Have you seen my memory? I am sure I had it just the other day but now I can’t seem to find it? It would be so helpful if memory was like a phone or another object that you could look for when you had lost it.

When I was at school, I had a great memory, what used to be called a photographic memory. I could remember historical dates, birthdays of everyone including famous people. Now I have trouble at times remembering people’s names.

Memory of course is not an object but so much emotion, fear and shame attached to forgetting things. As we age, we and family members worry that a loss of memory, however slight, may be a sign of dementia. There is much stigma I feel with memory loss. Whether it is going out of the house and forgetting to take an important item like phone, wallet or bag or forgetting an appointment or having invited someone over.

I have heard that a temporary loss in memory when we know it will come back, maybe not as quickly as we hope but it does come back, is very different to permanent memory loss.

I usually share my lapses in memory with others and find many will connect with forgetting names, dates and leaving things they need behind at home.

Can you share how you feel about memory, any memory loss you have experienced and how you cope.?

Are you someone whose memory is very strong but may worry that will change?

Leah 

A Moodscope member