Memory Loss Isn’t Something You Can See

 

#Forgetfulblogger

Just like depression, anxiety and other illnesses on the inside – You can’t see memory loss. People that I walk past in the street probably have no idea that I suffer from memory loss as well as anxiety and depression. They have no idea that it sends my anxiety through the roof as it makes me over think everything so much more and become even more paranoid which then gets me down and makes my depression worse. Which I guess can sometimes be a good thing because I don’t want every Tom, Dick and Harry to know whats running through my head when I’m out in public and I don’t want to be defined by it either. I am still a human being.

On the outside and on social media I know I can come across to a lot of people as being quite outgoing and positive. But I’m clearly just a very good actress! They don’t know that inside I am thinking such self destroying thoughts as I walk past them in the streets. Thinking that they are judging me for how I look- ‘Look at the way she walks’, ‘Look how tall she is’, ‘She looks so silly’, ‘What on earth is she wearing’. I try to convince myself that this is all in my head, that im not being judged by every single person I walk past. What makes me soo special that everyone wants to look at me? Most people probably don’t even notice what im wearing or how my hair looks. I know everyone notices my height but that’s not exactly something that I can change so why don’t I just embrace it!? Much easier said than done.

If I’ve recently passed out, all of those thoughts seem so magnified. I become a lot more weary. I look in to things a lot more because I feel I need to be on the ball more with what’s going on around me. Anyone could take advantage as I’m so confused with what day it is and what I should be doing.

I guess what I’m trying to say is to not judge others from how they may look or come across on the outside. You never know what they are going through and how they may be feeling on the inside. Sometimes people think I look really angry, I’ve been told that people have been worried about approaching me when they’ve seen me in the street because I looked like I was ready to bite someones head off! I’m really not that bad, honest! If you do see me in the street then please do approach me. I may be stunned at first, it may take me a minute to realise who you are, you may have to explain who you are, or I may know exactly who you are and throw you a big cheesy grin! But either way, I’d be extremely grateful if you did approach me 😊

Some people are better than others at hiding what’s going on inside their head. But that doesn’t mean that whatever they are going through is any less important or worrying as others that are able to talk about their feelings or worries.
#Forgetfulblogger 

5 Quick Tips To Help Deal With Memoryloss

For anyone that suffers from memoryloss for whatever reason, whether it be Depression, Head Injury, Brain Tumors, Epilepsy or even something undiscovered like myself – We all have our own personal coping mechanisms but there are also generic tips you can take.

Something to also keep in mind is that the person suffering from the memoryloss is not the only one affected. Things like this also affect people that are close to us like family, friends and even work collegues.

This blog will explain what coping mechanisms currently work well for me and my friends and family that may worth trying yourself 😊

1 – We are still human beings. We may have a medical condition that has the ability to change a lot of things in our lives but we need to try and keep things as “normal” as possible. We still need to go out and socialise like we did before we became forgetful. We still have lives to live. If like myself, you are still able to venture out of the house then do it! If you are still capable of working even if work needs to adjust to your special requirements. Memoryloss is an awful thing and can change so much in your life and can make you become extremely depressed which will make your memory even worse (it’s like a vicous circle!). If you’re close to someone that suffers from memoryloss then try to keep all of this in mind- Please don’t treat us any different to before.

 

2 – A good diet. I know it sounds soo cliche but it honestly does work. It isn’t just your brain that needs good foods but your body also needs it to be able to function properly and make you feel better in yourself which helps to have better memory. Foods that are rich in antioxidants, with good fats, vitamins and minerals provide energy and help to protect our brains against brain diseases. Obviously veg, fruit, fish and certain oils are all great but even dark chocolate is good for your brain! So there’s no excuse!

 

3 – Have A System. Habits can be very powerful even though being repetitive can be very annoying… Unless you’ve forgotten about it lol! Having a system that works well for you, your lifestyle and people around you can be extremely useful. I have to take a fair amount of medication for my headaches and other health issues so I have a tablet box with the days of the week on it. I used to think this was just for old people so I felt silly using it at first but it’s actually really helpful. It reminds me to take my medication and it also let’s my partner know what painkillers I have already taken that day if I pass out and forget. If I have passed out and my partner has to go out to work then I’ll take some painkillers to get some extra sleep and when I wake up I will have a little letter written out for me from her which will tell me the date, whether I have work and what time, what time she will be back and if I had any other plans that day. This is a really useful system that works well for me and my partner.

4 – Write it down. Number 3 made me think about this one. I used to hate having little lists of everything lying around, my mum is one of those that has to do a list for everything! But since my memory has become a lot worse, I understand why she did it! I now love lists! Even if it’s just to write a list of the tidying and cleaning I want to do during the day, it not only helps me remember but I get a strange feeling of accomplishment when I’ve completed a job and can tick it off the list! Post-it  notes are also a great way to help me remember little bits. Stick them up on your fridge, cupboard doors, literally anywhere to help you remember anything! Me and my partner also have a shared calender app on our phones, we use it to write anything important that either of us need to remember- my shifts, her football matches and even our shopping lists. The app I’ve found best so far is called FamCal and it’s free to download so I would deffo recommend!

5 – Put objects in prominent places. Even people that don’t suffer with memoryloss can forget where they put their keys on a morning, we’ve all done something similar! By putting things in obvious/prominent places can be very helpful. For instance- I try to get my outfit, bag and lunch ready for work the night before when my partner is with me and can help me out if I need it. I make sure I have everything I should need for the day such as my work ID, my Fidget Cube, purse, e-cig & liquid, phone charger and so on and then I’ll leave my bag right by the front door with my keys. Also, in our flat everything has its place and although it makes the place look so much nicer it also helps with my memoryloss because if I lived in a home where things were constantly being moved about I’d become extremely frustrated with myself and whoever I lived with when I would be trying to find things not knowing whether I’d forgot where it’s supposed to be or if someone else had put it in and different place! So try to keep things neat, tidy and organised 🙂 

This was just 5 main tips that I feel could work for anyone suffering with memoryloss whether you’re old or young, male or female these are just generic things that may be worth trying if you haven’t already. What have you got to lose…? Not your memory 😉 

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