am i the only one who loves reading but has problems doing it?

[bluegreen17]

it doesn't make much sense. the only thing i can think of is that my reading comprehension skills were always a little lower than my other reading skills,though my academic skills overall were quite good. and i love to learn and there is so much to learn by reading...but i have trouble getting into reading books.i have a major depressive disorder but i know others who seem to be able to read even though depressed,so i don't know how much that is a factor. it is extremely frustrating. it's like being athletic and being crippled. i feel a little sheepish complaining,when some people don't have clean water and i still do,but i'm just really curious about this as well as being frustrated...

Comments

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

One of the reasons I dropped out of college was that I just couldn't focus on reading anymore. Depression, untreated ADD, sleep disorders, headaches, nutritional deficiencies, too much caffeine, too little caffeine--lots of things can affect your ability to read a book. And yeah, it's majorly frustrating.

[bluegreen17]

thanks for the empathy! i'm sorry to hear you have experienced this too. it's rather sad...i can't work anymore,so now i have time to read...and i can't! but i keep looking at my blessings (even as i'm about to post another rant about food stamps. just gotta get it off my chest!)

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

Eventually I was able to read again, though I'm still not entirely sure why. I think a combination of high doses of magnesium supplements was the major factor, though small doses of Ritalin also helped. But I still have times when I just can't concentrate on anything for very long, so the ultimate problem is probably related to fibromyalgia/epilepsy/migraines/whatever other neurological problems I might have.

Have you ever tried magnesium supplements, by the way? Lots of people are deficient, and magnesium plays many roles in the body. Supplements don't help everybody, but they're wonderful for me, hence the suggestion to you...

[bluegreen17]

i have taken magnesium/calcium supplements in the past. then i got concerned about calcium and gallbladder stones...i no longer have a gallbladder but must have had a tendency to get them,and they could still get stuck in my biliary? tract i think it is. hmmm....i will have to look into plain magnesium though. thanks!

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

Calcium/magnesium combo supplements never worked for me. Apparently there are some ways in which the two minerals work together, and others in which they work at cross-purposes to each other, so for some people it's best to take them separately. Anyway, don't take magnesium supplements unless you're sure they won't interact with any medications you're taking--but if there are no interactions, magnesium is a pretty safe supplement to take.

[bluegreen17]

thanks again for the info. i didn't know about the pros and cons of the interactions of those minerals. i also don't eat as many bananas as i used to,or at least not regularly,and that would probably help. plus i will check on how it interacts with prozac. thanks again.

[simonejester.livejournal.com]

First world problems are first world, but they're still problems. If it helps, I'm utterly poetry-stupid. Most poems give me a headache and I have trouble getting to the next line and argh. As to being athletic but crippled, it depends on the extent of the disability. I have a friend with mild CP who needs to sit on a chair to shower, yet is a very good swimmer. (I have a much smaller-scale problem of having giganto-boobs and liking the feel of running. But I don't go running because the girls make it hurt.)