Memory.

[ikop]

Memory is a big problem for me. After the PTSD my memory for events, words ,and visual memory is very impaired.
Can someone here can say he improved his memory with any means ?


I did some research and some studies showed that some kind of antidepressants can promote hipocampical growth and improve cognitive function ( like memory).
One study from 2003 (without control group) showed that
"Patients with PTSD showed a significant improvement in PTSD symptoms with treatment. Treatment resulted in significant improvements in verbal declarative memory and a 4.6% increase in mean hippocampal volume"

Another study showed that
: "A new study shows that moderate aerobic exercise three times per week is able to build up critical brain tissue and short-term memory in both normal controls and people with schizophrenia. Potentially beneficial brain changes (an increase in the volume of an area known as the hippocampus.
" Following exercise training, hippocampal volume increased 12 percent in patients with schizophrenia and 16 percent in healthy controls. “To provide a context, the magnitude of these changes in volume was similar to that observed for other subcortical structures when patients were switched from typical to atypical antipsychotic drug therapy,” the authors write. Conversely, patients with schizophrenia who played tabletop football instead of exercising experienced a 1 percent decrease in hippocampal volume"

I must say that the 12-16 percent increase in the hippocampus is a lot! It is hard to believe, but any changes for a better memory are welcomed.

In addition you have some memory programs that supposed to increase cognition like posit science or the online lumosity.

Reading alone does not make my memory better....

 

[intothelight]

Hi Ikop,

My memory has improved greatly since I started graduate school. It is not just the reading, but the analyzing and the writing. Having to process what was read at this level has put my memory levels almost back to normal.

But on days the PTSD symptoms are out of control, or days I have not had enough sleep, my short-term memory is horrible and mush brain rules.

Deb

 

[ikop]

i read a lot of scientific shit about ptsd , and anaylize (it's all i do...) but my memory is still impaired.
to the level that i see the world like i am in a fog. regardless of my anxiety level or how much i slept .

 

[livergirl70]

I have found that my short term memory is terrible, but long term memory is brilliant. Doesn't help when I can't remember where I parked my car though

 

[ikop]

well. started to take paroxetine (ssri)- cause i found an article that it made the hippocampus bigger about 5% after 9 month of use (in study a) and mafe memory better by 35% (pilot study , although encouraging)

started to run 30 min at gym (study b) cause it says to improve memory and enlarge hipocampus

doing menthal math about hour a day.
and remembering card with animals .............. (like kids play ) hour a day.

it been 2 days!!!!

need my memory back.

 

[suzie q]

I can relate to your intense need to get your memory back, or at least more improvement in your recall.

I still have a memory block of the first seven years of my life. That used to drive me completely insane!!! How could I not remember something? I forced myself in therapy, read books on repressed memories, did memory exercises like you are doing now, and did get some improvement. Unfortunately, still no memories of the first seven years. It's as if I didn't exist then.

Point for me was...after 8 years of therapy and groups, my brain wouldn't let go of that time period. The harder I pushed, the more anxiety I put on myself. My therapist said it would come on its own when it was ready! The last thing I needed was anxiety and stress. I stopped and persued other ways of processing my past. I would write what I did remember in small groups of time (like age 8 to 12). It didn't matter which age sections I wrote in, I found that as I was logging memories, I would almost always remember something from another age grouping. As long as I didn't try to write in "book form" and kept myself from rereading all the time, over time, I eventually started remembering more and more details.

I really hated to write, but this method really helped me put things into perspective and relieved sooo much fear and anxiety over what "I didn't remember". Good luck and hope this will help!!

suzie q

 

[Srain]

I've read all of the studies as well and then promptly forgot them

Then reread them and wow! were they amazing, and forgot them again

and read them again and lo and behold I remembered them this last go around!! Why? I can only assume that my mind is reopening old dusty closets that I closed and boarded up years and years ago. All the studies in the world never prepared me for the reality of the onslaught of memories I couldn't remember I forgot...hmmm, does that make sense?? I forgot I forgot them and didn't even realize with just how much ferocity I was avoiding anything that would even hint to touch a reminder of the years of the past to make sure I would never remember.

The bricks just started crumbling without my permission or any notice....so truly, I am now not sure about the studies. My short term memory still sucks the big one, however, but that could be do to sensory overload and the constant static in my head.

Let me preface this with: I am in therapy gently probing at the traumas for details, I want them, I think they are important and a vital missing point. I know some people feel it's important to go in and pull out the memories. I tried that and skipped town on several occasions over the years, I wasn't ready, that worked for years to a certain degree. I can't say it was the wrong thing for me. I am not doing that now, it wouldn't work now. But that's me.

I thought the general 'idea' of the abuse was enough and then quick, move on, but that was apparently not enough, no quick fix for this stuff, not for me. I need to know what happened before I became aware of what was going on because apparently there was a lot. After that I was quite able to take care of myself.

 

[ikop]

i have read your both replays . it is hard for me to relate because i did not have this memory laps .
for me it is just normal day to day cognitive defects , i believe , must be overcome in order to have normal life.

 

[ikop]

I have a strong feeling that improving memory will improve ptsd symptoms.

 

[Reclusive]

I have had pretty bad memory issues since being affected by the PTSD. If I'm talking to someone who commits a run on sentence, I will have forgotten the beginning by the time they get to the end. If my therapist asks me a multiple part question, he'll only get a partial answer because I can't remember all the parts of the question. And my memory used to be REALLY good. Remembering what day it is is tough, I have to write things down now, getting through a paragraph can be kinda tricky at times.... just stupid little things.

 

[ikop]

i believe a memory of someone with ptsd can get better, but you have to work on it in a very aggressive approach, and to train many hours a day, just to bring it to a normal level.