Having purpose, direction and the ability to get where we need to can be a struggle whether that is finding our keys, getting to work on time, keeping the house organized, sorting through our garage, finishing 10 books over the summer, or completing a course on Coursera. Neurocognitive symptoms describe an umbrella of concerns such as:
Attention: Struggling to paying attention, concentrate, or respond to new information
Memory: Difficulty with short-term or long-term recall of information
Decision-making: Having a hard time making decisions or following instructions.
Processing speed: the rate at which you process new information and are able to make sense of it, especially at work or at school
Cognitive flexibility: Being adaptive to new ideas, thoughts processes
Executive functioning: a combination of skills necessary for accomplishing tasks
Communication: sharing ideas, thoughts and content fluidly with others
Neurocognitive symptoms can be impacted by our culture and the level of distractions present in our environment; and can equally be impacted by our diets, substance use and amount of sleep. It's worth noting these are symptoms in many psychiatric disorders that can cause significant distress and difficulty functioning, both at work and home. So what to do if you're struggling?
Medications are not the only intervention available when people struggle with neurocognitive symptoms. Learning new executive functioning skills can be helpful for children, adolescents and adults and often that is facilitated by a coach.
Executive Functioning Coaches
Seeking out a coach, whether that's a life coach or counselor specializing in executive functioning, is different than an executive coach. The latter is a specialist who works with business leaders and executives in organizational and leadership skills while an executive functioning coach helps people to develop specific skills related to: organization, planning, emotional regulation, focus and attention. These executive functioning coaches can be instrumental in treatment either in conjunction with medications or as solo interventions.
Two resources our Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners often point patients and families to are:
Untapped Learning (located in Colorado)
ADHD coaches: this website offers a database of ADHD coaches throughout the US. These coaches can be helpful whether a diagnosis of ADHD has been established or not and often offer limited sessions to focus on specific executive functioning skills.
For those struggling with neurocognitive symptoms, it can be helpful to speak with a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner or mental health provider to explore whether you symptoms could be related to a mental health disorder and warrant treatment.
If you or a family member is looking for support, reach out to our office at (720) 469-2845 or schedule online through our website today. Our team of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners are glad to provide a psychiatric evaluation.
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