Memory problems? | ADHD Information

For me short-term memory is a reality too unless i am really into something totally and even then it is the swiss cheese syndrome.. I am on a meds holiday at present and wow.. OMG memory thing is a pain in the ass....

I totally had trouble with short term memory. I would forget appointments, picking up my children from events, grouding them to their room (they would be in there for way too long before I remembered I had sent them to their rooms!!) They finally learned to call to me and remind me their were grounded to their rooms!!

The crawling exercises I found in the book Stopping ADHD by O'Dell have given me back my memory. I can remember things now. It is such a wonderful thing. Check out the "crawlers unite" thread on the alternative posting area to find out more about. It has been amazing to me. And more good things are also happening to me. I am not so obsessed about things that I used to hyperfocus on. I am more organized, I can get things done. It definitely has helped me in a major way.

I have major memory problems. (im ADD/Inattentive) i always have, but it didnt make sense until i was diagnosed, i just figured i was forgetful. I am 35. I have learned to write EVERYTHING down, i bought a note book, and everything from normal daily cleaning tasks to important dates or something my husband tells me will be happening at his work that he has to deal w/, i write down so i can remember to ask about it. it isnt that i dont care or i am lazy, i just cant remember anythign. i also have started emailing him every day, 1 or 2 times, just filling him in on different little things, or bills coming up, that way i know that some time i made him aware of it, so it doesnt come up and bite me on the ass like it used to, and i still have things that i forget, due to my not writing them down.

chris r

It's cost me money.

B/c I forget to pay things.

It's cost me friends.

B/c I forget to remember thier names.

It's cost me credibility.

B/c they think it's all a/b me.

And I'm only 50.

I hope you do what I do ryan! Tell those who know about your ADHD that you are having a bad bad hair week and they should probably walk around your block for the next while. For those who don't I'd just say look I'm under the weather please give me time to get back to being me.

It for me now is counting down the days then enjoying the memory even more when it comes back!

[QUOTE=sachetm]

I'm guessing this subject has likely come up before, but I haven't seen it. Do you have trouble remembering things--especially in the short term?

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I can't remember.
[QUOTE=sachetm]

I'm guessing this subject has likely come up before, but I haven't seen it. Do you have trouble remembering things--especially in the short term?

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Oh, I remember now!

Ooops, I forgot.
[QUOTE=sachetm]

I'm guessing this subject has likely come up before, but I haven't seen it. Do you have trouble remembering things--especially in the short term?

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Just kidding!

I've also been accused of other things.

Such as having the attention span of a goldfish.

And being an artist. (B/c I draw attention to my elf)...
Have you remembered to forget the thing you were forgetting.

My memory has gone off the deep end. I used to be able to quote things word for word. Not any more.

Memory - especially short term and important yet boring information is often a major cue of ADHD. I had the "swiss cheese" memory - remembering negative history of mine and trivial junk that only a game show could use. I'd look at a number, go to transpose it to another page and *poof* it's gone. Over and over it made me nearly cry many times.

Meds gave me back my memories. Good and bad. I haven't heard another success like that but it's an improvement over 50 percent of the time. And I think that memory is like a muscle once you get the ADHD under control you have to work it out. And again like muscle going back into it when not used can be a sweaty and painful thing.

I'm guessing this subject has likely come up before, but I haven't seen it. Do you have trouble remembering things--especially in the short term?

I have multiple medical issues, all with a side-effect of memory loss and/or confusion, but would bet that the main culprit is my ADD. Do any of you have some major problems w/ your memory (short-term)? If so, have these problems cost you in terms of family, friends, work?

Oh, and if so, how old are you? I just turned 60 so some of my problem likely due to aging. But I'm also guessing it's a pretty common problem for younger adults w/ AD(H)D, too.

Yep, Forever getting in trouble for not listening. i was listening, I just don't remembr what was said. Oh sh%*, now I'm i trouble cause what whomever said wasn't important enough to me to bother to remember it.

I can quote verbatum anything that someone said that interests me. I have a photographic memory for anything I read while hyperfocusing. Fat lotta good it does me though...since my data retrieval isn't reliable. One minute I know what I am talking about, in the next breath - I dunno nuthin. Then I walk out into the hallway and I can remember. But then I forget it again by the time I get back from the water fountain.

Not only that, but information that I need in order to FUNCTION, pfft! I have no clue what I walked into this room for, no clue what I did with my keys, no clue where I put those important papers, what day is it? Oh, oops I know you told me about that meeting - but... um... well...I forgot... I was late, but I don't really know why, I don't remember. And somewhere in the back of my mind I was aware that my car registration is 2 years expired.

Ah, but do you remember where to go for the quote in the first place?

I equal all of the above for lack of short term memory. During my testing for ADHD the Doc had me repeat number sequences. The best I could do was five random numbers. After that I was concentrating so hard on remembering each number that I wasnt hearing the following numbers

I have good recall if I've read information, like with comprehension but with anything auditory, FORGET IT. I remember about the first five minutes then my brain wanders off to something else.

This is one thing that annoys everyone that knows me

I too have to write everything down or it just doesn't exist. My friends, there are only few but good ones, know that if they want me to show up for anything...lunch, a walk, anything I am supposed to meet them for they need to call. Call the day before and the day of.

Off the topic here but I am wondering from Glen, how did you find your therapist? I can't find the thread where you name the type, Cognative Behavior Therapy? That's the way I want to go. Don't want to know the "whys", just give me some tools to have better outcomes!!

When I was in my early twenties, I tried being a waitress. What a joke. You know, people would stop me and ask for a fork or a refill of something, and I'd walk to the kitchen area - a complete blank.

I wanted to start writing these things on a small pad - but the management got kind of huffy, explaining that there was no reason I couldn't just remember a couple of things. (I think they thought it seemed too impersonal for the customers.)

I've had a few jobs that have been bad fits but I think that was the worst of all - because of the short term memory issues.

[QUOTE=Peita Pan]

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I couldn't even get one after 5 tries. Thinking about it makes me appreciate meds all over again.

[QUOTE=Reisa]

[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Reisa]

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This sounds soooo familar! Only I tend to index and summarize stuff I've hyperfocused on. Can remember the index (where on the page the info was, but not necessarily the book or the specific text) but can remember the gist of who said what to whom, when, when I'm hyperfocusing (the summary). Typically remember a conclusion but not what led me to it. Tend to discard that as not important, although most people want it. Yikes!

Your second paragraph is one I might have written!

sachetm38749.5478703704[QUOTE=Reisa]

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Sounds just like me.

Sometimes after my meds. kick in I suddenly start thinking of all these things that I need to do so I have to hurry and write them down before they escape me again. If I don't, who knows when they'll cross my mind again?

Whats scary is I can forget something that happened two seconds ago. Like loosing somithing without moving my feet.."I just had it in my hand!" ERRRR!

Read in my cognitive psych book that short term memore does NOT exceed 30 seconds. I always assumed it was longer than that, but nope. Have to look up the definition of "working" and "long-term" memory, though. I forget how long they last!

That's funny. I went into waiting tables specifically because the constant flow, constant movement, and the short-term memory requirements were there. I learned that I had to write everything down, but the place I'm working at now requires you write down EVERYTHING (when I'm not on meds, I'll forget their order the very second they've spoken if I'm not actively writing it down).

Try to teach me how to work a photocopier in one session, and I'm screwed. Ask me to write a lengthy letter or work on a long-term multiple-part task, and it's hopeless. Ask me to go fill up a coke and mandate that I write it down, and we're in business! I worked for six non-profits before I realized how poor I was at doing the work.

Funny thing is though, if you take the time to teach me (or give me the time to learn) something three or four times, I can be absolutely great at it. repetition seems to be the key for me. When people hire me, they see a really impressive resume and great education, and they tend to be mortified at how slowly I am learning the basic skills they're trying to teach me. I can't remember more than a fraction of any given lesson. But once I get it down to a formula, once every activity is scripted, and I have experienced it, then I'm fantastic at it.

Oh the oddness that is ADHD.

I used to wait tables, at an old people's home on top of that. When I got back to the kitchen, I didn't even remember that I forgot something, and had to be reminded about 4 times per item, and then after I still forgot it, they gave up. I think it's sad that the old people remember everything better than me