Memory loss. I'm only 28.?

Question

I suffer from memory loss very badly. It's so severe, it's hard for me to pay attention in conversations. If a lot of information is thrown at me at once, I won't be able to remember it all. When I'm given directions to do something, I just think to myself, oh you better not mess this one up. I constantly say, "what was I just talking about?" "Why did I come in here?" and of course, I'm constantly misplacing things. If asked how my weekend was, I won't even remember what I did two days ago. I have to really concentrate for anything to come back to me. I don't remember always being so forgetful. In fact, my memory use to be very good. I'm 28, healthy, not depressed, educated. I've been feeling that I may just be 'dumb' and that's why I can't remember, but I hope there's a better answer out there.

Answer 1

go see a doctor

Answer 2

I also have a lot of stress related memory loss. For instance, I have put a steak on the barbecue, then smelled smoke when I forgot to remove the steak, then I'll check the microwave, oven and stove and find that nothing is burning. I won't remember the steak on the grill. Then I'll go about my work. Several hours later when I walk outside and see the grill, I'll remember the steak.

I bought, "The Amazing Memory Kit" which has taught me some memory tricks. I really think for the most part that I can develop a better memory if I work at it.

Answer 3

Poor memory is often due to habits, and what kinds of 'memory thoughts' we have. For example,"When I'm given directions to do something, I just think to myself, oh you better not mess this one up."

If you are constantly expecting to forget things, your subconscious will dutifully carry out your 'orders' or thoughtss about memory. You are setting yourself up for failure!

One memory trick with lists is to make them into a story.

Let's say you have to buy some things today:
1. a loaf of bread
2. a newspaper
3. some flowers
4. a shovel
5. an air freshener for your car

So you make a story and include everything you need.

"Johnny Stubluts woke up one morning. He was hungry so he went to the ktchen and got out the *loaf of bread*, and sat down to read the *newspaper*. He decided to walk to the market. He didn't want to drive, there was a moldy smell in the car and it needed an *air freshener*. On his way out the door, he saw some new spring *flowers* had sprung up. He thought how nice they would look on the other side of the yard, so he went to get the *shovel* to move them."

Go through your story when you need to remember something on the list.

Also, never tell yourself not to forget. Instead tell yourself to remember, it works better than "not forget".

Try these out before you let an MD give you some chemical to ingest. Surf the net! There's lot's of research on maximising your memory.

Answer 4

Actually this happens to everyone. I can go to a different room in my house and easily forget what I was going to do in there and I'm 30 years old!!! I found a new study done on the news about viruses that could cause memory loss. check it out:WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Forget where you left your glasses? Did those keys go missing again? Now you do not have to blame your spouse -- a virus may be to blame.

A family of viruses that cause a range of ills from the common cold to polio may be able to infect the brain and cause steady damage, a team at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota reported on Monday.

"Our study suggests that virus-induced memory loss could accumulate over the lifetime of an individual and eventually lead to clinical cognitive memory deficits," said Charles Howe, who reported the findings in the journal Neurobiology of Disease.

The viruses are called picornaviruses and infect more than 1 billion people worldwide each year. They include the virus that causes polio, as well as colds and diarrhea. People contract two or three such infections a year on average.



"We think picornavirus family members cross into the brain and cause a variety of brain injuries. For example, the polio virus can cause paralysis," Howe said.

"It can injure the spinal cord and different parts of the brain responsible for motor function. In the murine (mouse) virus we studied, it did the same thing and also injured parts of the brain responsible for memory."

The Mayo Clinic infected mice with a virus called Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus, which is similar to human poliovirus.

Infected mice later had difficulty learning to navigate a maze. Some were barely affected, while others were completely unable to manage, and when the mice were killed and their brains examined, a correlating amount of damage was seen in the hippocampus region, related to learning and memory.

One virus particularly likely to cause brain damage is enterovirus 71, which is common in Asia, the researchers said. It can cross over into the brain and cause encephalitis, a brain inflammation that can lead to coma and death.

"Our findings suggest that picornavirus infections throughout the lifetime of an individual may chip away at the cognitive reserve, increasing the likelihood of detectable cognitive impairment as the individual ages," the researchers wrote in their report.

"We hypothesize that mild memory and cognitive impairments of unknown etiology may, in fact, be due to accumulative loss of hippocampus function caused by repeated infection with common and widespread neurovirulent picornaviruses."

Other viruses are known to kill brain cells, including the herpes virus and human immunodeficiency virus or HIV.

Answer 5

It could be so many things. First go to your doctor and get your blood tested. Are there any signs of inflammation? Immune reactions in your body? Thyroid problems? I assume you're not taking large quantities of alcohol or drugs. If everything checks our look into a special "memory center" where they do a lot of tests to figure out what's going on. Good luck!

Answer 6

I hope it is not a case of early Alzheimer's, please get a check up and a second opinion of any doctor you go to. Forgetting things does not make you dumb, it just means your having memory problems. Also your worrying, that anxiety you feel can be affecting your ability to remember things. Try to relax, believe that your memory is fine and see if that helps. Good luck, I hope it is not Alzheimers, you are young.

Answer 7

This could be symptoms of something like a stroke, or worse. Time is of the essence (it's a matter of hours), so consider going to an emergency room if these symptoms just started or get suddenly worse.
At any rate, have yourself checked by a doctor.

Answer 8

1st see a Dr to rule out any medical problems. Otherwise, it can be common esp as we get older. Stress, new medications, life changes, etc can all contribute.
My first thought was adult ADD. Yet, if you have not had this happen before and were not diagnosed w/ADD in the past, chances are that is not the case.

Answer 9

There are lots of things that could be going on. First it seems that the more you forget the more stressed you get, that in its self can make the problem worse. My suggestion is to discuss this with your doctor, as soon as you can to find out what is going on.

Answer 10

I don't know, I think I suffer from that too, exact same symptoms. Except I'm 15.