Aspies, are you more forgetful than most people?

[pjcnet]

I have always been more forgetful than most people, especially when it comes to losing objects, although it does seem to have somewhat worsened as I've got older and I'm now 48 years of age.

Here is one of many examples, I lost an important letter recently and anxiously searched for it for ages, knowing that I likely put it down somewhere "safe" thinking at the time that there's no way I'd forget where I'd put it. After tearing my flat apart and eventually finding it I held it in my hand with relief thinking I'm definitely not going to lose this letter again, then 10 minutes later I'm pulling my hair out, cursing as I've yet again misplaced it by putting it down somewhere and the search starts again. Losing things is driving me "nuts" and keeps happening no matter how hard I try. I am also very bad at remembering appointments and other things that aren't part of my normal routine. Some days I will sit anxiously worrying that I might have forgotten something important and sometimes I will later find out that I have (I am now using a calendar to help).

So my question is do other aspies relate to this issue or not? Do you think it could possibly be related to aspies or do you believe it a separate issue altogether? Thanks in advance for your replies.

PS: Please note that I am an aspie who had development issues as a young child and I was extremely slow to develop speech, just in case this is also related.

 

[Adora]

I have a bad short term memory but my long term memory is better,I can remember the names of the Greek gods but will forget stuff while at the grocery store,It’s mostly things like stuff I need to get from the supermarket or small things that I forget but when it comes to things like movies,mythology and Disney princesses I’m great.

 

[Chance]

Often bad short term, but really good long term... Actually I would like to erase some of the long term stuff.
I constantly try and work on the short term. I know its an issue and I hate telling someone, "I forgot."
I also dislike that I cant fit names to unfamiliar faces, but can easily remember the phone numbers of people I don't even know very well. Like that does any good?

 

[Ambi]

I lose stuff a lot, too. Very troublesome and stressful. My short term memory is horrible. My long-term memory isn't so great either anymore.

 

[Chance]

I lose stuff a lot, too. Very troublesome and stressful. My short term memory is horrible. My long-term memory isn't so great either anymore.

OCD keeps my stuff from getting lost. I'm super careful and I put everything always in the same place. Only when I am in a strange environment do I start maybe having a little trouble, but even then I have my back pack so everything is in there I need mostly. If only I could arrange massive random thoughts like that...

 

[Suzanne]

I honestly do not think this is an aspie trait, because I know MANY nts who have this problem. Even to the extent of not being able to find their glasses, until someone points to them on their head lol

Occasionally I forget where I have put things or going into a room for a purpose and looked around with an air of: what on earth have I come here for? I tend to retrace my steps and that helps to bring the reason back again.

I am a pretty organised person.

Not sure it is to do with age. In December, I hit the "wonderful" 48 too.

 

[SusanLR]

I think it is age.
Short term is bad, long term is good.
The older I get, the worse short term is getting.

 

[ksheehan88]

Short term is terrible. Long term is very good. Psychologist said its probably a case of I forget things that are either not directly related to me (ie a child's Dr appt) or its things that do not interest me.

 

[Ming of Mongo]

I remember processes but not arbitrary information. I also have face blindness, but that is probably perceptual rather than memory. Short term memory is so bad as to be useless.

Sometimes I can remember things using mnemonic tricks, but even that takes major effort, and seldom lasts. Mostly, I just write things down, or blow them off.

 

[Bella Pines]

Yes this is aspie.

There was a thread on memory a while back, also I read somewhere that aspies have really awful or non existant short term memory, but near videographic visualization abilities and strong long term memory for details and fragments that can be pieced together to find patterns.

However, ironically, I can't remember the thread and I can't remember where I read about aspie memories!

 

[Bella Pines]

Oh and also, my short term memory is so bad that not only do I lose letters and objects all the time, I do the reverse. Quite often I will find a letter, in my hand. Seriously, I'll look down at my hand and find something in it, something I am holding, and have no memory of ever picking it up!

 

[Full Steam]

I lose thing when I put them down.

I also create great systems for organisation and then forget they even exist.

My house always has light bulbs out as I never ever remember to buy anything as stressful and dull as a bulb.

 

[WildCat]

Oh man, do I forget. My short term memory is a mess, slightly better now but still shot, can't hold more than a couple strings of verbal stuff in my memory without it being overridden by something else. Good thing my long term is better, but I would love to be able to improve my short term memory for the sake of everything.

Keys? Probably will forget those. Waking up? Taking care of duties around the house? Forgot about it. My head? About to lose and forget that too unless I'm careful. I'm sure it's related to the executive dysfunction that I've had to live with for all this time, so lists and reminders are a must if it's absolutely important. And guess what? I forget to do that too.

 

[pjcnet]

Thank you to everyone who has read my post and for all your replies so far.

It's nice to read about everyone's own experiences and it's comforting to learn that I'm far from the only one with this issue. From the replies so far it's starting to look like a higher proportion of aspies have poor short term memory than NTs. I suppose as we get older it's expected for everyone's memory to somewhat degrade and it will be more noticeable to some than others, but even if people have poor short term memory to start with, I suppose it's still likely to degrade further with age to some extent.

 

[Chance]

Thank you to everyone who has read my post and for all your replies so far.

It's nice to read about everyone's own experiences and it's comforting to learn that I'm far from the only one with this issue. From the replies so far it's starting to look like a higher proportion of aspies have poor short term memory than NTs. I suppose as we get older it's expected for everyone's memory to somewhat degrade and it will be more noticeable to some than others, but even if people have poor short term memory to start with, I suppose it's still likely to degrade further with age to some extent.

I have heard our brain is just like any other part of our body, the more we use (in constructive ways - neural connections) the stronger or denser it gets... Their are tons of brain focus exercises... I have Lumosity and there are free versions of it that are just as fun, just has ads and stuff. Its a lot of fun and it challenges you more and more as you go and keeps track of days you used it, all sorts of stuff.

 

[Sabrina]

YES. My solutions:
-Write down everything that needs to be done (in my Iphone calendar).
- Routines or rules. For example my hand bag always goes in a certain place and nowhere else.
-I talk to myself (thinking, not out loud)when I am outside home or when routines don’t apply. Example: You are parking the car in this spot behind this, in this floor, etc
-KEYS : (I’m just tired of being locked out) I always have to see them in my hand before closing doors.
But the most important of all is to slow down in general, so I can pay attention to what I’m doing.

 

[Chance]

YES. My solutions:
-Write down everything that needs to be done (in my Iphone calendar).
- Routines or rules. For example my hand bag always goes in a certain place and nowhere else.
-I talk to myself (thinking, not out loud)when I am outside home or when routines don’t apply. Example: You are parking the car in this spot behind this, in this floor, etc
-KEYS : (I’m just tired of being locked out) I always have to see them in my hand before closing doors.
But the most important of all is to slow down in general, so I can pay attention to what I’m doing.

I fixed locking myself out of the car/truck
I put tape over the switch (blue masking tape- won’t hurt or leave goo)
I only used my key or remote to lock or unlock the door...

After I quit reaching for the inside switch tape is gone and I never touch the switch that is inside the car...

I can’t lock myself out at that point : )

 

[Sabrina]

One other important thing. I became a minimalist.

I get too distracted by anything and I can’t remember where everything is either (I have two kids BTW).

In order to pay attention I have to minimize distraction, which also means having less things to decide. For example, I only own what I love or use, and I have such a little amount of clothes, that it’s easy to know what to wear. And so on.

 

[Chance]

One other important thing. I became a minimalist.

I get too distracted by anything and I can’t remember where everything is either (I have two kids BTW).

In order to pay attention I have to minimize distraction, which also means having less things to decide. For example, I only own what I love or use, and I have such a little amount of clothes, that it’s easy to know what to wear. And so on.

I agree about minimizing distraction, and also extra costs, insurance, payments, upkeep, service fees, membership fees, junk (or not junk) sitting around with no other use than to take up space.

I am becoming a "sensible" minimalist and I am extremely serious about it... I'm just looking for ways to go back to a simpler slower life that makes a lot more sense.

 

[Sabrina]

I agree about minimizing distraction, and also extra costs, insurance, payments, upkeep, service fees, membership fees, junk (or not junk) sitting around with no other use than to take up space.

I am becoming a "sensible" minimalist and I am extremely serious about it... I'm just looking for ways to go back to a simpler slower life that makes a lot more sense.

I am serious about it too, minimalism is a special interest for me.