Guest guest Posted June 6, 2010 Report Share Posted June 6, 2010 I think it's the body's way of protecting you...to black out bad memories. Unfortunately I dont have this, but one of my sisters does, and she's so much happier not remembering every horrible detail that happened to us...it isnt that your hippocampus is damaged...and be careful what you wish for...you might just get it... Jackie I had noticed in a few posts that some of you also have memory gaps from childhood and young adulthood so I've been wondering if this is a result of our lifelong stress. How many of you have memory problems? Have you been able to find a cause? or solutions? I've discussed this a little with my psychiatrist who feels it could be from the stress. I'm currently on an antidepressant that has been shown to reverse damage to the hippocampus (memory area of the brain) so I'm hoping that these gaps will decrease with time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 7, 2010 Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 Gave this very issue some thought the other day, and this is my working theory. Memory for most folks is a fragile thing, like tissue paper, and it seems to me that BPDs know that and take advantage of it. They will twist what you remember by making their version somewhat plausible. In my case, my dishrag dad helped along the process by being unwilling to discuss anything even remotely painful, and by believing her side in an argument, every time. This easily causes a teenager to question their perception of reality at the deepest levels. And when events aren't discussed at all, mental processing of the events is also denied, making that memory difficult to make " stick. " Make sense? Anyone have other theories or ideas? I'm interested in hearing other takes on this too. Tina > > I had noticed in a few posts that some of you also have memory gaps from childhood and young adulthood so I've been wondering if this is a result of our lifelong stress. How many of you have memory problems? Have you been able to find a cause? or solutions? > > I've discussed this a little with my psychiatrist who feels it could be from the stress. I'm currently on an antidepressant that has been shown to reverse damage to the hippocampus (memory area of the brain) so I'm hoping that these gaps will decrease with time. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 7, 2010 Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 I have very little memory from before the age of 12. After that, it's here and there. In a message dated 6/6/2010 1:28:47 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, cocochanel1005@... writes: I had noticed in a few posts that some of you also have memory gaps from childhood and young adulthood so I've been wondering if this is a result of our lifelong stress. How many of you have memory problems? Have you been able to find a cause? or solutions? I've discussed this a little with my psychiatrist who feels it could be from the stress. I'm currently on an antidepressant that has been shown to reverse damage to the hippocampus (memory area of the brain) so I'm hoping that these gaps will decrease with time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 7, 2010 Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 Hi Everyone, Tina, I completely agree that our nadas have made us question reality. At least for me, I'm not sure if that's the source of my memory problems. We are not even allowed to bring up the past in order for it to be manipulated. And Felicia, the med I am on is called Wellbutrin (bupropion). Most of the SSRIs have been shown to reverse damage to the hippocampus (in rat studies), but buproprion is the only one that has shown complete regeneration. These meds have also been studied in clinical trials and patients on SSRIs do markedly better on tests of concentration and memory after at least 6 weeks of the medication, but again, only bupropion has been able to bring the subjects' scores back to normal. Bupropion has also been used off-label to treat ADHD so the medical community does regard it as improving memory/concentration. If you're interested in the medication, definitely talk to a doctor because there are several side effects. The worst one (and the reason many of my friends have gone off the medication) is it heightens anxiety. I had almost no anxiety before the medication so I have been able to tolerate it although I have had a few panic attacks when dealing with my family. It's a great medication for me and if you talk to a psychiatrist she should be able to find a medication with a side effect profile that's amenable to your needs. When I researched these studies on SSRIs and bupropion I came upon many studies that have shown that stress is literally neurotoxic to the hippocampal area and destroys one's ability to remember. Chronic stress causes chronic exposure to stress hormones that can be very damaging. Actually, the way they test the rats with SSRIs and bupropion is by stressing them first to cause the damage to the hippocampus (and then giving the meds to see if it reverses). For those of you with memory problems, I was wondering how you deal with it? My memory is markedly improving but I have so few memories of the past it becomes embarrassing. My friends are always surprised at how few memories I have of undergrad and med school and I get very flustered when we talk about the past. How have you all dealt with this problem? > > I had noticed in a few posts that some of you also have memory gaps from childhood and young adulthood so I've been wondering if this is a result of our lifelong stress. How many of you have memory problems? Have you been able to find a cause? or solutions? > > I've discussed this a little with my psychiatrist who feels it could be from the stress. I'm currently on an antidepressant that has been shown to reverse damage to the hippocampus (memory area of the brain) so I'm hoping that these gaps will decrease with time. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 7, 2010 Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 This is a great way to test your focus/concentration: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/06/07/technology/20100607-distraction-fi\ ltering-demo.html?ref=technology > > I had noticed in a few posts that some of you also have memory gaps from childhood and young adulthood so I've been wondering if this is a result of our lifelong stress. How many of you have memory problems? Have you been able to find a cause? or solutions? > > I've discussed this a little with my psychiatrist who feels it could be from the stress. I'm currently on an antidepressant that has been shown to reverse damage to the hippocampus (memory area of the brain) so I'm hoping that these gaps will decrease with time. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 7, 2010 Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 Sorry for all the posts! I also wanted to say about Wellbutrin: my concentration has improved so much that I can't multitask now. I'm fine with that but it's interesting...when I'm talking on the phone with my friends I am so immersed that I can't multitask doing much more than mindless work. I'm happy with it though and with how much my concentration/memory has improved. I'm not saying this medication is right for everyone but if you are having memory/depression/concentration issues, SSRIs and other antidepressants are worth looking into. > > I had noticed in a few posts that some of you also have memory gaps from childhood and young adulthood so I've been wondering if this is a result of our lifelong stress. How many of you have memory problems? Have you been able to find a cause? or solutions? > > I've discussed this a little with my psychiatrist who feels it could be from the stress. I'm currently on an antidepressant that has been shown to reverse damage to the hippocampus (memory area of the brain) so I'm hoping that these gaps will decrease with time. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 7, 2010 Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 Which prescription reduces the brain damage? > > > > I had noticed in a few posts that some of you also have memory gaps from childhood and young adulthood so I've been wondering if this is a result of our lifelong stress. How many of you have memory problems? Have you been able to find a cause? or solutions? > > > > I've discussed this a little with my psychiatrist who feels it could be from the stress. I'm currently on an antidepressant that has been shown to reverse damage to the hippocampus (memory area of the brain) so I'm hoping that these gaps will decrease with time. > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 8, 2010 Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 Oh, I miss Wellbutrin... I tried while I was working with a not so great shrink, so it made me freak out and he put me on a dose that was too low, then let me go up to the dose I functioned best on, but then it stopped working... then again, maybe the fact that I refused to eat had an effect on its effectiveness =\ My current meds NEED adjusting... I don't think increasing my dose on the current meds will help any, and I'd love to try Wellbutrin again, but who knows what my psych will say. She'd probably be cautious because of my ED and how Wellbutrin kills appetite, but I'd love to have the energy to focus again... maybe if I could focus on other things, I wouldn't have the unwanted stream of flashbacks that strted a few weeks after NC. Hmm... maybe I'll bring it up to her. Thank you for posting this—it was very thought provoking for me =) -Frances > > > > I had noticed in a few posts that some of you also have memory gaps from childhood and young adulthood so I've been wondering if this is a result of our lifelong stress. How many of you have memory problems? Have you been able to find a cause? or solutions? > > > > I've discussed this a little with my psychiatrist who feels it could be from the stress. I'm currently on an antidepressant that has been shown to reverse damage to the hippocampus (memory area of the brain) so I'm hoping that these gaps will decrease with time. > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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