Am I losing it?

Lately I have found myself forgetting things on a regular basis – forgetting to take my daily medications; intending to take something into the house from my office area and then arriving in the house without it - sometimes remembering I was going to bring it, sometimes not; forgetting someone’s name or forgetting the details of an event that I should know well; and forgetting to buy things at the store - things that were the reason I went to the store, Given this, I started to wonder if I am getting dementia. I have friends and family members who are currently suffering with dementia/Alzheimer’s. Could I be next??

So, of course, I do what I do – research. Keep in mind my research is not all inclusive - it is a quick review of various publications. I’m sure there are many more - but I found enough information to make me feel better. Here’s what I found about the various types of memory loss, often referred to as forgetfulness.

Absentmindedness. Absentmindedness is often based on lack of attention or focus. Typical examples are forgetting where you put your keys or forgetting why you walk into a room. I do this at work all the time - walk into the copier room and can’t remember why. However, between the time when I pressed the print button and when I went to the copier, I may have talked to someone passing in the hallway, answered a phone call, been thinking about the next thing I need to do - or any of a number of distractions. Forgetting why I went into the copier room - is simply lack of attention or focus. But I usually don’t admit I forgot … I just grab a piece of colored paper or a paper clip and make it look like I knew why I was there.

TIP for absentmindedness: Try to focus on what you are doing - one thing at a time.

Scrambling. Scrambling is the “tip of the tongue” moments - not to be confused with biting the tip of your tongue so you don’t say something you shouldn’t (a practice I use occasionally at meetings). You know a word or a name but you can’t quite retrieve it. Memories about events - including time and place, are formed in the “hippocampus” region of the brain. Scientists estimate that, after the age of 25, you lose 5% of the nerve cells in this region with each passing decade. So, when you can’t spit that word out - it’s just part of the normal aging process.

TIP for scrambling: Try associating an event or person with something you will readily remember.

Fade Out. Fade out is when the brain sweeps out older memories to make room for new memories. The longer it has been since an event, the more difficult it becomes to remember the details. This is the “use it” or “lose it” feature of memory and is also known as transience. Transience (fading out) is normal among all adults, not just older adults.

TIP for fade out: Think or talk about the event or person on a more regular basis.

Retrieval. Have you ever forgot someone’s name just seconds or moments after you were introduced to them? Or have you seen a movie or watched a TV show but can’t remember the title the next day? This is an issue with short-term memory.

TIP for retrieval: Focus and eliminate distractions. Try to remember other details about the event - especially if it something you want to retain long-term. Short term memory is limited so being focused is crucial.

Muddled multi-tasking. This is probably the biggest cause of my forgetfulness. As we age, we have to exert more effort to maintain focus; in addition, it takes longer to get back to the original task after distraction. For me, I think about taking my medications - for a split second, and then my mind is on to other things or, if I am interrupted, by short term memory (to take the medication) is long gone.

TIP for muddled multitasking: Avoid interruptions if possible. Focus on one task at a time. This applies to people of every age. In my case, I’m so busy thinking about the next thing I am going to do, that I forget what I am doing.

Memory loss is normal. It might take a little more work as you age, but that is normal, too. If you are unable to figure out the typical daily sequence of events or you have trouble solving problems, you may want to visit your doctor. If you are like me - with a hard drive (brain) that is too full and a mind that is on fast-forward, try to focus, eliminate distractions, minimize the multi-tasking, and relax. There are some things that just aren’t worth remembering.

Much of the information in this blog came from an article by Mary A. Fischer in the online version of AARP-The Magazine.