Without forgetting, it is quite impossible to live at all, as German philosopher and thinker Friedrich Nietzsche had once said.
For the most part, forgetting is quite natural. You might forget where you left your car keys, missed a certain deadline, or a couple of things on your to-do list. As we grow older, our cognitive functioning gradually gets slower and our memory fades.
However, there’s often much confusion regarding the difference between common forgetfulness, ageing and actual memory-related illnesses like Alzheimer’s, which are a result of neurological disorders.
So, the question is, when should we worry, and when should we not?
Common forgetfulness: Why do we forget things?
If there are too many things on your to-do list, there’s a good chance you might forget quite a few things. That’s normal; it’s what happens when we’re overworked.
If you don’t remember what your boss told you last Friday, that’s okay too. You might not have paid enough attention.
Sometimes we could forget things, people, or places if we haven’t paid enough attention, or if we are overwhelmed by anxiety, fatigue, information overload, lack of sleep or constant multi-tasking, explains Lakshmi Saranya, a clinical psychologist at the Dubai-based Mediclinic, Deira. Temporary forgetting is considered normal, and happens to children and adults, she says.
It's crucial to understand that forgetting certain details occasionally is a normal part of human memory, says Jasmine Navarro, a British Dubai-based psychologist and wellness expert. “Our brains prioritise information, discarding less relevant data to make room for new knowledge,” she says.
When forgetfulness begins to hinder daily life...
Many older adults after their forties tend to worry about memory loss, forgetfulness and impairment of other cognitive abilities. They might be anxious that they’re taking more time to learn new things, or when they forget where they’ve kept something. These are usually part of natural aging, and not actual serious memory problems. Nevertheless, when memory struggles tend to severely interfere with daily functioning, it is time to visit a psychologist who will give a thorough assessment of the situation, says Saranya.
According to the American National Institute on Aging, here’s when you should consult a doctor:
• Asking the same questions over and over again
• Getting lost in places a person knows well
• Having trouble following recipes or directions
• Becoming more confused about time, people, and places
• Not taking care of oneself —eating poorly, not bathing, or behaving unsafely
However, memory decline is one thing; many people associate memory lapses with Alzheimer’s Disease, sometimes mistakenly so.
Alzheimer’s and Dementia
You might remember the Oscar-nominated 2015 film, Still Alice, where Julianne Moore plays a young professor battling the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
“I am not suffering; I am struggling,” an emotional Moore says during a speech, capturing the entire spirit of the film. The film traces the gradual progression of the disease from beginning small things related to the household, to being disoriented during her lectures, and finally unable to recognise her own children. At the end of the film, she’s only able to mouth a few syllables of the word ‘love’.
That’s one of the accurate representations of Alzheimer’s. It is a progressive neuro-generative disorder, explains Saranya. “It’s a severe and an irreversible condition, and shows a gross levels of disability in all the functions of the brain, like memory loss, poor problem solving, and disorientation and poor visuospatial ability," she says. It has an iron grip on a person, and impairs their daily life. Alzheimer’s is seen as synonymous with dementia, which is incorrect, as dementia is a general term for decline in mental ability, interfering with daily life, while Alzheimer’s is a specific disease.
Alzheimer's Disease is a severe and an irreversible condition, and shows a gross levels of disability in all the functions of the brain, like memory loss, poor problem solving, and disorientation and poor visuospatial ability.
The warning signs of Alzheimer’s involve memory loss, where people forget things like dates, events, information that they recently learned. They have a difficulty and confusion in understanding time, along with problems in expressing their ideas in words. There is a steep decline in work performance, and the person finds it hard to socialise with others as well, adds Saranya.
There is a stark and noticeable difference between ordinary forgetting and Alzheimer’s. In normal forgetting, you might forget a word to use, miss paying a bill once in a while, or forget which day it is. In Alzheimer’s, the person finds it difficult to have a conversation, loses track of time, and finds it hard to keep track of their finances.
One common symptom of Alzheimer’s is, Anosognosia, which is a condition where your brain cannot recognise one or more health conditions that you have. Often, it is confused with memory loss as well. “It is a neurological condition when one lacks the awareness of his neurological or psychological problem,” explains Saranya. “The brain has an altered way of perceiving this information but it’s not because of their faking or denial,” she says.
Here, your brain cannot recognise or process what your senses tell it. Owing to this condition, which is also present in other illnesses like schizophrenia, people will resist treatment. They’re not able to understand the seriousness of their condition, and can even confabulate, which means that they fill memory gaps with false memories.
How to improve your brain and memory function:
Scientists are still conducting many studies on how dementia can be delayed or prevented. While nothing has been conclusive, they still have found rather encouraging results regarding cognitive training strategies for the brain, and changes in lifestyle.
A lot of the time, people don’t wish to change their habits of forgetting, which progressively get worse as they age. They tend to believe that once they’ve reached a certain age, they’re “set in their ways”, says Dubai-based wellness expert Kai Simmonds. How often do we hear the phrases “I have a really bad memory” and “I’m always forgetting things?” They don’t think that change is possible, but it actually is, says Simmonds. “Recent breakthroughs in neuroscience prove that the brain is not fixed, but ‘elastic’ - and it continuously changes in an individual's life,” she explains. “We can lay down new neural pathways, causing the proportion of grey matter in our brains to change, synapses [connections] can strengthen and weaken,” she adds.
It’s a muscle, you can train it when you can, she adds. So here’s how you can train it:
People tend to believe that once they’ve reached a certain age, they’re “set in their ways. They don't think that change is possible, but it actually is. Recent breakthroughs in neuroscience prove that the brain is not fixed, but ‘elastic’ - and it continuously changes in an individual's life.
Stay mentally active:
Engaging in mentally stimulating activities can bolster memory retention and cognitive function. Embrace activities like puzzles, reading, learning a new language, or participating in cognitive games to keep your brain sharp, explains Jasmine Navarro, a British Dubai-based wellness expert. A systematic review of 22 population-based studies published in the US-based journal National Library of Medicine, estimated that complex mental activities such as reading books, playing checkers, and completing crosswords or other puzzles, reduced the overall incident of dementia risk by forty six per cent during a median seven-year period.
Get enough sleep
“Adequate sleep is essential for memory consolidation,” says Navarro. “During deep sleep, the brain processes and stores information gathered throughout the day. Strive for 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep each night,” she says.
Meditation and mindfulness
Adequate sleep is essential for memory consolidation. During deep sleep, the brain processes and stores information gathered throughout the day. Strive for 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep each night...
As we age, "grey matter" starts to decrease which negatively impacts memory and cognition, says Simmonds. Meditation helps to boost our cognitive abilities, as well as keep our stress under control.
Regular exercise
Regular exercise not only enhances physical health, but also promotes better memory and cognitive function. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week, explains Navarro. Physical activity reduces the risk of chronic depression, diabetes and blood pressure as well.
Eat healthily
A balanced diet rich in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and nutrients like B-vitamins supports brain health, says Navarro. Foods such as blueberries, fatty fish, nuts, and leafy greens are excellent choices, she adds.
