Severe memory and comprehension problems

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I'm only 23. I have an excellent long term memory, but my short term is horrible. My memory has been getting worse in the last few years. I forget things almost instantly. If my husband talks to me, I listen to what he's saying but it's like it goes in my head and disappears. It's the same with reading, I sometimes have to read the same sentence 10-20 times before I can comprehend what I'm reading. Sometimes when people talk to me, even if I pay very close attention, the words go in my head but I can comprehend what they're saying. I can't picture anything in my head. I know that when I learn things, the knowledge is stored up there in my mind, but I don't know how to access it. Oh, and my mind goes blank in mid sentence ALL THE TIME. I don't think it has anything to do with social anxiety, because this even happens when talking to my husband, who I'm completely comfortably around. I'm worried that it might be something more.

Does anyone else experience this? Is it normal?

I've always had similar issues. My mind tunes out and switches channels on me, and I can be very "out of sight, out of mind" about most things. I don't think I'd classify that under "normal", but it's not just you.

Maybe just to be on the safe side, you should talk to your Dr. About the memory issues. You never know, it may be related to something totally unrelated to ASD.

Yeah, I have short term memory issues as well. Some things stick over the long term but lots of stuff is gone almost as soon as it happens.

if I don't Immediately write stuff down it tends to evaporate.

Yes, I've had those especially the reading problems. They got a lot worse during a long period of high stress ("burnout") and have slowly gotten a little better over a lot of years. I have a few theories but really, who knows what's going on with this stuff.

I saw a documentary on TV once about an undercover cop who was somehow 'dosed' with a large amount of LSD. When he came back to reality after a week he said that he could look at print and recognize the words but not be able to understand the sentences without reading then over and over. That's exactly the problem with reading I've had except I've never taken any LSD.

I would visit your doctor and discuss your concerns with him/her. The short term memory issues you describe, especially since they have only appeared in the last few years, sound similar to late-stage Lyme Disease symptoms. I'm not saying you have Lyme's, I'm just suggesting that you see a medical doctor in order to rule out any physical reasons for your memory problems.

Welcome to WP.

Is there something major on your mind right now? Are you more tired or stressed than usual? This happen to me all the time and the more stressed or tired I am, the worst it get.