Memory problems getting progressively more serious. Should I worry?

[jdcnow]

What's up? Hope you are doing well.

I'm encountering serious problems with my short-term memory. I'll forget to take something with me, or forget to take the food out of the fridge, or I'll leave something behind that I should have taken with me. Like my lunch to work. That happens a lot.

Now, I've started accidentally taking my store's keys home with me, after leaving them in my pocket all night, and literally forgetting they were even there. Until I get home and empty out my pockets. Today, I literally had to go back to my store, just so my store would have the keys they need to run business.

I'm 30, and honestly wonder if it's too early to consider early-onset Alzheimer's as a possible cause. Or is this brain damage from my 2010 suicide attempt (40 diphenhydramine sleeping pills) that is catching up to me, or what? I want to know why I'm having such a terrible time with my memory, so I can fix it, and get some peace of mind back!

It's really bothering me that I'm starting to forget a lot of stuff very often. Or am I just being too hard on myself, and need to lighten up?

Thanks.

 

[palbert]

Jdcnow, so sorry to hear this; I greatly admire you and your determination to better yourself.

I hope KaraBulut will step in to help. All I can offer is support. Even so, I once heard Alzheimer's described this way: forgetting your keys is not Alzheimer's; forgetting what the keys are for is.

I know you have a jam-packed life: are you distracted and have too much going on?

 

[bankside]

If I recall correctly aren't you doing two jobs and school and 85 billion other things?

It warms my heart that you've done so much to take charge of your own happiness since 2010, and really work at improving your life. You do a hell of a lot though. Sometimes you've told us about your day, and it seems like you're not burning the candle at both ends. More like throwing the candle in the fire! LOL.

Maybe a few good nights' sleep would help?

 

[Telstra]

Maybe put a checklist note on your smart phone.
Every time you go somewhere, take your time and check the list if you have forgotten to take things with you.

 

[KaraBulut]

Early onset dementia is usually noticed by friends and family long before it's noticed by the person with the symptoms. And more than anything, we look for changes - like a normally organized person suddenly becoming disorganized or unexplained emotional changes.

When evaluating complaints of forgetfulness, we begin looking at the person's overall health. Sometimes a change like absent-mindedness can be a symptom of something else- like a more general health issue or a mental health issue like depression or, these days, oversaturation with distractions.

If you haven't had a physical lately, you might start there. Then a good look at other things in your life that may account for your forgetfulness.

 

[RaKroma]

Something to consider, a lot of stress in can have a real effect on memory loss.

 

[Yuki Sohma]

May I recommend a visit to the Doctors where you can honestly discuss your situation and receive some solid medical advise as to possible medical causes for memory loss. I do know that I often forget where I've put things or forget to do something I should normally recall but I owe that to lack of concentration on my part; wherein, I just plain don't pay close enough attention to what I may be doing or just randomly sitting things down without giving my actions much thought. Happens all of the time for me. Probably nothing medically wrong but it sure don't hurt to check in with those medical practitioners.

Just my .15 cents worth of JUB advise.

Cheers jdcnow,

ys

 

[swerve]

A SIMPLE way to determine early onset of Alzheimers is the "Peanut butter test"...

I'm SERIOUS -- GOOGLE it!!!

My mother has had short term memory issues for the last several years that have gotten progressively worse -- and like KaraBulut stated -- WE were the ones that noticed WAY before she did -- we actually had to CONVINCE her to give up her drivers license -- as she would forget where she was going mid-trip...

I would suggest joining a website like luminosity.com -- it is SUPPOSED to help in the mind areas -- I use it -- and, even if it DOESN'T do what it says -- IT'S FUN!!!

Best of luck -- and let us know that it was just a few nights with less than 7.5 hours sleep (mandatory minimum for the mind)!!!




p.s. I know a lot of this stuff --because of my mother's condition -- and I'm worried that it might be hereditary...

 

[jdcnow]

Thanks everyone for the responses. I thoroughly appreciate the feedback.

Jdcnow, so sorry to hear this; I greatly admire you and your determination to better yourself.

I hope KaraBulut will step in to help. All I can offer is support. Even so, I once heard Alzheimer's described this way: forgetting your keys is not Alzheimer's; forgetting what the keys are for is.

I know you have a jam-packed life: are you distracted and have too much going on?

At the moment, no. I love my 8 days on/6 off rotation schedule at my store - the 6 consecutive days off allow me to actually have a life outside my job, and to handle personal matters.

If I recall correctly aren't you doing two jobs and school and 85 billion other things?

It warms my heart that you've done so much to take charge of your own happiness since 2010, and really work at improving your life. You do a hell of a lot though. Sometimes you've told us about your day, and it seems like you're not burning the candle at both ends. More like throwing the candle in the fire! LOL.

Maybe a few good nights' sleep would help?

Yes, that's correct. I'm on a one semester (fall) break from school due to finances and a geographic technicality (specifically exactly where I live) that DOUBLES my tuition for the school I'm attending , but I'll start back in January.

I'm trying to get a studio off the ground, so I can start shooting portfolio/demo reel videos in my apartment. And I'm basically self-taught in this video production/editing business.

Health - I'm thinking that my insurance kicks in with open enrollment beginning Oct 28th, and that I won't have to wait the full 90 days after employment (the week afterward) for my health insurance to kick in. Oddly enough, where my store is located, there's an eye doctor right across the street, and a dentist in the supermarket building behind us. I need to get in to see both of them. There is an eye surgery in my future, to correct my lazy eye. The dentist is offering a special with free teeth whitening services for life - hell yeah! I need to go back to my foot doctor. My feet are coming along, but as far as the pain is concerned, some days are far better than others, still, although it's not like it was when I started at my store. I'm also going to get in to a weight loss specialist - although that's come a long way too (I've lost 40lbs), more still needs to be done, and it'll help my feet out, too.

 

[jdcnow]

Maybe put a checklist note on your smart phone.
Every time you go somewhere, take your time and check the list if you have forgotten to take things with you.

ColorNote - The best notepad app for android. Ever.

Early onset dementia is usually noticed by friends and family long before it's noticed by the person with the symptoms. And more than anything, we look for changes - like a normally organized person suddenly becoming disorganized or unexplained emotional changes.

When evaluating complaints of forgetfulness, we begin looking at the person's overall health. Sometimes a change like absent-mindedness can be a symptom of something else- like a more general health issue or a mental health issue like depression or, these days, oversaturation with distractions.

If you haven't had a physical lately, you might start there. Then a good look at other things in your life that may account for your forgetfulness.

While I'm looking around for specialists, that might not be a bad idea. Thanks.

Something to consider, a lot of stress in can have a real effect on memory loss.

= relaxation... But joking aside, I'm trying, where I can to just take some personal time to myself where I can.

 

[jdcnow]

May I recommend a visit to the Doctors where you can honestly discuss your situation and receive some solid medical advise as to possible medical causes for memory loss. I do know that I often forget where I've put things or forget to do something I should normally recall but I owe that to lack of concentration on my part; wherein, I just plain don't pay close enough attention to what I may be doing or just randomly sitting things down without giving my actions much thought. Happens all of the time for me. Probably nothing medically wrong but it sure don't hurt to check in with those medical practitioners.

Just my .15 cents worth of JUB advise.

Cheers jdcnow,

ys

Thanks.

A SIMPLE way to determine early onset of Alzheimers is the "Peanut butter test"...

I'm SERIOUS -- GOOGLE it!!!

My mother has had short term memory issues for the last several years that have gotten progressively worse -- and like KaraBulut stated -- WE were the ones that noticed WAY before she did -- we actually had to CONVINCE her to give up her drivers license -- as she would forget where she was going mid-trip...

I would suggest joining a website like luminosity.com -- it is SUPPOSED to help in the mind areas -- I use it -- and, even if it DOESN'T do what it says -- IT'S FUN!!!

Best of luck -- and let us know that it was just a few nights with less than 7.5 hours sleep (mandatory minimum for the mind)!!!




p.s. I know a lot of this stuff --because of my mother's condition -- and I'm worried that it might be hereditary...

Thanks. I will look into that.

 

[borg69unimatrix]

I agree with bankside...

You have way too much on your plate and running yourself ragged. Your foot was a physical sign, this could be a mental sign.

YOU NEED REST. You're not giving your body and mind time to heal.

 

[CowboyBob]

I agree with the others. From reading your posts you simply have a lot going on in your life and it's no wonder why you're forgetting things. I'd be forgetting things if I had as much to keep up with as you are doing.