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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
Bad memory and lack of concentration
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD), bipolar disorder, dementia, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic, personality disorders, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, stress, transitions, and work problems.
Bad memory and lack of concentration
by Corinna, Jan 10, 2000 12:00AM
I am 25 years old and have had a short memory and a lack of
concentration all my life. I can read something and when I'm done
I can't remember what I read. My boss will tell me how to do
something and by the time I get back to my desk I have forgotten.
I also lose time, but not often. I will be driving my normal
route to work and stop at a stop sign and not remember passing
everything on the way. It's as if I was sleeping and all the
sudden wake up. I had a head injury when I was 10 months old. My
babysitter threw me against the wall. I was bleeding internally
in my head and had a concussion. The doctors didn't think I'd
live through the night, but I did and all my mom could tell me
was that they said I recovered fine. Does that mean they found no permanant damage? How do I find out? I have been taking Luvox
for depression for three years now. It has worked wonders on my
depression but hasn't done anything for my memory. My Doctor wants to see me in two months to talk about the medicine. I want to talk to him but don't want to bring it up if the accident is
not related to my memory problem. What do you think? I'm grasping
at straws but maybe the answer will make me feel better about
myself instead of thinking I'm just stupid. Thank you.
concentration all my life. I can read something and when I'm done
I can't remember what I read. My boss will tell me how to do
something and by the time I get back to my desk I have forgotten.
I also lose time, but not often. I will be driving my normal
route to work and stop at a stop sign and not remember passing
everything on the way. It's as if I was sleeping and all the
sudden wake up. I had a head injury when I was 10 months old. My
babysitter threw me against the wall. I was bleeding internally
in my head and had a concussion. The doctors didn't think I'd
live through the night, but I did and all my mom could tell me
was that they said I recovered fine. Does that mean they found no permanant damage? How do I find out? I have been taking Luvox
for depression for three years now. It has worked wonders on my
depression but hasn't done anything for my memory. My Doctor wants to see me in two months to talk about the medicine. I want to talk to him but don't want to bring it up if the accident is
not related to my memory problem. What do you think? I'm grasping
at straws but maybe the answer will make me feel better about
myself instead of thinking I'm just stupid. Thank you.
Doctor's Answer
by HFHS MD-JM, Jan 12, 2000 12:00AM
Corinna,
Head injury and depression as well as cognitive problems have been clearly linked with each other. This does not mean that this is the case with you but is a remote possibility. Generally, cognitive problems and depression follow the head trauma immediately and may resolve on their own at times. This incident that you had occurred several years ago so it would be difficult to associate these problems based on the limited history you have given. If you feel that these issues are impairing your ability to function then you need to discuss this with your physician. If there is objective evidence of cognitive impairment upon screening then you should have neuropsychiatric testing to clarify the issue. By the way, it is not uncommon that one does not recall all the unremarkable occurences as one is driving. Good luck.
Sincerely,
HFHS MD-JM
Keywords: Cognitive impairment, head injury, depression
Head injury and depression as well as cognitive problems have been clearly linked with each other. This does not mean that this is the case with you but is a remote possibility. Generally, cognitive problems and depression follow the head trauma immediately and may resolve on their own at times. This incident that you had occurred several years ago so it would be difficult to associate these problems based on the limited history you have given. If you feel that these issues are impairing your ability to function then you need to discuss this with your physician. If there is objective evidence of cognitive impairment upon screening then you should have neuropsychiatric testing to clarify the issue. By the way, it is not uncommon that one does not recall all the unremarkable occurences as one is driving. Good luck.
Sincerely,
HFHS MD-JM
Keywords: Cognitive impairment, head injury, depression
Here is a question.
I feel that I have a great long term memory. But the memory that is responsible for the quick recall sometimes leaves me blank. And that sums it up. Blank. My boss will give me instructions and minutes later I am completly blank. I have had this happen several times and it appears to be getting worse. The most recent being a simple card game with a friend, I just cant recall the last card that is out of sight.
And yet I can read 3 books at the sametime, drop them down half read, come back to them in a year or so, and pick up where i left off.
If you have any idea what might cause this, please let me know. To the best of my knowledge, I have never suffered any head trauma. However, i am a migraine sufferer.