Mental Paralysis | INFJ Forum

Mental Paralysis

Faye

Faye

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Mar 9, 2009
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Often, particularly at school, I find myself overwhelmed by everything that I need to do. This causes me to become mentally paralyzed somehow, so that I do not do anything at all. I can spend hours just switching between my email, facebook, and this site without actually posting anything on any of them. I've gotten better at getting myself out of that loop, but even worse is where I will just lay in bed and stare at the ceiling. I have so much that I need to do that I can't handle it all. I do not understand how there are people who are so successful and do so much because it does not seem like I could accomplish the same amount of work in that amount of time.

For example, I have class in 8 minutes, then several hours of homework/meetings tonight, then wake up for class at 8 AM tomorrow. I feel so stupid; I can't understand the stuff that I am supposed to be learning. I would need to spend more time studying it. Basically, I would need to spend absolutely all of my time studying it. My mind often goes blank, and I don't even remember how to speak when that happens. I've had times when I couldn't fill out forms with my basic information like phone number and address because I couldn't remember (due to mind going blank). And I know that I know those things. Does anyone know if this is a condition, or does anyone experience anything similar? What do you think?
 
Yes - you are not alone in this.

I don't know if you do this - but I can spin out into the future so many plausibilities on the numerous tasks I set before myself that it gets to be HUGE. A huge amount of steps to accomplish said task - a huge amount of energy - a huge amount of knowledge I need to gain to accomplish said task. Then I shut down.

Do you think it's because we're INFJ's and we tend to project into the future so much?
Also - I think there's just too damn data out there...

I find walks are helpful to focus on what's right in front of me.

We're normal - right? LOL
 
I think it's anxiety; but I suffer from something similar. I'm such a perfectionist that if anything doesn't "fit" my gameplan, I get really anxious and I can't move forward. On the outset you wouldn't know it, but I'll avoid the one thing I need doing and I'll get stuck in a loop of immobility. It's not fun.

I've often wondered if I need anxiety medication at these times.
 
i can certainly relate to feeling overwhelmed. one way i power through this is take a second to organize what needs to be done first and what i can do today, tomorrow etc, and then just take it one step at a time. when i can successfully organize my thoughts i feel more in control and comfortable with meeting deadlines. one day at a time is a great way to tackle seemingly enormous tasks because im just focusing on what i can do right now, not on all that completing the task entails.
 
Dragon said:
I do not understand how there are people who are so successful and do so much because it does not seem like I could accomplish the same amount of work in that amount of time.

For example, I have class in 8 minutes, then several hours of homework/meetings tonight, then wake up for class at 8 AM tomorrow. I feel so stupid; I can't understand the stuff that I am supposed to be learning. I would need to spend more time studying it. Basically, I would need to spend absolutely all of my time studying it. My mind often goes blank, and I don't even remember how to speak when that happens. I've had times when I couldn't fill out forms with my basic information like phone number and address because I couldn't remember (due to mind going blank). And I know that I know those things. Does anyone know if this is a condition, or does anyone experience anything similar? What do you think?
Click to expand...

reminds me of myself

i am lucky to have gone through high school and college without facebook or this forum

FB, email, and forum is a vicious combo for procrastinating

procrastination, laziness, boredom, a subtle depression

if you dont truly enjoy the school work, i'd recommend dropping out, moving, finding another school

i wasted a lot of time and energy trying to do things i knew were pointless

do something that you really want to do, and you probably wont feel so lame

*

aside from all that, and to help your current situation:

i'd recommend reading real books. go to the library at least once a week, peruse the books and read em.

limit your FB moments, maybe log on just once a week

eat well

take walks

your health includes body, spirit and mind

you know this stuff
youre smart dude
good luck
 
Yep, struggle with this more than anything else. Agree with Arbygil that it's social anxiety. It affects my concentration, etc. I've been working on some strategies to help myself keep on task without experiencing as much anxiety.
 
Dragon, you've described me too, very accurately!!! It's always been a real problem, I have an incredible talent for just wasting hours and hours daydreaming, surfing the net when I've lots to do. I feel incredibly overwhelmed by the simplest of tasks and just sort of shut down. Right now I have a ton of emails to reply to, I have to go to the bank, pay bills, get some documents in order and clean my dirty house, yet what am I doing? Well I'm on here reading all the threads. I think it is anxiety, I've figured out that I need my life to be as simple as possible just to be able to function.
 
it happens to me every once in a while. I haven't analyzed the mental factor (it might probably be anxiety, just like everyone else said), but physical-wise, I noticed the amount of sleep I had directly affects the chance and the amount of time for this kind of thing to happen. Since you have a sleeping problem, could there be a relationship with yours too?
 
Don't they call this being in your inferior aspect (Se) or sensory overload. I suggest taking a really quiet moment, take a nap. Allow yourself to nuture your introspective soul and detach from the sensations of the world. I find that when Se becomes too much I get bogged down in details and irritable, unable to focus or be productive. It produces anxiety because Se is not well developed.
 
I shut down like this a lot. In fact I'm kinda in a mild permanent state of it, I can't get around to doing half of what I want to, but it's likely because I've made too big a "list". I start making bigger and further reaching tasks and plans and it gets to the point where I end up not doing any of it cause I've exhausted myself thinking about it. Some days I would die to be able to be an INTJ for a bit to just get shit done once in a while.
 
I also can't see people tackle each other outside the context of a fully-geared football game without becoming extremely angry. Like, I literally want to kill someone angry. Does anyone else have this happen? Even if it is not a fight, my mind perceives it to be a fight.
 
DoveAlexa said:
Some days I would die to be able to be an INTJ for a bit to just get shit done once in a while.
Click to expand...

Um, the logical thing would be to cultivate an INTJ friend to help you get stuff done.....just saying....um you know, the logical thing.... <just couldn't resist>
 
*gives Sonyab some water and sunlight*

Now... do my bidding! *waves hands about dramatically*
 
*Take note I've only read the op's post XD *

You're not alone, I suffer from this also. I have tip of the tongue feeling most times, and if I don't find the word in less than a minute most times I literally lose control of my mind as it just shoots off in every way trying to find the word. And the brain has so much horsepower, that trying to corral it is hopeless.


I believe I read somewhere that INFJs are also very prone to this in general.
 
I have found the loss of a loved one to be somewhat mentally paralyzing.
 
Dragon said:
Often, particularly at school, I find myself overwhelmed by everything that I need to do. This causes me to become mentally paralyzed somehow, so that I do not do anything at all. I can spend hours just switching between my email, facebook, and this site without actually posting anything on any of them. I've gotten better at getting myself out of that loop, but even worse is where I will just lay in bed and stare at the ceiling. I have so much that I need to do that I can't handle it all. I do not understand how there are people who are so successful and do so much because it does not seem like I could accomplish the same amount of work in that amount of time.

For example, I have class in 8 minutes, then several hours of homework/meetings tonight, then wake up for class at 8 AM tomorrow. I feel so stupid; I can't understand the stuff that I am supposed to be learning. I would need to spend more time studying it. Basically, I would need to spend absolutely all of my time studying it. My mind often goes blank, and I don't even remember how to speak when that happens. I've had times when I couldn't fill out forms with my basic information like phone number and address because I couldn't remember (due to mind going blank). And I know that I know those things. Does anyone know if this is a condition, or does anyone experience anything similar? What do you think?
Click to expand...

I'm like this every day, and I ended up having to drop out of school because of it.

I might sometime go back as a part time student but I would have to do that on my own funds since the government doesn't like giving student loans or grants to those who can't go full time. :/ Thing is I can't work AND go to school part time. It's school OR work.
 
Revenwyn said:
I'm like this every day, and I ended up having to drop out of school because of it.

I might sometime go back as a part time student but I would have to do that on my own funds since the government doesn't like giving student loans or grants to those who can't go full time. :/ Thing is I can't work AND go to school part time. It's school OR work.
Click to expand...

Actually, this happened to me this term as well. But it's an overload; I probably would've handled it ok if my mother hadn't become ill again. Mom's health takes precedence. Even so, I think it's overload and it's a bugger and a half when it hits. :(
 
Yep, know the feeling. Am there right now, to a degree...

I like to attribute it to the dynamic duo, depression and anxiety. Both contribute to avoidance behaviours.

Unfortunately, the longer you indulge in task avoidance, the deeper the hole you dig for yourself, because those things are going to continue piling up. Unplug the computer, the TV and turn off the music. These things actually deplete the precious feel-good chemicals you need to get started on your tasks.

Take things slowly. Don't go gung-ho and make a list of things to do just yet. Just start on the simplest task you can think of and work on that for fifteen minutes. Make it interesting for yourself. Talk yourself through it out loud.


Now I'm going to go take my own advice...
 
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