no short term memory | ADHD Information

Short term memory loss is most definately a big symptom of ADD/ADHD. If your husband understands that he is ADHD, then it behooves him to learn a bit more of the way the ADHD brain works (or doesn't work!)

In the mean time, I say just blow it off and try to encourage him to do some research on how ADHD affects the brain. Maybe for important things you really need him to remember, write it down for him and ask him to keep the note with him. Unless of course it will offend him.

My short term memory is horrible and so is my fiance's (he's ADHD too). Needless to say, we're both always swearing the other one didn't say something to the other and the other is swearing they did. However, I find that if I have something that is very important for him to remember I make sure he's not doing anything else and then I ask him to repeat what I said to make sure I didn't leave anything out. In reality I'm asking him because I know it helps him remember if he says it out loud. Saying things outloud helps me remember too.

It's also funny someone brought this up because just Monday I had a phone interview for a job and my sister asked me to call her when I was done. Phone interview goes great, I call my sister, she asks me what they asked me and what I said. Now I know the interview had only ended like 30 seconds before, but damned if I could remember any thing that was said.

Short term memory problems are completely an adhd characteristic. You are lucky you don't have problems with it! I take it his add is a lot more severe than yours?

I'll constantly forget conversations, where I put things, what I was doing etc. It's really irritating. Oh well... Well it is interesting because I can never find anything-keys,paperwork,my day timer- I am completely disorganized but I have a great memory that makes up for a lot of my issues. On the other hand my husband is organized- he just can't remember anything. Actually we complement each other well in that way. Thank you for letting me see that in a new light!! And yes his ADD is more severe than mine-although he may disagree with me

[QUOTE=EastWest]Ok so if it is an ADHD thing -How do you convinve your husband that he has a short term memory problem and to just admit it-It just makes it worse when he insists I didn't tell him something when I did!!! Or should I just laugh and chalk it up to ADHD and give him a break?[/QUOTE]

You might want to try a few things. The first would be to use a tape recorder at those times during discussions when you think he's most apt to forget (if there is any type of pattern). Depending on his personality, you may or may not want to tell him about it. (Some people enjoy a "dare;" others don't).

Once you can convince him that he has simply forgotten, you can then work on some strategies to help him remember. Gypsy is right (as she often is--I think that comes with age and experience) that there are strategies to use to overcome most of these problems.

sachetm38519.8084259259Aww, thank you, sachetm, for your kind words, that's sweet.

However, although I may have learned to 'work around' my short-term memory at times, and only with good friends, I haven't yet learned strategies to help with my short-term memory.

But thanks to this board and researching techniques on the internet, I may just come up with some methods that will work for me.

If you could have seen me this afternoon, you would have been laughing with me. I drove to the end of the driveway from the RV park where I live to the main drag, stopped, and couldn't remember where I was headed. When I finally remembered, I turned on my directional and pulled out into the traffic. I then drove to the grocery store. Once inside, I had to pull out my list a dozen times to find what I was looking for (and it only had 5 items on it).

Then while I was at one end of the store, I realized there was something not on my list I needed at the other end. As I started walking with a purpose (as I always seem to be when I'm walking), I stopped half way and, of course, couldn't remember what it was I was heading for.

So after walking up one aisle and down another, I finally arrived where I wanted to be.

Unfortunately, I only recently began to look for techniques and methods to improve my memory, since I never realized there were any before being dx'd this year. I always just accepted I was one quarter short of a dollar. (Did I just make that expression up? or does it really exist?

GypsyWomyn38519.9152777778

At least you actually made a list. That sure beats me!

You may have made that particular instantiation (just wanted to use a big word) of it up but the concept's been around for awhile: "one slice short of a loaf," "not the sharpest knife in the drawer," and other variations.

Bet you were recently dealing with quarters, weren't you?

BTW, I've read some stuff lately via my alternative medicine course about natural remedies to enhance memory. Don't know if they'd help with ADD but good chance they might. As long as they don't hurt anything. Now if I can just remember the references!

sachetm38519.9404050926

Yes, I have always had what is called a "short-term" memory problem.

My "short term" memory issue got better when I was taking adderall. I also find that my "short term" memory issues are not as frequent if I devote all of or as much of my true and full attention on the issue (whatever it may be) at hand.

Part of our "short term" memory issues result from our distractibility. In other words, we are so easily distracted by "outside" issues that we never really focus (or hyper focus) all of our necessary or needed attention on the task, subject, or issue in front of us.

~Z
ZORG38518.8581134259Ok so if it is an ADHD thing -How do you convinve your husband that he has a short term memory problem and to just admit it-It just makes it worse when he insists I didn't tell him something when I did!!! Or should I just laugh and chalk it up to ADHD and give him a break?

When I'm speaking with a friend, I often will say "Now, stop me if I've already told you this..." or "I may have already told you this...." And, of course, if their memory is as poor as mine, well...we can repeat as often as we need to. And we never run out of things to talk about.

My short term memory is awful. I talk to people on the phone and have to ask them thier name 3 times because by the end of the conversation I have forgotten it.

Not to mention my husband thinks that I don't listen to him because I am always forgetting things that he has told me.

Adultadhd38518.324224537yes!! my short term memory is TERRIBLE!!
particularly when I'm on the phone, when I have been
known to tell the same story 2 or three times
because I wasn't sure if I told it to my boyfriend
(currently on the phone), or the friend I had called
right before him... Luckily, he's very understanding
(and possibly ADHD as well).
Getting instructions on the phone is the worst, and
trying to transfer the information I just got (say, an
address) to "real" life (actually FINDING the address,
after first remembering it). Usually I have to figure out
some poem to remember it, and the message has
to be of less than 3 items or it's no good. (strangers
are helpful with this - I was repeating "255-6"
because I remembered the street name but would
otherwise forget the address, and this guy near the
payphone heard me and repeated it again for me a
couple of times when I got off the phone! :P)

My ADHD husband has no short term memory. I will talk to him about something and he will honestly have no memory of the conversation-even if we talk about it a few times. I honestly don't believe it to be selective hearing but you never know! My question-Can this be ADHD related? Or did he smoke too much you-know-what in his younger years(seriously) I think if I could understand what is going on I may be less frustrated! I suffer with mild ADD but my memory is excellent.

I have no short term memory. I will ask people the same question 3 times because I forgot I got an answer.Me too.

Yesterday, my boss called me twice to find out if I was coming in and the status of my project. At first, she said to stop by and see her when I got in. Then she called again to ask about the status.

Well, I completely forgot to stop by. Then, when I remembered, I forgot whether or not she asked me to stop by after all (since I gave her a status over the phone).

I'm not in very good standing right now as it is (I have been VERY ADHD on this project), so I would just about rather pull out my eyebrows than to have to call her. This happens so often...I hate it. I did call, but she had already left, so....ugh.

Seems that even if I do pull it together in one area, my short-term memory causes me problems in another and I don't really want to go around explaining my biology to everyone. It's embarrassing to me.