Memory issues

[Ellie.s]

My memory works in a weird way!
I attended this photography lessons 2 years ago and I have absolutely no memory of me being there, but I know a lot of things about dslr!
I don't have images in my head. I can't even picture my mother.
Sometimes, for a split second I forget everything and question my surroundings.
For example, I was traveling, was in a bus and suddenly I'm thinking "am I really in a bus? Did I get in on time?" And then I looked around and everything was fine.
The other day I was walking and suddenly I'm thinking "where am I going?" I didn't panic, continued walking and 3 minutes later I remembered.
Do you ever find yourselves questioning things you already know? I don't know if I'm saying it the right way, so here's an example:
I know this girl for about a year now. I see her every other day because we attend a lesson together. We talk a lot, we've gone out for a coffee 5 times, and we text a lot.
Now, here's the thing. I know her name is M. I'm sure. It's written in my contacts, I hear other people calling her M., I have called her M. many times, but I always find myself questioning whether her name is M. or not. I'm thinking "maybe I got it wrong, she doesn't look like a M."
When I go to the SM: I make this list, I forget the list, forget to take a bag with me, and I end up buying half of the things I needed!
My doctor did all this blood examination and found nothing and gave me pills for Alzheimer's, and I find myself asking "did I take the pill today?"
On the other hand, I remember details that nobody else remembers. I can recall conversations I had a really long time ago, with every detail. When I read a book, I can recall most of it for a long time. I learn very easily and remember everything I've learned.
I'm wondering, how does your memory work? I've read somewhere that aspies have a great long term memory. I think I've got a very good long term memory but due to PTSD I've forgotten 99% of my childhood.
These incidents happened in a long period of time, it's not something I have to deal with everyday (except for short memory issues!)
All in all I think I prefer my memory than a regular one! I may have some issues, but for example: the photography lessons. I skipped the unnecessary stuff and kept the important!

 

[Streetwise]

I don't like my memory I'm sick of constantly looking for things that are right in front of me ,it's degrading feeling as though you are senile.
I had a near photographic memory that's gone ,I could cry a river but I know it would be panic .
senility terrifies me

 

[WittyAspie]

I have had those moments when I suddenly don’t know what I am doing or why I am at a particular place. Sometimes it takes awhile before I finally remember what I went to the store for.

As a kid I had a decent memory, but not so much anymore. I forget things all the time. My dad, who I suspect has ASD, is much the same way. Your style of memory could very well be related to ASD.

 

[Iamnotarabot]

Well , i am also the person constantly looking for his stuff, sometime I try to convice myself to not double check were my keys are , but i realy need to think realy hard to trust myself. I am at a point where i just do it without noticing.

Well today i was on the bus and this bus has a path similar to another bus line i use, and at the moment where they seperate i was like " WTF I TOOK THE WRONG BUS" , and it was ok...

Yesterday was also horrible!
Waiting for a train ! Took the wrong one while saying to myself that the train coming wasnt the right one!


I also have a tendency to do things in loop at home, like...I want to take some cofee, i go down but i forgot to grab my cup ( sometime i litteraly bring 10 cups in my room because everytime i forget ) , or, i get the cup down, and dont re use it and take another one.

Funnier, sometimes i go down, dont take the cup, forget why i even went down, do something not related to this, go up again, then remember i wanted cofee, then go down and forget the cup , and GOD it can go on sooooo long .

I dont realy think it is related to memory but more to focus...

+ When i try to remember a fact i always have to find something related to the fact and not the fact itself.

 

[Ellie.s]

Thank you for the replies so far!
@Streetwise even though it's early for me, I can relate.
@WittyAspie people are telling me "you have to exercise your brain as you get older", and even though this is true, I don't think it has to do anything with my case. I think it has something to do with ASD. Because I really try hard, read a lot, practice math etc.

Waiting for a train ! Took the wrong one while saying to myself that the train coming wasnt the right one!

God! I've done this so many times!!! Not only with trains, there's a weird wiring in my brain and I do the wrong thing while telling myself that this is not the thing I wanted to do!

Funnier, sometimes i go down, dont take the cup, forget why i even went down, do something not related to this, go up again, then remember i wanted cofee, then go down and forget the cup , and GOD it can go on sooooo long .

I think this has a name. The door effect or something.

When i try to remember a fact i always have to find something related to the fact and not the fact itself.

This is interesting. When I want to remember a fact, I have to remember how I've learned it, to whom I told, what I was doing when I learned it (even if we are talking physics!)

I dont realy think it is related to memory but more to focus...

yeah, I was thinking about this, also, sometimes it's about what I think is important. Too many times people tell me "don't forget to do this" but for me it's not first priority so I completely forget it.

 

[the_tortoise]

I've had terrible short term memory my entire life.

Even as a young child I would forget what I was doing the moment I looked away from it or thought of something else (well, the moment my attention actually shifted, I mean ... it would not just shift back).

It's actually gotten better as an adult, because I'll know I've forgotten something before I can actually remember what it is I've forgotten (instead of just forgetting).

 

[Iamnotarabot]

THe door effect that sound like a movie title xD

Well i didnt realize you took alzeimer treatement? How old are you? you think this is the good thing to do? I mean if you have it yeah it should be but if not then :s

 

[Suzanne]

Have a good long term memory, but seems not as good as yours; and have a really bad short term memory, but seems better than yours lol

I wonder if it is worth having a brain scan? I had one and ok, they are awful and very frightening and especially if one is claustophobic, but you do not mention that, so I assume not.

Just so typical of a dr to give you a tablet, without even looking further. Blood work is not going to say anything about the brain and wow, it does not take rocket science, to know it is to do with the brain.

I had a brain scan because of the scare of a tumor, as my words seem to have a cloud around them and I would start questioning if I really had spoken and seemed far away and the dr suggested it was best to scan and all that came through was a bit of sinus issues LOL

As it happens, it was prozac that had caused it.

 

[clg114]

My short term memory seems to be getting worse as I get older. I do not think this is age related. My mind is incredibly crowed place. I am always thinking of to many thing at the sane time. This causes me to forget some of these things.

A good example of this is something I do at work a lot. Most of the time, the machine that I am working on is inside of a building. My service truck is outside, a few minutes walk away. While walking to the truck, I am thinking about the machine that I am working on. When I get to the truck, I forgot what I came for. I have to stop and think what I was just doing in order to remember.

My theory is that as a person gets older, their mind gets fuller which causes them to forget things. Or maybe I am just getting old. Thoughts?

 

[Judge]

In my 60s, my short term memory is suffering. I have to work at retaining things that I don't often have reason to recall.

The latest examples? Recalling terms like Coriander and Cilantro. I seem to have difficulty recalling either of them after so much time passes by. No real reason for me to recall either of them, but I find it quite disturbing when I can't.

 

[Nitro]

I'm eidetic with a memory that provides crystal clear images as my long term memory.

 

[Bolletje]

My long term memory is sublime, pretty much eidetic. My short term memory is erratic at best.

 

[onlything]

My memory works in a weird way!
I attended this photography lessons 2 years ago and I have absolutely no memory of me being there, but I know a lot of things about dslr!
I don't have images in my head. I can't even picture my mother.
Sometimes, for a split second I forget everything and question my surroundings.
For example, I was traveling, was in a bus and suddenly I'm thinking "am I really in a bus? Did I get in on time?" And then I looked around and everything was fine.
The other day I was walking and suddenly I'm thinking "where am I going?" I didn't panic, continued walking and 3 minutes later I remembered.
Do you ever find yourselves questioning things you already know? I don't know if I'm saying it the right way, so here's an example:
I know this girl for about a year now. I see her every other day because we attend a lesson together. We talk a lot, we've gone out for a coffee 5 times, and we text a lot.
Now, here's the thing. I know her name is M. I'm sure. It's written in my contacts, I hear other people calling her M., I have called her M. many times, but I always find myself questioning whether her name is M. or not. I'm thinking "maybe I got it wrong, she doesn't look like a M."
When I go to the SM: I make this list, I forget the list, forget to take a bag with me, and I end up buying half of the things I needed!
My doctor did all this blood examination and found nothing and gave me pills for Alzheimer's, and I find myself asking "did I take the pill today?"
On the contrary, I remember details that nobody else remembers. I can recall conversations I had a really long time ago, with every detail. When I read a book, I can recall most of it for a long time. I learn very easily and remember everything I've learned.
I'm wondering, how does your memory work? I've read somewhere that aspies have a great long term memory. I think I've got a very good long term memory but due to PTSD I've forgotten 99% of my childhood.
These incidents happened in a long period of time, it's not something I have to deal with everyday (except for short memory issues!)
All in all I think I prefer my memory than a regular one! I may have some issues, but for example: the photography lessons. I skipped the unnecessary stuff and kept the important!

May be triggering, so please take care.

It seems more like a part of PTSD pack than ASD itself. When I was badly dissociating some time ago, I could forget months of life at a time, where I was, what I was doing, going to do, where I put stuff, if I took meds, if I ate anything that day, if I drank any water, what the day of the week, month it was, what year itself even. It gradually changed into being scatterbrained slightly above average. Therapy and meds helped a bit, although it was mostly self-discovery route. Still can't remember many things but grounding techniques work rather well for counscious being.

What my mind used to do due to trauma when I was little, was to fully disconnect from the things that were happening. Not seeing, not hearing, not being. This proceeded into adult life even if I didn't exactly need it anymore. One of the additions to typical dissociation from my side was lack of focus with seeing. I still sometimes have to force my mind to 'read' the cues that are being send by my eyes.

Of course, it's mostly guesswork from my side, so don't take it too seriously. There may be other reasons as well.

 

[Li Li]

I forget things that are irrelevant to me in way that even scares me. Like movies or songs...I have to watch and listen to it over and over again in order to remember that I know it. However if I am interested for some reason I can recall things like nobody else. I am 29 but it is getting worse I can tell.

 

[WittyAspie]

A lack of focus describes me as well. I struggle to concentrate on anything for very long unless it is a computer game, which I can play for hours on end without stopping to eat.

I am currently a student so I certainly exercise my brain. The difficulty I have focusing on textbooks can be really frustrating. My classes require quite a bit of reading. Even when I enjoy what I am reading I struggle to concentrate.

 

[Ellie.s]

I wonder if it is worth having a brain scan?

I guess I could do it. I've never done a brain scan but I'm not claustophobic. I get anxious with any examination but I guess I could handle it.

I'm eidetic with a memory that provides crystal clear images as my long term memory.

This must be soooo cool!!! Hell, I can't even picture myself!

It seems more like a part of PTSD pack than ASD itself.

Yeah, you're right about the trauma and probably has messed me up big time but I don't think this is it. PTSD in childhood is very different than in adulthood.

The difficulty I have focusing on textbooks can be really frustrating

Focusing? I don't have this word in my vocabulary!

 

[onlything]

I guess I could do it. I've never done a brain scan but I'm not claustophobic. I get anxious with any examination but I guess I could handle it.

This must be soooo cool!!! Hell, I can't even picture myself!

Yeah, you're right about the trauma and probably has messed me up big time but I don't think this is it. PTSD in childhood is very different than in adulthood.

Focusing? I don't have this word in my vocabulary!

You're right, although the dissociation I experienced was an adult experience due to childhood trauma.

 

[Ellie.s]

You're right, although the dissociation I experienced was an adult experience due to childhood trauma.

Yes, I got it, but I'm guessing it's very different for each person.
Anyhow, I'll talk with my doctor or another doctor about it and see what they'll tell me!

 

[Progster]

My memory is erratic. I have a very good visual memory and a good long term memory. I learn foreign languages very easily, something which requires one to have a good memory - I remember words not because I heard them, but because I see them written down and can read them from my mind. I once got myself out of a difficult situation, as I had arranged to meet someone, but had left the piece of paper with their phone number at home, but I was able to recall the number by seeing the piece of paper with the number written on it and call them. This is patchy - I can't always do this for every phone number - the image will fade if not used.

However, my short term memory is patchy and has got worse - I particularly find it hard to remember things that are not important to me - I need to actively pay attention to something to remember it. But when I am interested and do focus, I can remember a lot and easily. It was useful when learning for exams and I had no difficulty with subjects with a lot of diagrams, processes or facts to learn - my difficulties were with those subjects that required you to interpret or which required abstract thinking.

I spoke to a doctor about short term memory loss and she told me that it was due to PTSD or 'chemobrain' as a result of the chemotherapy I had, and that it will pass. But I've always been rather absent-minded and scatterbrained.

 

[LucyPurrs]

In my 60s, my short term memory is suffering. I have to work at retaining things that I don't often have reason to recall.

The latest examples? Recalling terms like Coriander and Cilantro. I seem to have difficulty recalling either of them after so much time passes by. No real reason for me to recall either of them, but I find it quite disturbing when I can't.

Judge I think this is normal. I've been having this issue with word retrieval for several years especially for words I don't use often such as your example. I'm older than you and I think it's fairly normal part of the aging process and not indicative of developing any type of dementia. But it sure is annoying. I find I do actually recall the words I'm looking for but not as fast as I want to.