Jan 27, 2006 17:03
I finally got around to asking my Homeopath what i can do about my memory.
Ok once you've stopped laughing, I'm serious. I have a real problem with my memory. I can be on the phone and someone can be telling me something, and when I hang up the phone I forget it entirely and walk away. Now That last statement is a little misleading, because I don't actually forget it entirely. I subscribe to the Information Processing theory of Cognition and Memory. Cue lecture.
Acutally skip the lecture. And I'm not going to admit that i can only remember 1/2 the theory. Basically Information Processing Theory says if you don't use it you lose it.
The thing is I loose a lot.
Ever walked into a room and forgotten what you are there for?
Ever put something down and forgotten where you put it?
Ever thought of something to tell someone and when you see them you can't remember? Even if its only seconds after you had the thought?
Ever had some one tell you something and as soon as they walk away you can't remember what they said?
You with me so far? Good, ok we're normal. Now picture this. You are in a work environment. You pick up an object to take to a work mate, thinking to get something from them at the same time to save yourself the trip. As you are walking towards another room, you remember you have to tell your workmate something. You reach the room, the thought fresh in your mind. As you step into the room you stop. You have forgotten what you came in for. You were going to do something weren't you? Then you see your workmate. You think you might have had something to tell them. You start the sentence "Oh yes I was going to say something to you..." but you go blank. They prompt you, but you can't remember, and now you are really trying hard (cue lecture on Fuzzy Trace Theory). You try thinking back over your thought process of the last minute or so (cue lecture Metacognition). They give up waiting for your response, its painful watching you twist your face like that... They ask you for something important, something you really should go and get right now. You agree. You know exactly where that is. You walk back into the first room. But you suddenly you can't remember where you put the item. Maybe thats what you went in to tell them in the first place....
You look down, and in your hand is the object you wanted to give your workmate. You sigh.
Welcome to my world.
Its not all the time. But it is a daily occurance. Maybe it is normal. But its definately starting to impact my work. I'm making mistakes, because I'm not telling my team or my boss important details. So many conversations during my day start with someone saying this that or the other and me replying "Oh yes I knew that... I um... forgot." I came within inches of my first warning at work this week. And I'm a hard worker. Can you fire someone for being forgetful?
My homeopath is ordering some "special stuff" in the mean time I'm on some health food store version of a memory booster. Its been three days. I do feel a little more pepped than normal, but that could be from any one of the number of herbal remedies I'm taking.
We'll see if things get better.
Meanwhile, do you remember what you're doing here?