Can depression cause memory loss?

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Has anyone experienced this?

I am 48 and lately my mind seems foggy. I am very forgetful. More so than in the past.

I am wondering if this could be an early onset dementia or rather depression.

Depression can definitely cause memory loss. Somehow I doubt that you are developing early dementia. I wouldn’t pay too much attention to it if I were you.

It is possible I am paranoid.

A family friend has it and I have heard so many stories of other people dealing with it in their lives with relatives and friends. Today I was at the store and the clerk was acting a little weird. She was in her 40s and told me that she began to take medication for memory loss. It seems like an epidemic.

I understand your concern, and I’m really sorry you have to deal with depression. The thing is, at your age, it is highly unlikely you are developing dementia. Sure, the store clerk was acting strange and takes medication for memory loss, but that could be the result of any number of conditions that don’t involve age. I’m not reassuring you 100%, but when you look at the most likely possibility, it is probably your depression causing you some brain fog (very common symptom). It even states that loss of concentration or indecisiveness is a diagnostic criterion in the DSM.