# Anxiety and memory loss?



## David78 (Mar 22, 2010)

Hi there. For the past several months i've been experiencing severe memory deficits that keep going progressively worst. Essentially, all my memories feel vague, distant, unreal, and they getting fainter everyday. This include past memories as well as new ones, even for events that occurred minutes ago. I don't have any problems retaining facts or learned skills, it only affects past events and experiences. Even now i have to focus really hard to remember what i did even five minutes ago, and when i do remember it is extremely vague and distant. Its like i have this thick, black cloud that is preventing me from accessing my thoughts and my memories. I've been subjected to all sorts of tests (blood and urine exams, thyroid tests, MRI ect.) and everything turns out negative. My neurologist suggested that it may be psychiatric. I've been experiencing anxiety and depression for most of my life, and this past year has been more traumatic then usual. Yet, it seems to me my symptoms are just too extreme for being the result of anxiety or even stress alone. I know those things can affect memory, but to this extend, and so consistently (i don't get high and lows, its always low, and going lower every day)? I just get the feeling the guy is try to get rid of me, and i don't want to spend the next several months going through all sorts of psychiatric medications while my mind deteriorates everyday. What do you guys think?


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

It is the anxiety and depression. With anxiety, we aren't able to focus on things as much as we would when calm, therefore, things feel more distant and lost - even when we derealize (the body's way of reserve power when our anxiety is high). 
Your mind is not deteriorating; it's preoccupied (like too much going on at the same time).


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## David78 (Mar 22, 2010)

To this extend though? I mean, it feels like my mind is being completely wiped out. I've experienced derealization before, but this is much more severe. Plus its a persistent feeling, i mean, it never goes away, and this is been going for four months straight. Can derealization last that long while getting progressively worst?


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

Yes...it is more frequent and can last longer if the anxiety increases in intensity.


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## Ghost89 (Feb 3, 2009)

That explains alot . My memories not being as much a problem as for you but it is quite bad that anything that leaves my immediate thoughts generally gets forgotten about for hours or days until it is no longer relative .


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## Amelia (Nov 24, 2003)

I'm sorry you're having this trouble. I haven't had the problems to the extent you describe, but have noticed memory and concentration problems recently. Have you considered seeing another doctor, maybe a sympathetic GP who might suggest an approach that doesn't involve trying out lots of drugs?


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

I think the memory loss is more perceived. You know, like wondering why we are "not able to keep track of things as much as we could before", when it is just the extra preoccupation. Our minds can only handle so much.


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## pita (Jan 17, 2004)

millenniumman75 said:


> I think the memory loss is more perceived. You know, like wondering why we are "not able to keep track of things as much as we could before", when it is just the extra preoccupation. Our minds can only handle so much.


I agree. I've found that when my anxiety and depression aren't so bad, my memory is alright, but when I'm really anxious or depressed, I can't remember a thing.


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## dougcyrus (Dec 29, 2009)

*memory loss experiance*

hello ya iv had sa since child hood and due to the anxiety attacks most of my child hoos is a blur. i dont rember anything really until i am about 9 than nothing really until i am about 11 and when i was 13 i started to smoke green stuff and than my memory and anxity for the most part got better well i was at least not feeling the anxiety attacks for there full effect. than when i was 18 i got pregnant with my son stoped the green stuff caffinei became a fanitc about health stuff. since than i have not a hard time with my memory or black outs still anxiety attacks but not as bad i am now 24 and have 2 sons. dont know how my story will help but maybe somtingin it will


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## sean7phil (Jul 6, 2009)

*Memory loss and Anxiety-related Low Blood Sugar:*

A lot of people with anxiety problems are also hypoglycemic (not all, but many). (Hypoglycemia is low blood sugar).

And chronic low blood sugar can cause some short-term memory loss.

This is due to chronic anxiety-related stress causing adrenal exhaustion (chronic anxiety wearing down the adrenal glands). The adrenals, in addition to producing adrenalin, produce the body's 'glucocorticoids' (blood sugar-raising hormones). So adrenal exhaustion can cause mild, or even severe, hypoglycemia depending on the person. Adrenal exhaustion may be either temporary or chronic.


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## sean7phil (Jul 6, 2009)

P.S. David, what you are describing may also be 'depersonalization'.

This sounds scary but idepersonalization is actually a temporary thing-- the "shock" of a lot of intense anxiety can cause you to lose touch with yourself for a while.

This is not a permanent state. You will come back (heal) as time passes and it will become eaiser to remember things.

*
Or it could be a medication problem-- 
*
**Another possible cause might be certain medications (not all medications are bad-- but be sure to carefully research whatever you take because some meds can have side affects on memory or cause brain-fog).

(Gradually--very, very gradually) getting off of a med that is affecting you adversely may help this (but some meds are dangerous if you come off of them too fast-- be sure to research carefully before taking this step).

Again, not all medications are bad, but not all are right for us individually either (and each of us is a little different genetically) (depends on the med, but be a careful consumer and research any med you take a whole lot to be safe).


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## Archer Rose (Apr 5, 2011)

Hi there i have only just found this forum. I know i am a little late in asking but am looking for help on this sort of condition i am 20 years old and female. I have no memories at all from before august 2010. My psychiatrist says i may have had some anxiety problems before which caused me to lose my memory i also suffer from seizures which come on when stressed or anxious or afraid but are more like a form of paralysis i lose all feeling in my body. I was just wondering if you ever found out what was causing your memory problems or if anything has gotten better/worsened over this length of time? i've asked so many doctors and other medical professionals for help and no one understands why this has happened? thank you for any responses


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## Ramondo (Feb 16, 2011)

David78 said:


> . What do you guys think?


You need a proper psychiatric evaluation. Your neurologist has ruled out every likely physical cause, and he is quite appropriately referring you on because he has nothing else to offer. 
If you don't want to take medications for some reason, tell the psychiatrist this. S/he can't force you to.


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## bob75 (Jul 1, 2010)

I know what you are going throught,I had a dizzy spell 3 years ago and ever since then my memory went bad.I misintupret what i want to say,I forget thing that i did about an hour ago,I even misinturpret peoples names that I knowed for years.I been seen by doctors. I had 2 cat scans and a mri.I even had a 4 hour neuropsych test and been seen by at least 3 psychiartrist.And all of them said that my problem is anxiety.And still I told them the same thing"Yeah but to this extent".I did not want to believe them myself.I took anxiety meds before and they didn't work.Im on new anxiety meds and they dont work as well.I been out of work 3 years now because of memory problems from that dizzy spell.So believe me I know what you are going throught.


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## sarafinanickelbocker (May 16, 2010)

That's weird. I know my sister contends with serious depression and anxiety and she hardly remembers anything. I'll talk about something that she and I shared and she doesn't even have an inkling of a memory. There are a lot of holes. Personally, I'm having difficulty remembering names of people from last year who I knew for years prior. *shrugs*

Uhm, I have a bad recall system though. I can't remember names and words on queu when I need or want to. They are in there, but I can't get at them...no one seems to understand this either. It's very frustrating for me and for people talking to me I'm sure. I'm not sure how much of it has to do with anxiety though.


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## alibaba35 (Nov 24, 2012)

*I feel the same way*

I have been experiencing the same thing for just over 3 years now. I too have struggled with anxiety and depression for all of my adult life, but up until now it was successfully treated with ssri antidepressants. 3 years ago I suffered a "mental breakdown" I guess. Basically I had a severe case of the flu after having my 3rd daughter(I was already exhausted). And all of the sudden I started having panic attacks nonstop and it was awful. I got back on medication(paxil) and it brought me back to a functional level...I could leave the house again and go shopping without having panic attacks and such. But I have been experiencing derealization and horrible short-term memory problems since. It is just like how you described. I feel spaced out all the time. Disconnected to my surroundings, so much so that I bump into things all the time. It feels like about 5 percent of my brain power is actually focused on what is going on around me and the other 95 percent is stuck in my head, with all of my worried thoughts. I think this is why my memory is so poor. It is because I am not fully engaged in what I am doing. My mind is always somewhere else. I dont have any answers for you. I have not improved at all yet. I get some relief with the med. clonazapam. I have another appt with my doc next month and we'll see if she's got any new ideas. It is a psychiatrist. I think I just need a better anti-depressant. at least that is what I hope I need. I'll let you know if anything improves. Hang in there....that's what I am doing too


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## braingymmer (Sep 15, 2014)

*Free Brain Exercises to Improve Memory*

Anxiety and depression is the reason of short term memory loss, if you want to improve your brain power play online brain games.


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