help here. The thread on things you wish you'd known early on was helpful re controlling noise. Just to see, I went to Best Buy and tried on the Bose noise canceling headphones. WOW!

I did not even know I was feeling anxious and tense until I tried the headphones' NC feature. But this anxiety melted away! I had already picked out a nice $50 pair of over-the-ear headphones that muffled sound. It was worth the money to go with the Bose noise canceling for that feeling.

I was able to go grocery shopping with my family again without freaking out... And wearing my jersey people just assumed I was listening to the football game!

Then my PT mentioned avoiding too much stimulation, so instead of listening to my Christian pop playlist I found a "classical relaxation" playlist. And there is DEFINITELY a difference in the impact softly playing instrumental classical has on my mind and mood over music with words.

So I found this site and originally posted I think on Saturday. Since then just taking time to rest and using the headphones and cutting back to background "elevator music" has seemed to improve my ability to engage with other people, to be social, and has made my mind feel clearer--

...though admittedly it probably took me ALOT longer than it would have before to get through that NIH paper I mentioned above...

Let me ask another question, if I could--

Is this a common experience as well? And if so, does the effect last at all? I have noticed an increase in stress seems to slow my thinking but can the rest and avoiding noise/overstimulation over time win the battle...I mean-- Is this how you make gains even though there are setbacks?

I am a litigation attorney, a high stress job. I have just been thinking will all this that I feel I've gained over the past few days be lost come next Monday when I return to work?