In an earlier post, I predicted that I might have ADHD. My son had been diagnosed with it, and I probably had some form of it as a kid. I didn’t really have the symptoms for adult ADHD, but I hoped I’d found the cause of my brain fog.
I know, “brain fog” sounds like the disease that Joe had in Joe Versus the Volcano (that was a brain cloud), but it’s a real thing. It’s listed as one of the less-common ADHD symptoms.
For me, brain fog is like having a low-level white noise storm in my head. I don’t know if it’s a bunch of synapses firing randomly or what, but it disrupts my train of thought. It makes it hard for me to focus. And it really makes it difficult for me to write.
Fast forward a couple of months and my son has been diagnosed with celiac disease, which has been closely tied to ADHD. He doesn’t have the classic stomach issues that are usually associated with this autoimmune disease, but a very caring doctor took the time to listen to his vague symptoms and order a battery of blood tests. The markers for celiac disease came back positive. Later, the same test came back positive for me.
Now I’m on a gluten-free diet, and it’s made a remarkable difference: my brain fog is gone.
We are physical beings, and the connection between our bodies and our minds is an important one to pay attention to. Part of building a strong personal universe is understanding ourselves so we can understand our experiences. My experiences have been blunted by this disease for much of my life. It might take me a while to fully understand what that means.
It seems crazy that I could go so long without knowing how gluten affects me, but celiac disease is tricky to diagnose. According to BeyondCeliac.org, an estimated 83% of people with celiac disease are undiagnosed or have been misdiagnosed with something else.
This whole thing shows me just how difficult it can be to see yourself clearly.
