My memory problem

[Xinyta]

This is just driving me nuts because I seem to remember somethings, but a large number of other things seem to be just forgotten. It feels like I have to be willfully forgetting, because of my issues with paying attention to much of anything. But I feel like there maybe something more going on. I have been wondering for a long time if it's ASD related, but I keep telling myself that it's an excuse, because I can't be just forgetting because my condition.

But then I am wondering if I am second guessing myself with whether it's ASD related or not, because I cannot stick to my guns worth crap.

Maybe I am confusing myself because of my neurosis and wanting to doubt anything I think about. IDK.

 

[Misty Avich]

I forget more when under stress. I've had a lot of stress happening in my life recently and it's made me unintentionally forget such simple things at work and then getting into trouble for it. I think everyone forgets things when stressed but with ADHD and executive dysfunction as well it can be worse for me.

 

[Xinyta]

So I am confusing myself then. I do put myself through alot of stress. Though it's because of my own traumas.

 

[Outdated]

I have been wondering for a long time if it's ASD related, but I keep telling myself that it's an excuse, because I can't be just forgetting because my condition.

My autism came with eidetic memory, there's very little that I forget no matter how hard I try.

That said, it always fascinated me that I was able to remember so much and as a kid I experimented with it a lot. There's a few things that my brain has trouble storing, and one of those is people's names. My father had a few books on memory management and reading those taught me a few little tricks that helped.

I'd suggest looking for some memory management books, some of their tricks might be very useful to you.

Also - mental muscles behave exactly the same as physical muscles. If you don't exercise them all the time they will atrophy and diminish until they no longer exist. Use it or lose it. So if you're relying on your phone to remember things for you then you will likely never develop your own memory very much.

It's exactly the same for people with an advanced maths ability - they only have that ability as long as they keep doing maths all the time, without constant use the ability diminishes. It can always be brought back again but that takes work.

 

[Judge]

My short term memory issues are all about my age- not my autism. My long term memories remain quite good.

 

[Fino]

I seem to have both an excellent and a terrible memory, and I have yet to figure out why I remember certain things and forget certain things.

 

[Judge]

I seem to have both an excellent and a terrible memory, and I have yet to figure out why I remember certain things and forget certain things.

That's one thing in my own case I have gotten quite a handle on.

That it's the most insignificant things- (often people's names) that I so easily forget. Like it took more than 45 minutes or so to recall Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, and Bert Lahr. Better known as the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion.

Dumb, but it's reality. Which at times can be aggravating, yet it also reinforces another thing. That I haven't forgotten numbers which are critical in this lifetime in comparison.

It also reminds me of that saying, "Use it or lose it". There may be more truth to it now than ever before when it comes old age.

 

[Aneka]

This is just driving me nuts because I seem to remember somethings, but a large number of other things seem to be just forgotten. It feels like I have to be willfully forgetting, because of my issues with paying attention to much of anything. But I feel like there maybe something more going on. I have been wondering for a long time if it's ASD related, but I keep telling myself that it's an excuse, because I can't be just forgetting because my condition.

But then I am wondering if I am second guessing myself with whether it's ASD related or not, because I cannot stick to my guns worth crap.

Maybe I am confusing myself because of my neurosis and wanting to doubt anything I think about. IDK.

I'm stressed to the point where I feel like I have dementia I tend to keep important items in the same places because I will forget where I put it... Right now it's bad.

 

[Cassandra65]

This is just driving me nuts because I seem to remember somethings, but a large number of other things seem to be just forgotten. It feels like I have to be willfully forgetting, because of my issues with paying attention to much of anything. But I feel like there maybe something more going on. I have been wondering for a long time if it's ASD related, but I keep telling myself that it's an excuse, because I can't be just forgetting because my condition.

But then I am wondering if I am second guessing myself with whether it's ASD related or not, because I cannot stick to my guns worth crap.

Maybe I am confusing myself because of my neurosis and wanting to doubt anything I think about. IDK.

I've been taking ginseng for about 18 months and it's made a big difference to my memory - it's not perfect, but a lot of things I knew I knew but just couldn't 'find' in my memory are now much easier to recall. Hope this helps x

 

[Cassandra65]

I'm stressed to the point where I feel like I have dementia I tend to keep important items in the same places because I will forget where I put it... Right now it's bad.

You may be ES (Electro-sensitive) - brain fog and poor memory can be signs. My be worth switching off wi-fi at night etc and see if that helps

 

[Misty Avich]

I remember names and birthdays very well though. I just forget things in a disorganised way, not things about people.

 

[FoxLovinPat]

Ya I get that, I've been trying to figure out the same thing except in my case I dunno if it's an ASD thing, a trauma thing, a mix of both, or perhaps something else entirely.

I can't really recall a lot of my life, even the traumatic stuff I can't fully recall. Like I know there's people whose memory is so good that they can remember the exact details around events that happened years ago, exactly what was said word for word, the exact scene down to the letter, felt emotions and all that.
I can't remember things like that, heck there's often times where a family member will remind me of something that happened in the past and ask if I remember that but sadly I can't wheras they can go into full detail about it, though they might jog my memory on some of it.

It can be frustrating at times to not really remember much of anything, and I wish I knew why that was.

 

[Cassandra65]

I remember names and birthdays very well though. I just forget things in a disorganised way, not things about people.

Same for me, and the ginseng has really helped - I've allegedly got an eidetic memory (as well as can be expected for a post-menopausal woman!), so names. birthdays etc are fine, but I was forgetting a lot more day-to-day stuff like some of the things I needed at the shops, bills that needed paying, stuff that needed posting before a certain date to get my refund, etc etc. The ginseng has definitely helped with that, as well as recalling things like , or hearing a song from ages ago and remembering the title and artist; things which I previously knew I knew but couldn't quite reach. I'd smell something and feel really nostalgic (smell is very much linked to memories for me), but pre-ginseng I wouldn't be able to put my finger on what/when it reminded me of. I'm ES and currently living surrounded by wi-fi in all directions (happily I'm moving very soon!); I expect at least part of my poor memory and low-level brain fog will improve once I'm in a less built-up area. Here's a links to a PDF leaflet about the symptoms of ES (the health issue), and a link to ES-UK (the organisation - they've got all the latest info freely available):
https://www.es-uk.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ES-UK-information-leaflet-2018-1.pdfhttps://www.es-uk.info/

 

[tree]

https://www.columbiapsychiatry.org/news/why-forgetting-good-your-memory
"The importance of forgetting is a relatively new concept for science. Until about a decade ago, normal forgetting—in contrast to ‘pathological’ forgetting that occurs in disease and with aging—was seen a passive process that served no useful purpose. Then studies began to coalesce from numerous fields revealing that there are separate molecular ‘nano-machines’ within neurons—one for memory and the other for forgetting. These findings point to an active mechanism within our brain that helps us clear out unnecessary pieces of information so that we can retain the most relevant for long-term storage."

 

[jsilver256]

I find that my memory is simply wired differently than others'. I can remember almost nothing about other people (names, faces, details) and a lot about random things or texts I encounter. Most NTs seem wired in the opposite direction.

 

[Aneka]

You may be ES (Electro-sensitive) - brain fog and poor memory can be signs. My be worth switching off wi-fi at night etc and see if that helps

There are social environments I'm currently stuck with and they drain me. I managed to almost put a fork in the toaster instead of bread because I'm so out of it. I keep putting stuff in strange places...

 

[Aneka]

You may be ES (Electro-sensitive) - brain fog and poor memory can be signs. My be worth switching off wi-fi at night etc and see if that helps

I also have restless legs, weather shifts and full moon or stress aggravates it. I noticed that folic acid helps a bit. So you might have a point with Es, it wouldn't surprise me.

 

[Jonn]

But then I am wondering if I am second guessing myself with whether it's ASD related or not, because I cannot stick to my guns worth crap.

Do you have ADD, ADHD, and/or executive dysfunction?
My ADD makes it difficult for me to focus, and I think that may be one reason I have poor short-term memory.

 

[Jonn]

I forget more when under stress. I've had a lot of stress happening in my life recently and it's made me unintentionally forget such simple things at work and then getting into trouble for it. I think everyone forgets things when stressed but with ADHD and executive dysfunction as well it can be worse for me.

I spoke to a psychologist around 44 years ago about my memory problems.
He said it could be caused by a number of things and then promptly left it at that.
Thanks for nothing. lol

Yep, stress would be a major factor, IMO.
I was suicidal in my twenties, something that lasted a decade.
That wouldn't have helped.

Also, if you have a lifetime of suppressing unpleasant memories, I am guessing that your memory-recall function atrophies.

 

[Jonn]

Also - mental muscles behave exactly the same as physical muscles. If you don't exercise them all the time they will atrophy and diminish until they no longer exist. Use it or lose it. So if you're relying on your phone to remember things for you then you will likely never develop your own memory very much.

This may have happened to me to a large degree.

I have been actively training myself to recall memories.
I am not sure how much this is going to help at my age, though.

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