Is it possible to get dumber over time?

Question

It seems to me that I am not nearly as sharp as I used to be. I don't pick up on subtle hints and details, and I often embarrass myself and get confused easily.

By the way, I'm only 21.

Answer 1

no, it's just that we feel dumber with the more we learn,
and start to realize how much there really is to learn.

Answer 2

First of all, please don't put yourself down by using the word "dumber". Aside from having a brain injury, I can't think of anything which would make you less intelligent than you have been for your whole life.

There are things, however, which can interfere with your mental processes (Believe me, I've been there! Before I develope obsessive-compulsive disorder and major depression, my IQ was measured at 138. Once those conditions appeared, it was measured at 115.)

Have you developed any psychological problems lately or been under continued stress? These can severely compromise your cognitive abilities (thinking clearly, resolving problems, etc.). If so, I think that you should seek professional help and you should not feel ashamed about doing it. If you find the right therapist (and that might take time), I think that you'll realize that you are just as intelligent as you've ever been and that the feeling of becoming less intelligent was due to outside influences. A good therapist will help you to cope with these influences and let you feel like your old self again.

Good luck,
Mark

Answer 3

"Zachary M" has a very good answer. Let me also share with you, as a mental health professional with 20+ years experience, now retired, that from time to time our attention to the multitude of things that bombard us in our daily lives changes foci, and where we were once very alert and attentive, we are now forgetful. And, as we change the things we attend to with higher priority, the things that fall lower on our priority scale get less and less "mental energy" from us, and so we find ourselves becoming "forgetful" over. It's just a change in our directions in life, so, as embarrasing as it may be initially, take it as a credit to you that you are an evolving individual, and new things will demand your attention and alertness while other things will drop lower and lower on your list of priorities. Now, I have to remind you of what "Zachary M" said about losing brain cells as we get older and even more so as we use alcohol or drugs or smoke, the latter issues which cause reduction in your brain's ability to function at it's peak. And finally, I must say that as people demand less and less of their brains, for example when they increase their video and audio entertainment lives where they just sit back in a relative mental stupor while all that junk is simply fed into your senses and your brain, your brain does become lazier and lazier due to a lack of use, and then you will become "dumber and dumber" since your brain simply won't function at the higher levels it used to. So, do the crossword puzzle in your daily newspaper (the papers have to be good for something!), read a book instead of watching a movie or tv in general, give some really good answers here on Answers (I try to, whether they are appreciated or not), get some good aerobic exercise in order to put fresh oxygen in your brain cells (go for a walk regularly, or swim, or exercise at a health club), enjoy a good conversation with some friends, and anything that exercises the brain through deliberate activities that stimulate your mental functioning, and you won't get "dumber and dumber", or as the old saying goes: "Use it or lose it". God Bless you.

Answer 4

You loose brain cells as you age, but you can increase the rate that you loose them by taking drugs,drinking alcohol, or cutting off oxygen from your brain. So, you do get dumber over time.

Answer 5

The brain develops until you are 21. Thereafter you need to keep your brain healthy. There are many exercises you can do for your brain. It is important to eat right. You can speak to your doctor or nurse about exercises for your memory. Dancing is a good exercise for your brain and your body.

Answer 6

hey my brother, check out hgh, it dose great things fore memorey loss, sharpness of the mind, ect.
but man its expensive.
dumber? no.
slower, yea, its comes with getten older, at the ripe age of 28 to 30 everthing starts to decline rapidly

Answer 7

No. Everyone forgets things and tend to act or pretend to be dumb over time

Answer 8

I'm evidence of that...I could be placed in a jar for all to see.

Answer 9

mostly it happens to alcoholics. it may happen even for other reasons also. unless, i know your back-ground, it is difficult to tell you the exact reason!

Answer 10

are you doing drugs or alcohol???? they do burn up brain cells