Massive memory loss

[elibabez]

I am still a young person, i know we all are in heart, but in years i am young too, and i am really becoming worried about my memory loss

It started with little things, and now it is so bad.

Like at work i will mis-hear people all the time, or have to ask people a foot away from me to repeat things

I also have horrificly bad short term memory

I just bought a sandwich in a shop 5 min ago
I paid, i chatted to the cashier, then i took out my wallet to pay and she said ``you already paid me``

I had no recollection at all of even paying

Now this isnt a one off, it is all the time

I am not sure what to do
I wasnt even worrying or panicking at the time so it is unlikely to have been caused by an anxiety situation at the time

Oh and i was taking citolopram but stopped it over a month ago, as i suffer from high G-A-D and it wasnt helping

[Bearinmind]

Have you consulted with a neurologist? or have an appointment soon?

[Fishmanpa]

Have you consulted with a neurologist? or have an appointment soon?

I don't believe that additional appointments with specialists will quell the real issue and further reassurance typically doesn't last long. Short term memory issues and mixing up words and such are a common anxiety symptom.,, Heck, they're a common symptom of anyone in a stressful situation. That being said, consulting a mental health professional would truly be in order.

Positive thoughts

[Bearinmind]

I don't believe that additional appointments with specialists will quell the real issue and further reassurance typically doesn't last long. Short term memory issues and mixing up words and such are a common anxiety symptom.,, Heck, they're a common symptom of anyone in a stressful situation. That being said, consulting a mental health professional would truly be in order.

Positive thoughts

Yes, you're right. I wanted to know if there was any medical history she might have forgotten. And personally, I suggest everyone with anxiety to at least do a pre-check on real diseases that can mimic anxiety so you can be assured that you really are dealing with anxiety and nothing else.

Should've explained and reassured her.

Fishmanpa is correct. Memory loss from anxiety is common. Mind you, you don't need to be particularly anxious or in the middle of a panic attack to have symptoms of anxiety. Anxious people have panic attacks because their subconscious already are in an "anxious state", 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This anxiety state can, and will, produce symptoms of anxiety even if you feel fine. You need to "feel fine" for at least 6 months before the anxiety state begins to disappear.

The memory loss is specially common for short term memory mundane tasks, things that you normally do automatically, without thinking much about it, like paying the cashier. Confusion as well.

Hearing loss is a not a symptom of anxiety per se, but it's a symptom of stress. You can suffer temporary hearing loss when you're under a prolonged period of stress. I have a puncture on my left tympanum, ten years old, I had many ear infections because of it and as a result I only have 20% of my hearing on the left ear. Because of that, I'm pretty conscious of ear related symptoms and I can tell that temporary hearing loss from prolonged stress (like when you're suffering from anxiety) is possible and rather common. In a panic attack you usually have the opposite, hearing sensitivity. Even with my hearing loss, many times I have been scared by noises that seemed really loud to me, because I was panicking and jumpy.

However if I'm calm but stressed I might feel even deafer then before. It's all stress, the countless audiometry tests that I did showed that my hearing has been pretty much the same for all my years in anxiety, it just feels deaf but isn't really. It's like the numbness from anxiety, is a temporary sensation loss that comes back after your mind gets back to normal.

[Fishmanpa]

Spot on Bear :)

Positive thoughts

[elibabez]

thanks for your kind replies
well the last year or so, as ive been on citolopram and having cbt for my heightened anxiety
my memory wasnt great
but in recent weeks, my hearing and short term memory is simply appalling
struggling to remember things that were said moments ago to me, is just plain scary
medication i dont think has anything to do with it, because i have been off citolopram for a month now