My memory is getting really bad

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
Yesterday at my retina surgeon visit, I told her to send her report to my ophthalmologist. She asked who that was and I couldn't remember his name. I also couldn't remember the name of the 105 year old woman that passed away recently. My driver and I were talking about it. also, I couldn't recall the name of the woman in my church that has had trouble with her blood count and needs prayers. Soon, I will have to look at my driver's license to see who I am.
 

A few months ago, I couldn't figure out which of the kitchen sink faucets was hot and which was cold.. is that something to worry about?

I get panicky when it takes more than 15 SECONDS or so to place the name of an actor or actor on t.v.
 
Welcome to the club folks, knowing that I forget names, appointments, to take my meds etc etc I put notes on my desk or computer and then forget where I put them and then when I do find them days later dont remember what they were about. Trouble is the affliction creeps up on you, but I do remember that my NP tested me a year ago and said I remembered about 70% on a short test. I suspect its crept up from there but we all find ways around it as long as we can dont we folks!
 
RuralKanuck said:
Welcome to the club folks, knowing that I forget names, appointments, to take my meds etc etc I put notes on my desk or computer and then forget where I put them and then when I do find them days later dont remember what they were about. Trouble is the affliction creeps up on you, but I do remember that my NP tested me a year ago and said I remembered about 70% on a short test. I suspect its crept up from there but we all find ways around it as long as we can dont we folks!
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Each person is a unique individual, but I don't believe aging in and of itself causes these issues. (REGARDLESS of what so-called 'experts these days' say).
In my case, I think it's primarily because I have little/no mental stimulation since I retired a little more than a year and a half ago. My job required concentration, clarity, focus, good memory, etc.
 
I often forget names of persons. Never happened about one and half years ago.
Also, spelling/typing on this board, not difficult words, ... just simple words. I keep a 'Pocket Dictionary' by the table not to misspell. It's 'a fact of old age,' but I feel sometime sad to see this, fading memory.
 
debodun said:
Why is it names we have trouble with?
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I threw your question at Google's AI search feature, the result was "You're having trouble remembering names
because names are abstract, our brains prioritize faces..."

That makes sense to me, most people don't forget a face but the abstract name associated with it doesn't have tangible markers for the brain to use as a reference .
 
I can recognize people if they are in a venue with which I associate them. If I see them somewhere else, I don't know who they are. I hate it when someone walks up to me in the store and carries on a conversation like they know me and I have no idea who they are. I think it's called prosopagnosia.
 
EVERY DAY play several hours of chess at Chess.com. I'm age 90 and do that all the time. My memory has remained perfect after 90 years of use. The brain only retains its functions if you use it regularly!

I'm Mitch408 there if you want to play against me when you are there and I am also there. My rating for 30 minute games is 778.
 
Sunkist said:
Each person is a unique individual, but I don't believe aging in and of itself causes these issues. (REGARDLESS of what so-called 'experts these days' say).
In my case, I think it's primarily because I have little/no mental stimulation since I retired a little more than a year and a half ago. My job required concentration, clarity, focus, good memory, etc.
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That is where the internet comes in handy. It isn't easy but there are things that help. I do a lot of crossword puzzles, the more difficult the better. I also enjoy solving problems. I am grasping at straws myself.
 
Mitch86 said:
EVERY DAY play several hours of chess at Chess.com. I'm age 90 and do that all the time. My memory has remained perfect after 90 years of use. The brain only retains its functions if you use it regularly!

I'm Mitch408 there if you want to play against me when you are there and I am also there. My rating for 30 minute games is 778.
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Mitch, I admire your chess expertise. I think it has too many layers for me although I havent tried it in 70 years. I was always impress ed with those who played it in Washington Square back in the late 50s.
 
debodun said:
I can recognize people if they are in a venue with which I associate them. If I see them somewhere else, I don't know who they are. I hate it when someone walks up to me in the store and carries on a conversation like they know me and I have no idea who they are. I think it's called prosopagnosia.
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did you not read my post number 12?
 
hollydolly said:
did you not read my post number 12?
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Do you possibly know how people develop these traits?

I'd been wondering since a family member mentioned something slightly similar around a year ago- cannot visualize.. and it occurred to me I can't either.. if I close my eyes, all I see is blackness. I can bring up 'memories' or 'photographs' in my mind, but not actual images of anything..

Is this trait my family member and I have similar to what you described about yourself?
 
Sunkist said:
Do you possibly know how people develop these traits?

I'd been wondering since a family member mentioned something slightly similar around a year ago- cannot visualize.. and it occurred to me I can't either.. if I close my eyes, all I see is blackness. I can bring up 'memories' or 'photographs' in my mind, but not actual images of anything..

Is this trait my family member and I have similar to what you described about yourself?
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No... my condition is..if I met you tomorrow say in a cafe.. we spoke.. and then I didn't see you again until the next day , but this time you were somewhere different I wouldn't recognise you... In fact I need to have seen you about at least 12 times in the same cafe before I would even recognise you in there... butI still wouldnt recognise you somewhere else like in the bank or in the supermarket....until I'd either worked with you and saw you dozens of times.... or you lived near me and equally I'd seen you many, many times.

I couldn't recognise my own child when she was little . I'd go to school to pick her up.. all the children wore the same school uniform...and I would be standing at the gate thinking, I hope I spot her.. but she'd be there in front of me..saying Mum.. I'm right here..

I walk past people all the time who I have known for decades, but because I haven't seen them in say..a year or 2.. then I don't recognise them at all.. .. and I'm accused of being stuck up and ignoring people... the only way I recognise people is from a distance by their walk... it's like a fingerprint for me.. every person's walk is different.. so as long as someone is at least 20 feet in front of me so I can see the walk.. then that's the only way i recognise people ... or of course if they talk to me first


there was a classic example of that today. One of the bosses of the builders came ot the door I opened it, he says hello..I reply the same.. and he says , ''don't you remember me, I'm D, I came last week to have a look at the job here ... but of course I didn't recognise him at all... ..so I cover it up with a '' Oh I'm so sorry I had my mind on other things ''... but in truth I had no clue who he was...
 
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hollydolly said:
No... my condtions is..if I met you tomorrow say in a cafe.. we spoke.. and then I didn't see you again until the next day , but this time you were somewhere different I wouldn't recognise you... In fact I need to have seen you about at least 12 times in the same cafe before I would even recognise you in there... butI still wouldnt recgnise you somewhere else like in the bank or in the supermarket....until I'd either worked with you and saw you dozens of times.... or you lived near me and equally I'd seen you many, many times.

I couldn't recognise my own child when she was little . I'd go to school to pick her up.. all the children wore the same school uniform...and I would be standing at the gate thinking, I hope I spot her.. but she'd be there in front of me..saying Mum.. I'm right here..

I walk past people all the time who I have known for decades, but because I haven't seen them in say..a year or 2.. then I don't recognise them at all.. .. and I'm accused of being stuck up and ignoring people... the only way I recognise people is from a distance by their walk... it's like a fingerprint for me.. every person's walk is different.. so as long as someone is at least 20 feet in front of me so I can see the walk.. then that's the only way i recognise people ... or of course if they talk to me first


there was a classic example of that today. One of the bosses of the builders came ot the door I opened it, he says hello..I reply the same.. and he says , ''don't you remember me, I'm D, I came last week to have a look at the job here ... but of course I didn't recognise him at all... ..so I cover it up with a '' Oh I'm so sorry I had my mind on other things ''... but in truth I had no clue who he was...
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Thanks for the info! I'd never heard of that before.
 
jujube said:
The 4 Signs of Aging:

1. You forget things.
2. I can't remember what #2 is.
3. You start to repeat yourself.
4. You start to repeat yourself.
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Is memory loss gender related? Jujube's humour of repeating 3&4 reminded me of a time when, as a newleywed, I took my bride to meet my elderly grandparents who lived too far away to come to our wedding. Six times Grandfather asked which route I took. Grandmother's painful glance towards me, almost pleading to simply answer him and not remind him that he had asked previously, spoke volumes. Her memory was still intact.
Nowadays my memory lets me down although I do keep a discrete note of certain things, yet my wife's memory, just like my Grandmother's, is more or less still intact. Coincidence, or gender related?
 
CaliS said:
I remember faces forever, names - not at all :ROFLMAO:

Can't blame age for this - has always been this way.
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Lol I had a colleague. When I forget a name I say: heyyyyyy! Hey how are you doing? But she LOL. Hey Eric can you do this and that? I'm Peter. Oh whatever. LOL She would continuously call people by the wrong name and she did not care one bit. It was so funny. I don't think anyone else cared either.
 

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