Bad Memory?

[clarisse]

How do you know when bad memory is no longer due to lack of concentration but to something else? Like a neurological problem?

[Helix]

Well, there are some tests you could do. You could run an MRI and see which regions of the brain are active at certain times; that could tell you if there's a problem. Or, this is much easier, just see if this lack of memory is constant and prolonged. Neurodisorders don't just go away, but a lack of concentration will.

[Peels]

In my view, to create human memory is to create a memory association-network. If with enough cues, one still could not recall many events that s/he experienced before, I would assume it is very likely a neurological problem.

[clarisse]

Thank you both for your answers. Under the supervision of my psychology teacher I will start as off next week a kind of self-experiment to see if I can change my bad habits of procrastinating and disorganization. There will be punishments and rewards which my psychology teacher and I are still discussing.

 

Hopefully this will help me to see if my bad memory is due to being so disorganized or due to something else.

 

I tend to forget many things. Like once I had to pick up my dad somewhere and I completely forgot and he stopped talking to me for about two weeks. I don't have terribly long "gaps" in my memory but for example I lost my USB last friday and I was looking for it pn Sunday for more than 4 hours and only after I had resigned myself to finding it I remembered that I had heard something fall when I closed the door on Friday. That's all fine and normal but the problem is that I was completely sure I had left it on my desk. I remembered putting it there so I wouldn't forget or lose it but I must have had it on my hand and forgot about it and so when I closed the door I just dropped it. It also happened with my ipod. I "remembered" clearly that it fell and asking my mom to pick it up and then putting it inside y jeans. Well, it was lost for about three days and I found it in school. So I never took it home. And it happens very often, normally not with very important things like the keys or a pen or a book but the fact that it happens so often scares me a little... but everybody insists its just due to a lack of concentration.

 

Opinions?

[JustStuit]

I often do this too. People either call me the dumbest smart kid they know or "ditsy". I think I'm just preoccupied. This can get annoying. I'm just a forgetful guy. Altough I memorize latin words and rules and digits of pi pretty fast. It's strange how well I can remember and learn advanced math and learn new language but can't remember where my wallet is. I have selective memory I guess.

[Peels]

Based on your post, I don't see any sign of neurological problem, but disorganization.

 

If you pay more attention to things that needs to be memorized and create a good habit, you will be fine.

[EverCurious]

I feel you clarisse...we're all doomed...doomed i tell you.

 

I have successfully told everybody's futre because its true that we're all doomed, to what you've been doomed to..i dunno, but you are doomed! AS AM I! muahhahhahahahhah

 

 

sorry off topic there.

 

Now back to the original prompt. I decided to do a quick 5-second cyber poke-around on this subject of forgetfulness. All I found was that its usually the first symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Pardon me humoring you, but I find myself in that situation as well, sometimes I'll walk in to a room not remembering what the purpose of my visit was and somewhere between those 40 blank seconds of me staring at the wall, two words float across my head "Alzheimer's Disease". I'll probably forget to breath when i'm actually "old".

[aj47]

Hmm i'm exactly the same, im vauge, forgetful and tend to walk around in a day dream all day. I've been known to do some extremely absent minded things like put my knife and fork in the fridge or the worst turning up to school when it was closed forgetting it was an inservice day(that was horrible).

 

Anyway ive been like that all my life so I try not to worry about it, I just think somepeople are just born with better memories than others and there's little you can do about it really.

[gib65]

That makes 5 of us. For me, it's a symptom of ADHD (or so I'm told). There are ways of learning to remember things. A good rule of thumb is if you're doing something or being told something that you aught to remember, think about it for a good 5 to 10 seconds before going off to think about something else. This will give your memory a chance to work its association magic. Of course, the trick is to know when to do this. One thing I learnt is that there is no such thing as a general technique that will improove your memory overall, but there are many little techniques that you have to learn through time. For example, I've developped the habit of remembering to look around the house for lights that I've left on before leaving or going to bed. Or I've learnt to always put my flash drive back in my laptop case the second I'm done transfering files. These are techniques that are clear insofar as knowing what to do and how to do it, and with practice it becomes habit. It won't improve you memory for everything, but over time, with enough little tricks like this, you will get a general set of learnt habits that will have a noticeable effect on your overall memory.

[mrblond5311]

I'm the same way & my doctor also told me it's a sign of ADHD. Sometimes the reason I can't remeber things is because I don't pay attention when things are being told to me; not on purpose though. I just sorta fade off alot and think about 20 different things but then I can remember things as far back as when I was 3 and memorize numbers and codes very well. I've tried to improve my attetion span with out any luck I feel it's because it's so inadvertant I don't know when to concentrate harder. Eithert way I still hate walking into a room & forgetting why I went there. I even bought some ginko biloba pills to help but I can't remember to take them, lol. Something I read said the consumption of glutens will increase this affect. Does anyone know if this is true?

[gcol]

Loads of smarts, deficient in common sense and life-skills, sounds like low level autism to me. I was going to say something else, but I have forgotten it. Wife gone away for a couple of days, cant remember where, wrote it down, cant find paper........

[insane_alien]

I have almost no short term memory but it always crops up sometime in the next week or so. I can sit through a lecture and come out of it and not remember a single word said but a week later(usually less) i'll be able to do the work no problem.

[jtzako]

I have (for as long as I can remember) had issues with short term memory. Basically I cant remember certain things that I'd think I should be able to. Like, what I ate for lunch today, or yesterday. Unless it was "significant" (like going to a nice restaurant) I probably wouldnt remember.

 

I also forget peoples name until Ive heard it many times.

 

Mine may just be due to sleep issues but who knows.

 

I know my Sister and Father can remember stuff as if they've got a nearly photographic memory but I forget things all the time if they arent significant.

[stonedGem]

Ok, I have a question for you(anyone who would like to answer) . Do you think that a bad memory could be the cause of boredom? Could it be because certain people with a higher level of intelligence need more brain stimulation and that unstimulating events/things in general are just forgotten because it has little or no significant effect on the brain/person? Reason I ask this is because my husband is struggling with short term memory loss and he has one of the best memories I've ever seen in a human. So this is a little worrying, and I'm trying to decide whether it is neurological or if it's because his work isn't stimulating enough for his brain.

[mrblond5311]

Ok, I have a question for you(anyone who would like to answer) . Do you think that a bad memory could be the cause of boredom? Could it be because certain people with a higher level of intelligence need more brain stimulation and that unstimulating events/things in general are just forgotten because it has little or no significant effect on the brain/person? Reason I ask this is because my husband is struggling with short term memory loss and he has one of the best memories I've ever seen in a human. So this is a little worrying, and I'm trying to decide whether it is neurological or if it's because his work isn't stimulating enough for his brain.

 

I feel as though it's the opposite. I'm not a neurologist or anything but I think boredom will lead to a bad memory; at least of the boring things. Does he have a good memory of things he enjoys? For me it's really hard to remember things that don't interest me. I can remember things from science class as far back as third grade (I can replay it in my head) but I can't remember anything from a history class in my life; not even the teachers. It sounds to me that his work doesn't intrique or stimulate him enough to let him memorize anything from there. Maybe the presence of seratonin or some other brain chemical brought on by stimulation helps you retain a better memory. Does anyone know if this is true? Stoned I don't think it has anything to do with the level of intelligence or needing more stimulation. I think it just has to be the right kind of stilmulation. And I think that brain stimulation can lead to a higher IQ. Anyone agree?

[stonedGem]

I feel as though it's the opposite. I'm not a neurologist or anything but I think boredom will lead to a bad memory; at least of the boring things. Does he have a good memory of things he enjoys?

 

I understand that you think boredom will lead to a bad memory...which is where I was trying to go with my previous post.If you read my question it read "Do you think that a bad memory could be the cause of boredom?" Which in essence is what you're saying too. He sometimes remembers things he enjoys...but even that in itself seems to be vague at times.

 

It sounds to me that his work doesn't intrique or stimulate him enough to let him memorize anything from there.

 

Well, that's a given...that something we both know for sure

 

Maybe the presence of seratonin or some other brain chemical brought on by stimulation helps you retain a better memory. Does anyone know if this is true?

 

I would love to know...so hopefully someone could answer this brilliant question...I myself will try and find out. It sure would make sense if that's the case.

 

I think it just has to be the right kind of stilmulation. And I think that brain stimulation can lead to a higher IQ. Anyone agree?

 

I agree that one needs the right kind of stimulation, yet whether stimulation can lead to a higher IQ I think is debatable...Because, no matter how much stimulation you get I think that it depends on your ability to memorise and understand as well. I mean, some people just can't grasp complex concepts. No matter how many times you go over it with them.

 

People who have the ability to increase their IQ will be good candidates for such a study, thus making your point valid. But what happens to the rest that can't?

[mrblond5311]

I understand that you think boredom will lead to a bad memory...which is where I was trying to go with my previous post.If you read my question it read "Do you think that a bad memory could be the cause of boredom?" Which in essence is what you're saying too. He sometimes remembers things he enjoys...but even that in itself seems to be vague at times. "

 

-That may worry me. It probaly wouldn't hurt to get him checked out."

 

Well' date=' that's a given...that something we both know for sure

 

 

 

I would love to know...so hopefully someone could answer this brilliant question...I myself will try and find out. It sure would make sense if that's the case.

 

 

 

I agree that one needs the right kind of stimulation, yet whether stimulation can lead to a higher IQ I think is debatable...Because, no matter how much stimulation you get I think that it depends on your ability to memorise and understand as well. I mean, some people just can't grasp complex concepts. No matter how many times you go over it with them.

 

People who have the ability to increase their IQ will be good candidates for such a study, thus making your point valid. But what happens to the rest that can't?[/quote']

 

 

-I believe the right kind of stimulation promotes a higher IQ regardless of the person. It's doesn't matter the quantity of the stimulation if it's not the right kind. I think the stimulation gives you the ability to better memorize things. Now understanding is a different topic than memory. I could memorize any mathmatical equation in the world but that wouldn't mean I understood it. Just going over something a lot doesn't mean you're stimulating them. Only some people respond to repetition as a stimulate to memory. Just like Autism. Autistics have the ability to memorize very complex things but they don't necessarily understand them. Now it may sound crazy to some people but I believe anyone can be stimulated into learning complex things. It may not take just one stimulate but a process of stimulations to help them memorize it than understand it; or vice versa. I think before you can say the last thing you quoted you would have to prove that there a people, that beyond a doubt, can't increase their IQ with any means of stimulation. That would be the main thing I would disagree with. What would cause a person to lose the ability to learn?

[Edtharan]

I have been diagnosed with shortterm memory loss. Most people can hold around7 "things" in their short term memory. I can usually hold around 3 to 5 items in my short term memory. Also if infomation comes at me too quickly I tend to loose items in my short term memory or miss the new infomation.

 

I have been like this all my life (I used to have the nickname "The absent minded professor") and it make learnign hard. I am fairly intelegent (iq approx 130). I also have a lot of difficulty spelling (and my even be slightly dislexic, but I haven't been tested for it). The problems with my short term memory could be what is contributing to my bad spelling (it tends to be words greater than 5 letters that I have the most trouble with).

 

Memory (and difficulties with it) has large impacts onnearly all aspects of our lives and can be very frustrating (esspecially when people assume that it is caused by lazyness, not paying attention or not being involved in (or careing about) the subject (this last one has occured to me on many occassions).

[Royston]

I also have a lot of difficulty spelling (and my even be slightly dislexic, but I haven't been tested for it).

 

Oh crap ! I'm so sorry for having a pop at your spelling of atheist Edtharan, I feel terrible, I really should of taken into account you may have dyslexia...hangs head in shame