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I think it's getting worse for me.
Today I left the house with the kit bag with all my stuff in it, for a race I'm doing tonight. Had the bag packed and ready to go about 5 minutes before leaving the house. Anyway, it feels like a regular occurrence for me, forgetting where I've left something in the house, or going to do something and forgetting to take the most important thing.
I think maybe I'm overthinking it because my mum has Alzheimers, and there's a niggle in the back of my head that it's a very early sign. I know there any many other signs of it, but it really makes me anxious when it happens.
Perhaps it's down to my general anxiety, as I know memory loss and depression/anxiety are linked.
Anyone else forgetful like that?
I packed my kit into the van on Tuesday morning so I could ride home after work. I locked the front door and got in the van when my friend said "is your bike at work?". Nope, it was still in the house.
It might be simply be getting older, but I swear I'm a lot more forgetful since my RTA nearly six years ago. For example, I don't remember having to use bike lights this time last year to travel intop work at 0600.
Perfectly normal, I think.
I do the whole "wandering in to a room and asking myself what I came in for" thing with frightening regularity
I think it's probably more age related than anything else. My memory is getting worse as I'm getting older, and yes it gets frustrating sometimes but it doesn't seem any worse than friends & colleagues of a similar age.
And let's face it, we all do stupid things sometimes like only packing 1 shoe or forgetting the bike no matter how old we are. I know I have.
Yep, does get worse as you get older. I went to the Coop the other week and was at the self checkout when I realised I'd forgotton my wallet. Never done that before. Plus a lot of 'what did I come into this room for' moments. Only 48....
My Grandfather died quite young of Alzheimer's as well, so there is always that thought there somewhere.
Thanks for the replies. Yea, it really gets me down when I do something like this.
Yea, it really gets me down when I do something like this.
On the bright side, by this time tomorrow, you'll have forgotten all about it.
On the bright side, by this time tomorrow, you’ll have forgotten all about it.
Don't know what you're talking about.
🙂
What did I come into this thread for, again?
Most of these events happen when people are not being mindful. If you can teach yourself to slow down, take stock, think about what needs doing and keep your mind on the job these memory disasters happen a lot less and the process of remembering stuff becomes quite enjoyable.
Yup, worries me too. I'm also very aware whenever I can't think of a... word, knowing that in the past I'd never have to pause to recall the specific word I'm looking for.
Its what I call "the librarian issue" If you imagine your memory as a room full of filing cabinets with a librarian retrieving the information you want, as you get older you keep adding more filing cabinets full of information so its harder and takes longer for the librarian to find it.
How true this is I do not know but the forgetfulness getting worse does seem to be a normal aging thing.
Yes deffo an age thing, I often misplace things then spend ages looking in even more stupid places. Then said item turns up roughly where I left it. I don't worry about it at all.
I’m also very aware whenever I can’t think of a… word, knowing that in the past I’d never have to pause to recall the specific word I’m looking for
Me too and also the names of people I know.
Whilst I would agree its an age thing. I also believe its how your brain is wired. I can remember the most random things for decades ago, not big impotent things, just normal everyday things. I have always felt my brain just doesn't clog itself with unimportant crap, like street names I couldn't tell you any street near me whilst others can recite the city. Nothing to worry about just your way of handling info.
big impotent things
another problem to look forward to.
I can never remember locking the front door. I’ll get into the car and ready to go but because incan’t Specifically remember locking the door I am compelled to get out and check. In all the years i’ve Been ‘suffering’ from this affliction I have never once forgotten to lock the door, but yet I still need to check.
But I am forgetful too! Apparently forgetfulness is nothing to do with altzheimers. It’s mostly down to not focusing on the task at hand and doing a lot of stuff on auto pilot like getting to work and parking up but not being able to recall the journey to work at all. Our minds are not great at multi tasking. They can function but you might not be registering.
Sorry to say you’re completely normal! Nothing wrong with you at all. Just life.
Going back to the librarian issue above, what's the collective thought on practice as a means of keeping things easier to remember? Use a word often enough, or talk enough with clients, and you inevitably find it a little easier to recall things, formulate sentences on the fly etc.
How about other skills and memories?
I've heard rather than worry about forgetting why you've gone into a room (which is normal,) you worry when you don't know where you are or how you got there.
Nicko - I am awful at remebering names. One thing I try to do which helps is find a "hook" to hang it on so I ask e the person something about themselves. So rather than try to remember Senga from just her face I also know its Senga from Niddrie. Helps a bit
as I know memory loss and depression/anxiety are linked.
Its maybe not memory 'loss' as such in those circumstances. When you're anxious, stressed or depressed you're not really concentrating on the moment so you're not really making memories to recall later
Park car then get bike sorted. Lock car doors and set off. Quarter mile later I can't remember locking the car and have to cycle back to make sure. Not left car unlocked yet!
big impotent things
another problem to look forward to.
Very good. 😂
If you left the house with the bag i don't see the issue? Proof reading may be suffering though?!
Years ago I had a head injury and my already awful memory got even worse. My friends don't seem to mind when I share an anecdote with them, that they told me the day before.
Saved me a packet too, as long as I don't use a bookmark I can reread the same pages of a book numerous times before the deja vu sets in 🙂
Seems to be getting worse with age, I'm now 50 and spend most of my working day going back to the builders merchant for the thing I forgot last time.
I used to work with a guy who had had an accident (think car related) and as a result had very limited short term memory and epilepsy. He developed an impressive work discipline, meticulous post-it notes everywhere detailing where he was in each bit of work. Didn't stop him producing very impressive technical analyses.
I use a variation of TJ's librarian with kids in exam years. I just go with the filing cabinets of facts not being marked so we need to practise so the librarian knows where the facts are.
To help with this my classes have at least 20 fact/definition questions each week and there are at least 5 from previous work in each set.
We call it SLOPs Shit Loads Of Practise.
I passed a yellow mini on the motorway with a for sale sign in the back, pulled off at the next junction, came off the roundabout and yellow mini with for sale sign in the back window was in front of me. Never passed me.the second time this has happened. My wife thinks i stop but can't remember and then set off again.
Just take the hint and buy my bloody mini!
Most of these events happen when people are not being mindful.
This. Times quite a bit.
As a kid, I had a paper round during the course of which I would inevitably have to retrace my steps more than a few times every day, as I would pass the house of a subscriber, and have no recollection as to whether or not I had actually delivered a paper there.
It turned out that the fact I was actually reading the headlines as I delivered the papers had a huge effect on my memory.
The same thing happens to me today all the time.
I can remember every tv ad from the 1970s and 80s, but I can’t remember what I did 5 minutes ago. Normally, it’s because my head is in the clouds.
My problem is too many memories - I have a bad habit of mulling over stuff I did and said in my younger years and causing myself distress. The silly thing about that is that everybody else will have forgotten them by now.