Memory
A little forgetfulness is a normal part of life, but it can be frustrating. In our Memory category, we share fun puzzles, lifestyle tips, and interesting articles on what the experts are saying about keeping your mind sharp as you age. This is all about sharing ideas and insights to help you stay mentally engaged.
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Loneliness and Memory Loss
Everyone knows how it feels to be lonely, but ongoing loneliness heralds a deep despair and memories are lost in the darkness. Researchers have been studying the effects of loneliness and, somehow, the results are not surprising. There is a loss of connection and belonging. Older people find loneliness because they lose their closest persons.…
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Dementia From Heart Disease
Sometimes we think about Dementia as “acting crazy” but that’s not what the term really means. Dementia is the loss of important mental abilites including reasoning, memory, and solving the problems of everyday life. There can be other symptoms too, such as a change in personality and mood. When these symptoms are strong enough to…
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Depression Can Cause Memory Loss
Memory loss can be caused by depression. It is as though a cloud of sadness filters out the will to remember even the smallest things. The US National Institutes of Mental Health estimates that one in ten adults suffer from major depression for at least one period of their lives. As we grow older, there…
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Which Came First: Memory Loss or Anxiety?
Scientists are not sure whether anxiety (also called “stress”) causes or results in memory loss. Frankly, I don’t believe this is an “either-or” situation. Both could certainly be true. If I thought I was losing my memories, I would be understandably worried and anxious. On the other hand, memory loss is a symptom of anxiety.…
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Drugs Are Good When You Need Them
There’s a big bru-ha-ha in the press right now about use of narcotics by older people. “Use has been soaring since 2007” they say. Well, has anyone noticed that the baby boomers began retiring then? There are lots more of us older folks and even more to come. So use of everything we do is…
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Prescription Drug Abuse and Memory Loss
A young couple who lived near me were celebrating their wedding at her parent’s house. The handsome groom carried some gifts to their car. It was parked in the street in front of the house. He was leaning over the open trunk when another neighbor, a 71-year-old woman, ran right into him with her car.…
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Medications Can Impair Memory
According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there are both prescription drugs and over the counter medications that can impair memory. The FDA article “Coping With Memory Loss” reports: “Examples of medications that can interfere with memory include over-the-counter and prescription sleeping pills, over-the-counter antihistamines, anti-anxiety medications, antidepressants, …and pain medicines used after…
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Grief And Memory Loss
Grief and emotional trauma can cause memory loss. Usually, as the person recovers, memory returns. Grief from bereavement is especially painful but there are other causes of grief. In our lives, we have other losses. We can lose our hearing, our vision, and our mobility. Circumstances can require a move away from home and we…
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