Venting Terrible Memory

[RedPanda]

I'm 30 years old, my memory is failing me. I forget a lot of stuff. I wonder if depression is playing a role with this. I'll learn something, stay consistent at it, maybe take a little break and I forget practically everything. It really sucks...

 

[hahabye]

I'm 30 years old, my memory is failing me. I forget a lot of stuff. I wonder if depression is playing a role with this. I'll learn something, stay consistent at it, maybe take a little break and I forget practically everything. It really sucks...

I have read some research on how depression does have a negative impact on our memory. Can't remember the exact sources at the moment, but I'm sure they're easy to find. Very interesting stuff!

I have noticed the same thing as you have myself. Everything feels sort of clouded - my memories and my cognition as well. I use to be able to think so sharply, see everything clearly. And now it just feels foggy.

My working memory has suffered a lot too. I was forgetful before but now it's like a nightmare. I end up putting things in random places and losing all of my stuff.

I definitely don't think that's how a 26 y/o brain should function and I also suspect it's been degrading due to my mental illnesses.

 

[littleloup]

Like Hahabye commented, there's scientific research proving that depression and depressive episodes do lead to forgetfulness due to being almost in a fugue state. Personally, I do tend to forget things leading to my recall memory being absolutely terrible.

 

[LastFlowers]

Like Hahabye commented, there's scientific research proving that depression and depressive episodes do lead to forgetfulness due to being almost in a fugue state. Personally, I do tend to forget things leading to my recall memory being absolutely terrible.

I can't read "fugue state" without thinking about BB.

But yea, my memory has also been terribly foggy, not the long term so much as the short term, lots of inicidents of forgetting a thought and why I walked into a room..but to the EXTREME, just constantly.
I suspect a "supplement" I am taking is one factor but I also know my generally miserable state of being has also had a significant effect.

 

[WornOutLife]

Depression might have something to do.
You should try to activate your brain by doing daily stuff which requires some kind of mental effort.
For instance, read a short news article and try to memorize it and then make a summary with all the things you remember.

Hope you can feel better!!

Hugs and love,

Matt

 

[western_heart]

My memory is also unreliable at 33. Sometimes it's worse than others. I was dealing with bad trauma earlier this year and I was forgetting things left and right, daily stuff and past memories. It's since gotten better for me as I got out of the rut of thinking about traumatic things all the time, but there are still lots of gaps. I still dissociate some days and I will remember little.

I try to take a lot of pictures, the good times of the last five years of my life are well documented that way.

 

[FuneralCry]

I've had quite a bad memory recently and I find it hard to focus. I have overactive thoughts and for me it is probably linked to depression. I live in a fog most of the time. I guess there is always ways to improve it, I write important stuff down.

 

[hhanako]

IIRC I read that depression can cause the hippocampus atrophy (shrinkage) thus affecting memory and learning. I also suffer with unreliable memory and it often makes me feel incredibly stupid. And when I learn stuff it takes 3X longer than what your average joe can do. Aside from that, past memories of mine are rarely happy.

However, you can also help increase the volume of your hippocampus. Its a challenge though because it takes a lot of energy and discipline since it involves exercise, meditation, challenging yourself through learning. I mean, most times, doing the bare minimum is quite the feat for depressed individuals (I hate it when this happens).

 

[luten]

Same here, a lot of cognitive problems. Short-term memory, and also forming sentences, and speech problems. It started around 2017, and got worse. I think living in isolation might be a contribute to these problems, I only talk with clients, 3-4 times a week. The huge amount of Benzo's could also be the problem.