Have You Ever Forgotton Your Name?

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Very rare for me, but during exceptional times where I am under stress and have a mind blank type episode where I try to think when asked and nothing... I can't even think of anything... Come on mind... Work! And though dare, it happens just when you don't want it to happen. Let me give an example. I had to go to the local hospital to have a simple blood test. However, because there are a few corridors to go through so there is quite a distance between the entrance and exit point compared to the waiting room for the blood to be taken, I am already on big alert as I hate being in a postion of not being near an exit door. Then there is a long sait in a crowded room where peolle look at anyone coming in.. It is sometimes up to about two and a half hours of waiting..
So by the time my turn comes (And I don't like needles anyway) I am so stressed that I am almost in a state of faint. Then I close my eyes and hold a hand over my eyes to make sure I don't look, and I ask to lie back and I wait. However, I sometimes need a recovery time before I can sit up. And "Grrrr" Why can't they take my blood while I am in a faint. Why do they try to get me to come to and then do t so I faint again? I don't actually lose conciousness. It is this energy loss kicking in rather then an actual faint... But it is ever so anoying when they go to try to distract my mind by asking questions while taking my blood. It is like "Just do it. Say nothing!", as I find the more they ask the more I have to really make my brain work to think at the very time my brain has shut down and needs a break. Idon't have a clue if this is autism related or just me!
Now sometimes either while having blood taken or while trying to recover they start asking things like "What is your name?" and sometimes I struggle to answer. Just concentrating on what they are saying is not easy... Never mind trying to get me to speak! If they let me lie down for a while and recover by myself I will be just fine... Then as long as I can get up and walk and make it through the corridors to the great outdoors and sometimss by then I am shakey! But as soon as I am outdoors in the air and preferably in the rain I am fine.
But this one time, every time I was trying to recover so I needed to shut off for a bit and close my eyes and be still, they assumed I was in a faint and tried to wake me up.. I could see there point of view. I was holding up the queue! Eventually they had a porter and took me down to the A&E to recover there and it took six hours before I was ok to leave and drive home. (Luckily I was just in time as the car parking ticket ran out just as I was able to start the car and drive it, as I was concerned about that). Six hours for a blood test and forgetting my name!
Anyway. I am probably not the only one. You lot may have worse!
The wierd thing is, that other occasions I have had blood tests I have been ok. They once booked me in a place at a church where they did blood tests by appointment and I went in, they did it there and then and I went out and I was completely fine. I said I might faint but I didn't. There were no long corridors and no real waiting room as they didn't need it. It aas all appointment, and the room was nice and large, and the exit point was not that far away to go to the outside world. I did ask at the last time I had a blood test if I could have it there again, but I think they may only use it there if they have to as they said no.

Anyaay. Anyone else forgets their name? Hahah! I hope I am not the only person this happens to! Luckily it is rare. Now what was my name again? Umm. HAHAHAHA! Joking. I am fine!

In a sense, yes. When I'm stressed to the point of partial or complete shut-down, I can lose access to pretty much any kind of skill or memory, often in ways that seem quite random. At times, I don't even recognise the noises coming out of someone's mouth as being words at all - I certainly wouldn't have a clue what my name is then, as the concepts of "names" or "words" don't seem to exist any more (the fleeting memories I'm left with are very peculiar). Other times, I can remember the sound of my name, but can't recognise it written down or write it.

No but sometimes if i am asked suddenly when my birthday is i have to think about it for a moment, most people don't need to think when their birthday is, i know it but when asked unexpected i have to gather my thoughts a second

Ooh. I have had that in I know the people are talking in english (As in I know they must be talking in english) but somehow I hear sounds of their speech rather then picking up patterns. I only ever get this when deep into an energy loss situation because I habe not been able to find somewhere quiet to lie down in time and I have tried to push my way through it... It is almost impossible to stand or walk if the energy loss kicks in... then when I am that bad I get the shakes/shivers and am sweaty and clammy... Basically I will be either on the floor by then or trying to cling onto something!
It is not often I get it to the extent that I can't make sense of what I am hearing, and the last time it happened I was in work where I had to come out onto the shop floor and I was already struggling, as these days I don't do stress that well. I used to cope with most things in life.
It has come to my thoughts that this energy loss has a direct link to being on edge or stress, and the few times where I have not noticed stress something else has triggered it somehow.
I noticed that thinking to my past, that on the way home from where I used to work where I would cycle home, sometimes the day would be really bright, hot and sunny... Those days where the heat would make it difficult to beeathe. During those days I would be revving like anything on the bicycle and cruising at 30 to 35 mph depending on which bicycle I was on with no wind behind me, so it was all my effort... And looking back I was so filled with adrenaline during those few occasions that it happened, that if I didn't find an outlet for that energy I would probably be in difficulty, as on other occasions of bright sunshine where I had felt fine out cycling and everything would be going ok, then an energy loss situation would hit me even though I was stress free and not even over exerting myself, so could it be that the bright sunshine is effecting me?
I know that 95% of the time when I get energy loss I am certain it is being on edge and/or stressed that causes it. If it is bright sunshine which causss the other 5% then I may have found the problem and fully understood the reasons.


Yes, I get that... I was going to mention that. It happens the same way as trying to remember my name! It is another thing they kept trying to ask me while I was trying to recover! I was like "Stop trying to get me to think!", except I wasn't able to tell them that.

No, but I go by two different names. I use my given name at work and my nickname with family and close friends. I don't reveal either on this site. I'm sure if they saw my username, it would give away my identity, because my friends and family know about my interest in Denis Istomin and tennis.

Pretty often since it's a VERY common name and I never felt it was mine. I think people should be given the option of legally changing their name for free once they hit a certain age.

No, but I hate it whenever my uncle visits and keeps calling me "Bubba."

The next time he visits, I am going to stay out of the house regardless of what my mom says.

Sounds like a shutdown, I've had a couple shutdowns before... My name changes it seems, "Angnix" is a made-up persona I use online but I've been called all sorts of stuff, but my given first name is Angela, which is actually not that common and is pretty so I don't mind. My aunt named me, she always wanted a little girl named Angela but she ended up having three boys. So when her oldest sister had me she convinced my mother to name me Angela instead of Stephanie!

Wait. Is it possible to have a couple of shutdowns a day? I aas under the impression that shut downs didn't happen that often? Of corse, it all depends how much stress I have at the time. Sometimes I may have a week or two without any energy loss events. I don't know a lot about shutdowns. What is the difference between a shutdown and a meltdown? I have had what I think was a meltdown and if they are I may get one every three years? Maybe less? Is it possible to get shutdowns without getting meltdowns? Puzzled!

I can forget anything, especially during a meltdown or a shutdown.

Yes, some people in some situations can either shutdown or meltdown often. Technically all you need is a little time to recover or partially recover from the first before having another. If the stressor or trigger comes back, so can the meltdown or shutdown.

Thanks Daniel W. Is all new to me. I mean.. I know what I get but I didn't consider them to be shutdowns as I assumed that shutdowns only took place after one had many meltdowns first. It is all quite an enlightening experience for me. Yes, avoiding a build up of stress is the answer but it is not as easy as one thinks! Haha. If only life was that easy!

Angnix... I think Angela is a very nice name.

I can only speak for myself, but I can shutdown without a meltdown and have many meltdowns without shutting down. I am learning to self-regulate now, so both have been fewer, but they can happen independently.

Thanks soo much Daniel. I was thinking I need to ask you what a shutdown feels like juat so I can clarify... I will start a new thread for this so I can leave this thread continue with the forgetting ones name theme.

Once in a blue moon, generally when I'm overdone, I forget my name for a bit

Overdone = overtired or overstressed? I find it does not happen often to me. Actually quite rare.