Memory & Time Issues, Past and Present

[upstream]

Awakening,

Your post made me feel better! Harassment is definitely significant and yet you still forgot about it. I know that my forgetfulness is not just about insignificant things.

Sorry Rachel, it wasn't my intention to make you feel bad. But your question seemed to be about remembering specific dates and lengths of time, not specific events. I would find that to be exceptional trait for anyone, PTSD or not. I hope you didn't take my post to mean that your life hasn't been significant or something like that.

I remember when I was in grade school I used to ponder this a lot. I would think that today is not out of the ordinary, so I won't remember it next year. Then I would think about how who I am today will have been forgotten by the person I will be 10 years from now. Strange, perhaps, but it turned out to be true.

When people ask me what I did a few days ago... if the day was structured or out of the ordinary I'll remember it... otherwise I'll struggle until I look at my calendar and realize that I didn't do anything worth remembering on that day. That's what I meant by that, some days aren't anywhere near the life altering level. A lot of my friends are the same way. I just chatted with one online:

me: can you remember what you did last thursday?
friend: no clue
me: how about yesterday?
friend: yes
me: saturday?
friend: yes
me: if you felt an emotion last week, can you remember how long you felt it for?
friend: nope
me: I don't remember what i did last thursday either
friend: if i went back and looked at my calendar and had something on it, i'd prolly remember but off the top of my head, i remember very little

Anyway, I hope that helps make this less scary for you.

 

[upstream]

Forgetting can be good!

Rachel,

My brother just sent me this:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7289245.stm

The article suggests that not remembering things is a sign of good mental health. :occasion:

Hope that helps...

 

[reallydown]

Hi Rachel,

I have some memory problems too...I'm sure some of them are completely normal but I also have times when I go to do something and before I get there I stop because I have no idea what I want...I have also had trouble with school lately ...I study for exams, I do the readings (although I have trouble focusing) and I am ready for exams most of the time and yet, I sometimes get in there and just forget everything...and then I panic and the results show it. As for the trauma, I don't rememebr all aspects of it. So I gues swhat I'm trying to say is, part of it is natural and part is related to PTSD...maybe because we don't get enough sleep or we're too stressed etc. Not sure if this is helpful at all...But I think I have an idea about how you feel. Take care.

 

[Roo]

Sorry...what was the question? :wink:

I call my frequent blips in memory "brain farts." I'm nearly 49; my husband is 55. The latest -- and most hilarious -- brain fart occurred the other day, when I was raving, yet again, about my damn glasses. I'm forever losing them. "Where are my glasses!?" I howled at my poor hubby, who took one look at me and fell over laughing.

They were on my head.

I'm learning to chuckle at my lapses...to be kind about them. We're all in this together, aren't we... :Hug_emoticon:

 

[nic]

I've always had a good memory, but when I started taking Risperdol four years ago, I suddenly had memory issues and word-finding problems. I would forget close friends or family member's names. I even forgot what year it was. (I had a major breakdown at work once because I kept searching for something that would tell me what year it was, as I was way too embarassed to ask anyone.) I haven't been on this medication for over a year now, and while the memory issues are better, they haven't gone away. Today, for about two or three minutes, I couldn't remember my good friend's name--and she was standing right in front of me!!! Yikes!

 

[linasmom]

Upstream,

It's ok. I initially took your comments as being dismissive of what I know has been more than just having a bad memory. I felt like you were calling me a liar, which I know is not what you were doing, but that's how I initially interpreted the comments in my head.

It's like someone says one thing but I hear something completely different. It's embarrassing.

Best,
rachel

 

[upstream]

Rachel,

In Diversity and Inclusion training I learned a concept called "intent ≠ impact"

The idea is that what you intend to communicate to someone is not the impact that it will have on them... and that the impact someone had on you may not have been intended.

My apologies for coming across as dismissive... I suppose I should have asked before rushing to an opinion.

 

[Awakening]

I forgot I posted in this thread:rofl:

 

[upstream]

it took me a while to get that... I'm getting slow

 

[BritKat]

Memory

Hi
I have memory problems, mainly short term and from around the time of my trauma. I had a lot of word-finding problems for a couple of years, and we weren't sure if it was due to head injury, the pain medication, or lack of sleep/PTSD. It was so embarrassing for me as one of my key skills has always been communication. It got a lot better and then I had a bad week last week (alone, partner away, no sleep, pain, medication again) and it got really bad again - losing words multiple times in the space of an hour. It was awful and I was so upset that it had come back. It seems to be improving again, but as I am still not sure if it is PTSD or the pain meds, I have been opting for pain the last few weeks as I've had to do a lot of presentations, and it would be awful if I lost words there (at my new job, hardly anyone knows).

The other weird memory thing is that my trauma was around the time of a loved ones birthday, and for a whole year I couldn't remember this person's birthday! I didn't realise why. Then one day I saw the diary for that week and realised that I had somehow hidden this memory. Even now, when I know, I have to think 'ah, her birthday is next to the trauma, so that means it is trauma-1'.

I can remember the names of people I met once at a conference from before the trauma, but not the person who sits next to me every day!

I think sometimes I lose whole days and weeks because if alone I can do nothing but eat my nails and gaze into space for whole days. Not surprising I can't remember anything about it.

Worst thing is, I used to be great on pub quiz teams... and now I'm hopeless.

 

[Cecilia]

There have been many times that I have been at a loss for words. They just go away right in middle of the sentence; or I forget the name of the person I am talking to.

What is really embarrassing is when I can't recall my own phone number, social security number or address. I just stand there staring and my mind is a total blank. It does not happen all the time; mainly if I am nervous, upset or tired. But considering I get upset and don't know why, others around me are confused as to why I can't remember basic information.

 

[linasmom]

Cecilia,

I forget my address all of the time! It's so embarrassing!