Losing memory

[Alter]

I have been having recall problems that seem to be getting worse since I turned 40. Anything I can do to counter this?

 

[Nosu3]

stress?

 

[Harold falcon]

Originally Posted by Alter

I have been having recall problems that seem to be getting worse since I turned 40. Anything I can do to counter this?
It may depend on the types of things you are forgetting. Are you having trouble recalling how to do simple tasks (like tying your own shoes)? Do you not recognize people you once knew? Do you forget names, places, dates, or related trivia?

 

[Alter]

Originally Posted by Nosu3

stress?

Probably. I also feel that it got worse when I quit smoking after 20 years.

Originally Posted by harvey_birdman

It may depend on the types of things you are forgetting. Are you having trouble recalling how to do simple tasks (like tying your own shoes)? Do you not recognize people you once knew? Do you forget names, places, dates, or related trivia?

No problem with simple tasks or remembering the big stuff. It mostly seems to be minor events or conversations that then completely slip my mind. It isn't severe but I never used to have that problem before...and it seems to be getting worse.

 

[MetroStyles]

I've experienced this ever since I hit 20. My conversational recall is close to zero.

 

[Thomas]

Are you doing mentally-challenging things in your off-time? How about trying new things? I know that people who get routinized in their day-to-day get mentally stale.

 

[Alter]

Originally Posted by Thomas

Are you doing mentally-challenging things in your off-time? How about trying new things? I know that people who get routinized in their day-to-day get mentally stale.

That depends if reading this forum counts as "mentally-challenging?

 

[globetrotter]

I have a big problem with this, and did a little research. it seems that the best thing is to get into brain activiity that it out of the ordinary and makes you stretch. here is what I am trying to do - for about an hour a day
3 days a week take rosetta stone lessons on 3 differnt languages
1 day a week work on learning to play the harmonica
one day a week work on learning to chant torah

another option is mind gym - there are computer programs specifically for that, I thought the above option would be a little more fun/useful.

also, but I don't think that this will be your issue - eat more fish and more fish oil

 

[TheDarkKnight]

Globetrotter's advice looks good, but also from my reading on the subject, memory doesn't fade a great deal as you get older, there are other factors involved.

I would also venture to say if you've given up smoking quite recently - that will still be affecting your short term memory. Medicines and drugs affect the short term memory very easily, and if you've smoked for 20 years, quitting is a huge upheaval.

It will just take a little more time for your brain to adjust.

The 5 principles of remembering things well are;

Mnemonics

Organising the information

Association

Visualisation

Attention.


For example Metro - I'd bet that your conversation recall is zero, because you have so much going on with long working hours, so don't pay attention to conversation like you used to, or prioritise remembering it.

From what I've read also, as people get older their memory tends to move from less visual to more verbal, so mnemonics should be adjusted accordingly.

For example constructing stories out of data you need to remember, turns the abstract into something very easy to remember.

A simple example is for a recent exam I did, and certain tax reliefs available on Capital Gains. I constructed the following story:

"Duncan Bannatyne goes up to a security gate. The security guard tells him to 'Hold up'. He tells him to do this as in Duncan's hair on the left is a pin strip hair roller. IN Duncan's right ear - incorporated in his ear, is another roller.

The security guard thinks he looks stupid, so he says let's start over"


This story stands for:

1. Duncan Bannatyne = Entrepreneur's relief

2. Security saying 'hold up' = Holdover relief

3. Pin stripe hair roller = Business rollover relief

4. Roller IN his ear = Rollover relief on incorporation

5. 'let's start over' = Reinvestment relief


This is a simple example with not much data, but each of these points acts as aided recall to go into depth on each point, with further mnemonics for the detail within.

Most good students use mnemonics to a degree without ever having formally learnt them, and then when you leave formal education you get out of the habit of using learning and memory techniques. Your brain hasn't declined - just your habits!


I learned to properly apply mnemonics from the following book - I would very highly recommend it, it will also put your mind at ease that your memory is fine (the hardware), you just need to use it more effectively (the software)

http://www.amazon.com/Your-Memory-Ho...1926783&sr=1-6

 

[Harold falcon]

A simple mnemonic for remember the five stages of grief -

Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance, becomes "Drink Alcohol Before Doing Anal."

That's the only thing I remember from Psych 101 in college.

 

[MetroStyles]

Mnemonics are useful but different than natural memory I think. That said, I've had good results with the Phenomenal Memory program. It takes a lot of work but you can pretty much remember incredible amounts of info using tricks.

 

[TheDarkKnight]

Originally Posted by harvey_birdman

A simple mnemonic for remember the five stages of grief -

Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance, becomes "Drink Alcohol Before Doing Anal."

That's the only thing I remember from Psych 101 in college.


Or perhaps "have your GF drink alcohol"

That's an Acrostic mnemonic, Harvey. Where a sentence is formed with the first letter of each word forming an acronym, I believe. It's easy to "link" too, as you can imagine your GF giving you grief, for getting her drunk for butt sex

The more weird, visual and striking the mnemonic, the more memorable it is, so I use messed up ones like that too Harvey

A cool one if you need to remember numbers is to make a verse or poem up, where the number of letters in each word, equals the respective numbers ( you may need this someday for your internet GFs, Metro

)

eg for Pi

Now, I wish I could recollect pi.
"Eureka," cried the great inventor.

=

Now (3). I(1) wish(4) I(1) could(5) recollect(9) pi(2). etc etc
"Eureka," cried the great inventor.

 

[bbaquiran]

I've been into mind hacks and memory for a while now, going so far as experimenting with mild nootropics. IMO the best books on improving memory are still those by Harry Lorayne.

If you are into using software to improve your memory, look into dual n-back training games.

 

[JoelF]

Early Alzheimer's? But srsly if this is getting worse quickly maybe best to get it checked.

 

[blackjack]

Maybe consider taking a look at nootropics (smart drugs). Many of these were drugs first used in the treatment of patients suffering from dementia or Parkinson's Disease. As they became available to the general public - either from offshore pharmacies or as legal OTC supplements - people began experimenting with them to see if they might boost the cognitive powers and memory of otherwise healthy subjects. Erowid: http://www.erowid.org/smarts/ And an old article from the 90's: http://www.zoklet.net/totse/en/drugs.../nootropc.html which includes information on stuff like piracetam. Aside from the fact that over ten years have passed since that article was written, prices for the stuff have gone down dramatically. The guy in this youtube video hoists a tub of piracetam like it was one of those protein supplement powders.. (you can buy a 0.5 kg tub online for less than $20):
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