Short Term Memory Issues

[landytoday]

Have as anyone suffered short term memory issues.

Absoulutely! I have gotten lost driving to my dad's house. In the town I grew up in!! Yes, I have horrible memory problems now. Psych says anxiety.....but I don't really see how that would explain all of the incidences of memory issues. And yes, I totally blank during conversations.

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[landytoday]

Sorry if this sounds a bit stupid but memory loss (short term) can be caused by ptsd? I thought I was just going insane when I couldn't remember things like I used to and then I realized it's been a steady decline since my ptsd has gotten worse. I wasn't sure if there was a connection or not

Do you feel better or worse now that you know? Apparantly cognitive challenges as well. Fun times.

 

[landytoday]

Yep.
I have frustrating memory issues. I can memorize several pages of information just by repetition of reading and writing it. However, I can’t remember taking vitamins a minute after I’ve taken them unless I’ve checked it off my list. It is incredibly frustrating.

I then wonder, … ‘did I take them?’ I didn’t remember taking them, but I must have or they would still be next to the plate.
Stuff like this happens all the time – if I don’t put my keys or glasses in the exact same place, I won’t remember where they are. Same thing with parking and driving routes need to be the same, and I have to have a list of what I am doing or I will forget where I’m going.

I have to read for 20-30 minutes before my focus finally 'clicks' ... then I go back to the beginning and start over; once my focus is 'clicked in place' my memory is more normal.

My short term memory is really awful. If it wasn’t so frustrating it would be funny.

Almost exactly what I go through daily as well

 

[Anna]

Yesterday my friend wanted to give me something. First we went to the bank. Then we walked to the car park. I went towards my car and she yelled "Wait! I have to give you the bag"

She told me and like 3 mins later I forgot!!!!

If I receieve instructions strangely, I do not forget them... It is really annoying me lately. I am forgetting whole conversations, sometimes I don't even recall why I said what I did to someone or anything... Is horrible :(

 

[bittersweet]

Do you feel better or worse now that you know? Apparantly cognitive challenges as well. Fun times.

since I've been on my medication and seeing a good T I've actually gotten a bit better with my memory. I still have times where my mind is mush but nowhere as bad as it used to be

 

[kimba]

Talk about short term, I went to take a shower and put my glasses on my dresser first. Got sidetracked after flushing toilet by noise outside. Went to grab my glasses from the shelf over the toilet where I convinced myself I left them. Freaked out because I thought I flushed them accidentally down the toilet. After a few minutes of searching frantically, nearly blind keep in mind, I went into my bedroom and found them on my dresser. I nearly cried in relief.:oops: Finally took shower.

 

[QuietLight]

If my family read this thread, I guarantee they will all look at each other and then all straight point at Me! Especially the post about the coffee and fridge. I once put my car keys in the freezer and went into a panic...after grocery shopping. WHO Does That???? Oh, yes...I DO!

Note, in a fight or argument...I can yell something and then 2 seconds later forget what I shouted out or the other person shouted at me...and I stand there blank feeling verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry dumb! Uh, what were we arguing about? Uh....uh....

And as for vitamins and such...I gave up. Too many times it became so routine I questioned whether I took them or not. Rather than OD.... Now I try to eat more veggies! ;)

 

[712xx]

Quietlight, I keep a checklist of anything I need to consume or do for that day on the fridge (or in my travel mini-notebook if I'm away from home). Of course, I have to check it off either right as I'm doing it or right after -- forget it if I'm interupted, lol. But the checklist helps SO much. If it is a routine thing I do everyday, it has to be on the list (a new one everyday), because since it is routine I might be remembering doing it yesterday or the day before, rather than today. Being able to see that check next to the task is a life saver.

 

[Yzeal]

Not sure if it's the exact same thing, but I've been having a similar problem--I'll be in the middle of doing something and then completely forget what I was doing. It lasts about a minute and a half, when I suddenly remember what it was. The back ends of sentences also tend to disappear a lot when I'm speaking (it doesn't happen in text, probably because I have to keep thinking to get my fingers to move to make the sentence). A friend of mine calls them "brain-zaps," and said that they should clear up.

Of course what I've neglected to mention here is that sometimes I clean forget where I even am at the time, which is a bit alarming...

EDIT: I just jinxed myself. It happened again. :O_o:

 

[QuietLight]

Quietlight, I keep a checklist of anything I need to consume or do for that day on the fridge (or in my travel mini-notebook if I'm away from home). because since it is routine I might be remembering doing it yesterday or the day before, rather than today. Being able to see that check next to the task is a life saver.

My husband has said to me a million times, get a little pocket notebook and keep it on you. I avoided it like the plague. So I finally did. It then it became my recipes notebook! lol. Can you tell that I am avoiding that issue? lol. I have been keeping more notes and trying to do checklists. I am so unroutined in certain areas and extremely routine in others.

I have to take note to what Yzeal stated about back ends of sentences disappearing while speaking...I'm told I jump right into the middle of a sentence without letting anyone know what I'm talking about...meaning...I may say something like.......(I think I said it outloud) Turned off the light and don't know where she is....to a response of HUH? And I will say, I just said "So and so ran in the house and turned off the light, I don't know where she is!". To the response...that is not what you said, you just said turned off the light and don't know where she is...and a tiff will happen because I was SURE I said it! Ugh! I like the brain zap idea. Just not on me! lol

 

[712xx]

I know exactly what you mean QL. It took me a long time before I was successful with my lists. At first, my list wouldn't even be complete till a few days after the day I was trying to organize, lol. Notes wouldn't be in any order, or written neatly on lines; they'd be trailing across, down, and upside down. I had to start out just figuring out a simple routine (didn't include everything) of 3-4 things to follow everyday. I would do other things, but as long as I kept writing those 3-4 things for each day, it gave me the practice I needed to build a more complex list later on.

I understand about jumping in the middle of things too. I have issues with my focus. I have about 20-30 minutes of warm up time before my focus can click into place, so I'll just jump into the middle of a book I want to read -- it really doesn't matter anyway, I won't take anything in till I've warmed up. When my focus finally does feel solid, I can then just start over from the beginning. I found that doing my warm-up book trick before I have to seriously do anything, can help me start at the beginning of anything with a logical linear focus.

It does take practice to find out your own personal tricks to staying on track. I was treated like an incapable flake my entire youth. When you are treated like a flake, you tend to believe them. Instead of them helping me (starting off small and building on it), they just insulted and made fun of me. Making a joke has its place sometimes, but not every darn day, and in every situation. It becomes a hinderance and a mental block for any creative idea that might be helpful.

I couldn't ever do it their way no matter how hard I tried, and didn't know there were other ways to do things till I was grown and on my own (and had to sink or swim). I'm proud of myself (after a long time of being ashamed) for finding my independence; but, it frustrates me that, since I don't follow a normal course for getting things done, I'm still seen as disfunctional. :cautious:

Sure, my lists and memory and focus tricks are my life line, but I found a way. It does take me twice as long to plan tomorrow as anyone else, but I've found I can be more productive than 'normal' I've known, because I take the time to pay attention to the details. I know where I failed in the past, and can plan for them now. I can't just sit my things any old place or I will lose them; so, I have a place for everything.

I can't just be spontaneous and leave the house without a written plan for where I'm going and what I am doing when I get there, or I will get lost and forget why I was in the car to begin with; but, I don't have a huge gas bill like those spontaneous people either. :p And I'm not in danger of being locked up again, as long as I follow my lists and plans and don't end up crying in a stranger's driveway asking where I am and how to get back home. Nope, not ever again (I hope).:rolleyes:

 

[QuietLight]

Your post makes me giggle! :) I'm now near the town where I spent most of my youth...and after being in Greece for 10 years and not driving, I am so used to walking driving....everyone yells at me for getting lost! (And I grew up here!) And I get this weird panic...just go straight...until reality hits and says...duh, you're wasting gas (And at These prices) turn around. Ok, ok...that was a few times since I came back. I'm far better now and test myself. I choose to walk rather than drive! lol

My late husband was the king of spontaneous and it always ticked me off....yet I still live quite spontaneously. My current husband is total opposite. He HAS to plan and he gets really irked if I, not knowingly, change his plans. He has his spot for his keys, he has his notes, his side of the desk is immaculate while mine has the pile on it... he is king organizer. He thinks its "Cute" when he sees me try to organize. Which irks me because I'm not trying to be cute...I'm trying to Organize!!!! lol.

He would applaud you for telling me to write everything down. And then look at me and say, See?! Someone else directing you the same way! :) I just wish I could master this short term memory business. My husband swears he tells me things and I swear I never heard it before in my life! Totally depressing, especially after my kids agree with him. Like 10 minutes ago, I went to get applejuice and went into the kitchen, poured it, got lost in something else, repotted a plant...grabbed my juice, got into straightening something, came in to sit down and looked over and said, Where is my juice???? Oh it's in the kitchen...nope....it was on the coffee table. Say What? :/