At least tens of thousands of people (probably far more than this) worldwide experience a set of symptoms called Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome (CDS); a condition characterized by excessive mental fog, poor information processing, lethargy and mind blanking. These symptoms severely impact daily life, making it difficult for individuals to:

• succeed in school; Poor information processing means CDS students have difficulty reading, remembering and recalling information and learning. Mental fatigue makes it difficult for them to study and concentrate.
• maintain employment; The poor information processing associated with CDS means these people have difficulty seeing and remembering details and make a lot of errors, meaning workers with CDS have difficulty with employment because of their illness. That's the effect poor information processing has, not to mention the lethargic and daydreaming aspect of CDS.
• build relationships; people with CDS have a lot of trouble with expressing their thoughts clearly and concisely. This makes it hard for people with CDS to build relationships and maintain relationships, pushing them into loneliness.
• do anything; a healthy amount of energy and functional information processing is crucial to do anything in life. Having CDS makes everything more difficult.

Despite its debilitating nature and the amount of people who can relate, CDS is not yet formally recognized in major diagnostic manuals like the DSM or ICD, leaving those who suffer without proper diagnosis, research attention and treatment.

Without formal recognition, individuals with CDS continue to face misunderstanding, misdiagnosis, and lack of support. They are often labeled as lazy, unmotivated, dumb or simply not trying hard enough. This ongoing neglect not only affects their mental health and self-esteem but also denies them access to potential therapies, accommodations, and medical research. Recognizing CDS officially would not only open doors to public awareness and better care, but also encourage more research into CDS, which might provide a new angle at other psychological topics such as ADHD-I, brain fog, slow processing speed, thought formation, mind wandering, daydreaming, the list goes on -- potentially helping far more people than just people with CDS.

Every day we delay, more lives are quietly derailed by this invisible and unknown problem. Immediate action will validate the experiences of those affected, fuel necessary research, and ensure that the next generation doesn't have to live unseen and unsupported.