Memory Issues

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Ok, so I was in the airport on my way back home when I was called over to one of those non-permanent kiosks to sign up for some credit card that would give me a bunch of points that I could then use to get a free flight.

During this process of course they had to get my phone number and address and all that. During this I managed to forget both my street address AND my phone number. Not totally, but they weren't there at the top of my head and because I was in a hurry to get where I was going and the lady seemed to sense that I was in a hurry it got a little rushed. I ended up giving out my ex's old phone number, possibly with the wrong area code completely such that the phone number I supplied might not even exist, completely by accident, and I gave the wrong street address although I got the apartment number right and postal code right.

That's pretty bad, forgetting my own phone number, same one I've had for a few years now. Anyone else do things like this? I'm only in my 30's and I've had an MRI in the past year, and I heard nothing untowards was found in regards to brain damage, early onset alzheimers, MS, or other such things.

I have some severe memory issues, but not the type you describe, though I am pretty bad with phone numbers.

My memory issues though, tend to be related to my working memory. Sometimes, I even forget what I am going to say if I talk too slowly.

I frequently lose track of what things I want to say while in the midst of saying them. I have a hard time having intelligent conversation this way as it predicates often on multiple points being connected together, just using more working memory. I find text a far better medium for a lot of stimulating conversation in those regards.

·I need to think of the shape of the letters to remember my own name.
·I need to start with my birthdate and count forwards to remember any important dates or calculate my current age.
·I need to start with my first address and work forwards to remember my current address.

It is like my memories are encoded so I cannot remember them unless I can remember how to decode them. If I can remember how to decode them, I still need time to do it.

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31st of July, 2013
Diagnosed: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Auditory-Verbal Processing Speed Disorder, and Visual-Motor Processing Speed Disorder.

Weak Emerging Social Communicator (The Social Thinking-­Social Communication Profile by Michelle Garcia Winner, Pamela Crooke and Stephanie Madrigal)

"I am silently correcting your grammar."

Things like this happen to me especially when I am in a rush or distracted by things I am trying to get done while talking. I have forgotten my phone number, my birthday, my kids' names, etc. The right information just doesn't get to the spot where it gets ready to come out my mouth. It's like a roadblock was put up and a detour had to be taken. I am only 40, but I have had these problems FOREVER. I also forget the words to common items, like "pen." The image of the pen comes right to my mind, but the label takes a while. I've joked that I'd be concerned about early-onset alzheimer's except that I've had these problems since I was at least 6 yrs old, if not younger.

When it happens, I have to slow down and wait for the information to line up in order. The other person just has to be patient if they want the information to be correct. If they push me for an answer, they might get a wacky one.

Just this morning, I was talking to my husband about how I couldn't find some parts of something I needed down in the basement. He knew where they were and came right back up with them. He explained where they were and I SAID, "Oh, you found them on the other side of the stove? Garage? UGH, BASEMENT!?" He laughed and said, "yeah, that thing that's under the house." LOL The reason I said "stove" was because I was doing something at the stove while I was talking. Why I said "garage", I have no idea.

Oh yes! I have this issue daily, mostly forgetting words in sentences, so I'd say 1 out of 10 of my sentences contain the word "what's-it" in place of many words.

But besides that I forget my name, my street, family members, how to hold pencils or cook meals, the sequence of in which to preform a task, where I put things in my home, where I am at the moment. A common one is forgetting how to spell my name or how my signature goes, my signature is constantly changing.

It improves with lack of stress and a good nights rest but it's always present.

I have a history of getting concussions as a child and my stim was bashing my head into a wall until my head turned blue so I always assumed that was the reason but who knows.

I have trouble remembering my cell phone number sometimes, I can get it close but be off by a digit or two. I have to think hard about it. One time I had mild heat exhaustion and couldn't remember it at all.

One time I forgot my social security number. I could remember the first part of it but not the rest. I've gotten to the point where I feel really unsure of myself anytime I have to give out a number, whether I have it right or not.