Memory?

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Hi,

I was diagnosed with aspergers the other week so getting my head around the diagnosis is all a bit new for me even though I've been struggling for as long as I can remember.

My main issue is even though I spend hours/whole days on my obsessions/interests, my memory is really bad and I don't seem to remember that much detail, I have to keep going over the topic. I feel really stupid compared to other people with the same diagnosis as other people seem to remember everything about their interests.

Also just generally throughout the day my memory is quite bad, at work (I work at a nursery) I really struggle to remember everything I need to or remember too late etc

Does anyone else have this or do you think I should get a doctors opinion on whether my diagnosis is right? I just don't feel smart enough compared to others with the same diagnosis :/

In a WP post titled "Does anyone feel like they can't relate to their diagnosis?", Bitoku wrote:

"I've been analyzing Aspergers for quite a while now, trying to isolate the core elements of it that seem to be universal. I've basically come up with three main things that seem to affect everyone who really has Aspergers:
1. Confusion in unscripted social situations
2. Overstimulation shutdown
3. Enhanced ability in special interests"

I know a few aspies who’s memories are significantly less than eidetic and would be disinclined to use that as a critical factor for evaluating diagnosis. I did watch a show called "Neurotypical" on PBS recently (available online), and found it presented Asperger’s in a way that was much easier to recognize than textual descriptions.

my memory is like yours, I always go through everything in my special interest again and again, not sure if this is bad memory or that I like to read it over and over.


but in everyday life my memory is poor, I don't remember what I eat or whether I have taken any medication that I need. I get my days mixed up as well and forget to eat. it can be quite confusing

i have a terrible memory, especially with details. i am excellent at big-picture stuff and context because they are meaningful to me. i can't remember names and dates or where i put the keys.

hence my proclivity for postit notes and the dozens of wordpad files on my computer "to do" "to do monday" "to do 2" "to do 1001" or the more ambiguous "document(n).rtf" as well as the dozens of alarms on my cell phone (hopefully i remember what they are for)

And then there are times when I forget that I forgot....

Writing things down helps...keeping old letters and emails in accessible files...using all those aides d'memoire out on the market - they help too. And I often surprise myself when I read what I wrote, because I had completely forgotten all about it. To do lists are vital - as is the Master Calendar, with its big squares, and its companion - the next month calendar with the littler squares - both are magneted to the fridge.

It's funny, the details of my memories are there - usually very visual in nature but I can't remember names for anything - especially recently introduced ones. Then again, there are phone numbers and other strings of numbers/letters (like old driver's license numbers from years ago - pretty useless for the most part, but they do make good passwords). Random dates from history. My ex's social security number. Those are easily accessible to my memory, as well as a whole lot of birthdays - sometimes I have had the birthday, but not the name!

If it wasn't for one of those little pill minder trays with the daily labeled compartments, I wouldn't remember whether I took my medicines or not...and I'm not sure what I had for breakfast this morning after the obligatory cup of coffee with milk.

But if I'm tired or overwhelmed - forget it!

LOL ;D

I think I may need to get one of those weekly pill trays because I tend to forget to take my meds.

I had a psych eval from DSHS today. Would you believe I forgot who the vice president was? Embarrassing. I also couldn't recall who the governor of Washington is.

Redrobin...getting and then using that pill tray has been a big help.

My working memory seems rather poor, but I find that short term memory and memory retrieval is lacking, otherwise I have a normal or better memory.

What I have to do, I have to right down the information in a book, or a trigger word what is associated what I have remembered. Interesting, self-Revelation moment there...

Horrible memory here.