I'm afflicted with dysthymia so it's been several years since I've enjoyed food enough for meals themselves to be memorable. I have to schedule meals with an alarm on my phone in order to remind myself to eat. I eat like a methadone patient – for maintanence now, no longer for pleasure. And "long Covid" hasn't changed that for better or worse.

So maybe try things this way. Engage taste as an intellectual concept, an alternative form of structure undefined by enjoyment, you sat on the chair so the chair is there, as a thought/fact/concept of structure. Memorable in hedonistic fashion does not necessarily denote memorable by function. You have tried these things so the "knowledge" of their taste exists. Phrase thought in terms of "if I were feeling better what would I feel like" or "when I consider the current function of my body what do I remember that stands out to me at this moment", perhaps try this within different environments like at sunrise with one foot in the ocean and one in the sand, standing on your head, riding a horse facing backwards, lying on your back looking at a flower upside down, something that changes the standardised placement and pattern of thought for you. Frankly I'm no professional but this is what currently comes to mind for this. Perhaps too if you have mechanised the function of eating to that degree then try standing looking at sections of food when shopping and see what catches your eye for longest for any unknown reason. If you have tried it in some manner before buy it. Look it up and see what you think of the history. Find some recipe that contains it then make it, you've got to eat anyway so who cares. Just don't buy all the chips, lollies and soda that catch your eye and bear in mind any medications you're on.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll let you if or how they affect me.

Hopefully they're good for you, don't know that there's ever purely a right thing to say for some things in life.

I was just reading some of this thread today and discovered that you had Covid_19. I hope that you are getting over the long term effects. In spite of the discussion on vaccines and the impact of the impact of lockdown etc, I am not really aware of anyone talking about the experiences of having the virus. This is perhaps a missing area of discussion and people who have actually had it need to have a voice because I believe that it can take a long while for people to recover fully.

Thanks, Jack. The virus caught me sometime in late February (fortunately, before the "Delta variant" hit the US) but the infection's symptoms weren't bad enough to hospitalize me. I'm still recovering, however, as I mentioned previously. Next week I'm scheduled to receive my second Pfizer jab to increase my odds of staying out of the hospital and the morgue if and when the "Delta variant" or next nastier variant comes calling. I'm fairly isolated, working from home when not collecting unemployment, taking long walks in early morning and in the evening daily, and two or three times a month I'm quickly in and out of my local supermarket early when it isn't busy. No mass transit, movie theatres (I will go out to see Dune when it premieres in October!), festivals, nightclubs, restaurants, bars or cafes in several months. One cross country trip to Portland, Oregon in May because of a family emergency. Looking forward to another Zoom birthday on the 16th. So this is me – meet the "new normal", same as the old normal. :death: :flower:

Be well and stay safe, Jack. :mask:

I hope you stay well. It is a problem with all the new variants and I would imagine that people will have to keep having further vaccines as the initial ones will wear off. I don't know many people in real life who had the virus. Of course, it is possible to have it and not have symptoms at all. I was surprised that I didn't get it in the beginning because I was still working and had to travel to work on the buses. Strangely, I have got sick far less often during the time of the pandemic. The only thing I have is my eye problem and it just has to be monitored but I may need an operation at some point.

Anyway, I hope that you have a good birthday on the 16th. My anniversary of joining this site a year ago is on the 9th.

:up: Thanks!

From 2021 ...

Covid-19, probably a long-hauler (c4 months so far), with chronic fatigue and brain fog and minor respiratory issues ... — 180 Proof

:mask: ... even though the world has moved on, long covid still has me by the throat:

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/feb/28/brain-fog-from-long-covid-has-measurable-impact-study-suggests

It’s probably my suggested cure for everything, but CBD/cannabis products show promise in treating long covid according to this article.

Also, I’d imagine cutting out sugar and white flour (and other acid-forming foods) from the diet, replacing with stevia and whole grains can help with brain fog. Probiotics and fermented foods like kombucha tea and kefir are powerful for healing.

:up: Thanks.

even though the world has moved on, long covid still has me by the throat: — 180 Proof

Sorry to hear that. Hope progress in treatment comes about.

Thank you.

I was diagnosed with depression two weeks ago, and the doctor gave me antidepressants. I feel better now, but the side effects are uncomfortable -- dry mouth and headaches. Well, the doctor said that this specific antidepressant (it is called 'Sertralina') is not really addictive, and I would leave it easily in the future.