Memory loss in Teenagers

[hrwilson]

My son is 16 (17 in Jan). Over the past 3-4 weeks he has suffered from serious memory loss or he's just lying. There's only 3 people in the house: him, his mother and me (dad). I cautioned him last week about flushing the tolilet. He swore he didn't go to the bathroom. It could have only been him. He's a cellist and at a concert he took his wallet, ipod and cell phone and stored it in another's violin case (where eveyone stored their stuff) After the concert he panicked becasue his wallet, ipod and cell phone were missing. Someone "found" them in the violin case. He had no memory as to putting them there. Yesterday I put in some laundry and then later put my clothes in the dryer. I left the house. He then came home and did his laundry and when it came time to dry them he took my clothes out and put them in a basket without folding or hanging some of it up. I came in and asked who did that and he swore it wasn't him. I knew it wasn't me nor my wife so that left him.  He swore up and down that he didn't do it. I now think that he just doesn't remember doing it, just like the bathroom incident. I'm now worried. This type of memory loss is serious. What do yu think and thanks for your time.

[Xila31]

I would say certain things sound like a typical teen. Putting clothes in a basket and not folding them, for example, is just a kid being a kid. Not remembering taking them out of the basket is odd. I have some memory loss and confusion with things like that. I forget to do things all the time. I forget if I've done things, too. Even if I have lists to follow or little reminder notes, I still forget. The only way to remember some things is to have a flashing blinking something following me around. I don't know if this is my bipolar or not.

You should take him in to the doctor and describe these things. He will probably need some tests done both pysical and mental. I hope you can find an answer.

[paranoid_cataclysm]

And also it would be better if you spoke to a doctor about it if he is being sincere about his memory loss and not exaggerating it or what not after thinking it over and telling them since we can't do diagnosing here and please give us a follow up.

[paranoid_cataclysm]

Could be anything from a tumor as I read memory loss like that happened before for someone to a form of amnesia and there's also some mental illnesses that can cause something like this but they have to have several other diagnostic criteria points to be diagnosed.  Think really hard about it if there are other things not right with your son.