Our lives are made up of our memories. Without our memories we have no past, no context about the present, and no way to plan for the future. As a physician, neuroscientist researcher, author and public speaker, I have worked with many people who have memory problems and varying stages of Alzheimer’s disease. I know for a fact, that every one of those people would give up all of their material possessions if, in return, they could just remember their grandchild’s name.
Everyone wants to age gracefully and successfully. We all want to live a long and happy life in which we are physically pain-free. And yet, while it is everyone’s hope that all of our body parts will continue to work well, international studies reveal that people’s number one fear, as he or she ages, is that they will experience a loss of their memory.
Every human being will experience a breakdown of the assembly process of memory as they age. In some cases this breakdown can begin when a person who is only in their 20s, however most memory loss signs begin as one reaches their 50s. So, while younger and otherwise healthy people can experience memory loss or memory distortion, age does play the biggest factor in at least two ways. The first factor comes from studies that have shown that as we age we absorb fewer details when acquiring information. The second factor is simply that, as we grow older, our memories grow older as well, and old memories are especially prone to misattribution.
While research shows that up to half of the population over the age of 50 experience mild forgetfulness linked to age-associated memory impairment, the two biggest culprits in forgetfulness are multitasking and simply not paying attention. Those problems can be addressed and overcome. The problems that can’t be overcome are when our brains suffer serious memory conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
The signs of memory problems that must be taken very seriously include the complete forgetting of an experience, forgetting how to drive a car or read a clock, forgetting a very recent event, forgetting a person you know, a loss of function, and confusion or decreasing alertness. Another difference between normal memory problems and something more serious is that normal memory loss doesn’t get much worse over time while dementia and Alzheimer’s disease gets much worse over several months to several years.
Once the first symptoms of dementia or Alzheimer’s begin, they will most likely become more frequent and more severe. Should you worry about the occurrence of these symptoms? Of course! Although most likely – you won’t. The reason for that is the rule of thumb that many clinicians use when treating a patient with memory concerns – if a person is worried about their memory – it’s probably not that serious, but if their friends and relatives are worried about it – then it is probably serious.
How can you tell if your memory problems are serious? A memory problem is serious when it affects your daily living. If you sometimes forget names, you’re probably okay – we all do that. But you may have a more serious problem if you are having trouble remembering how to do things you’ve done many times before, getting to a place you’ve been to many times before, or doing things that require steps such as following a recipe or instructions. Episodic memory loss is the hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease so remember, the first signs of serious memory problems include:
1) Forgetting things on a very regular basis.
2) Forgetting how to do things you’ve done many times before
3) Having trouble learning new things.
4) Repeating phrases or stories in the same conversation.
5) Having trouble making choices or handling money.
6) Not being able to keep track of daily routine things such as forgetting if you have eaten or taken medications.
HOW MEMORY WORKS
Our brains store memories in two ways – long-term and short-term. Most people hold short-term data in their brains for perhaps half a minute or so. Conversely, long-term information can last a lifetime. Humans use what is called their working memory to cope with the relentless challenges of daily life. Working memory is the attention aspect of short-term memory that is involved with learning, reasoning, planning and comprehension. Important information is gradually transferred from short-term memory into long-term memory that involves three processes: encoding, storage and retrieval.
Encoding is the first step in creating a memory. It’s a biological phenomenon rooted in the senses that begins with perception. Memory works through the five senses with, believe it or not, smell being the most important. This is why I am joined by so many memory specialists in using aromatherapy with my patients.
Storage works in much the same way that data is retained in a computer. With each new experience, our brains slightly rewire its physical structure. In fact, studies have proven that how a person uses their brain has a lot to do with how their brain is organized. It is this flexibility, that scientists call neuroplasticity, which can help your brain re-wire itself if it is ever damaged.
Retrieval occurs when we need to remember something and our brain searches and delivers the information on an unconscious level to our conscious mind. We have all experienced a situation in which we have tried to remember something that we know we know, but couldn’t remember it only to have it come to you later. That may happen because there was a mismatch between the retrieval cue and the way the information had been encoded in the brain.
GIVE YOUR BRAIN A DAILY WORKOUT
While we always thinking of exercise as having a positive benefit to our upper body, heart, or legs, we should also be putting our brains through a daily workout. Remember, most memory problems, secondary to depression and chronic stress, are reversible.
MEMORY TOOLS
There are many little tricks that can help everyone improve their memory. While the following are just a few of those tricks, they are ones that have proven to be extremely helpful:
BRAVO
To remember new material in general use the acronym BRAVO – B for keeping your brain bright, R for repetition, A for association, V for visualization, and O for organization.
THE NAME GAME
One of the things we are all guilty of is forgetting people’s names. If you have this problem here are a few tips that will help:
1) When you are introduced to a new person immediately repeat their name.
2) As you look at them, picture their name written on their forehead
3) Imagine writing their name.
4) Develop associations. If you meet a woman named Robin and she has red hair, think: “Red Robin.”
5) Use a person’s name frequently as you talk to them.
MEMORY HELPERS
There are things that can be extremely helpful to anyone when it comes to remembering things and improving memory:
1) Make reminder lists.
2) Try to establish and stick to a daily and weekly routine.
3) Identify landmarks to help you find places or remember where you parked your car.
4) Keep a detailed calendar or diary.
5) Make it a habit to always put important items, such as your keys, in the same place.
6) Do things like puzzles and brain teasers to keep your brain active.
7) Run through the ABC’s in your head to help you think of words or names you’re having trouble remembering. Just hearing the first letter of a word or name often jogs our memory.
8) Really focus your attention on people and things.
9) Reduce stress, which can have a negative effect on memory.
10) Choose to snooze. Naps have proven to be an effective way of helping us think clearer.
11) Talk to your physician about your medications. Certain drugs can affect your memory.
