Longterm health anxiety sufferer and memory issues

[Mallikdel]

Hi all,

I am a long time health anxiety sufferer with really bad episodes. I am 38 years old and since last couple of days am scared that I may have dementia. I forget things once in a while but last couple of days it doomed on me that I may have Early onset dementia.

I am very scared right now as I am in a downward spiral thinking about what will happen to my family. Poor wife is tired of my episodes.

Has anyone here have had memory issues with severe anxiety? What were your symptoms?

please help. Need to calm down but can’t.

[Here_I_am]

Hi Mllikdel,

Health anxiety aside, I can appreciate how concerning the thought of declining memory is! I too have experienced a decline in my working memory since I had my first onset of anxiety a couple of months ago now.

I am a very intelligent person and have always prided myself on my intellect. E.g, I could meet a person one time in May having little more than an introduction and a handshake with them, and two years later I could see them again and instantly recall their name and any other details I knew about them, such as spouses name, children, whether they were renovating their bathroom last time we spoke, etc! I love my memory and I love how my brain works when it's well...

Nowadays though, their are times when it just fails me. I'll go to give my own mobile number out, and I'll go blank on the first four numbers (the rest I can remember fine). I'll answer the phone at work and say the name of the previous place I worked instead of the current organisation (easily laughed off, but sooooo out of character for me). I'll read a chapter for my uni studies and then try to apply it, and find it may as well have been in Chinese - it just didn't stick or appeared to be about something else entirely...

But, the dust settles and things turn out okay - it just takes way longer than I'm accustomed to. My wife jokes about it saying that now my brain works like everyone else's and that I'm finally 'just average' - everyone does these things, but I've definitely lost (temporarily I hope) some working memory since the onset of my anxiety.

Now - health anxiety on top of these experiences could easily lead one to question the why of it all. I am satisfied my changes are a direct result of my anxiety, however you state you're concerned it may be younger onset dementia (YOD).

It's a real plus that you can have this thought in the context that it is likely health anxiety related, although I don't imagine that takes away from its impact. You know your own health anxiety better than anyone, so I want to ask you what kind of explorations would be of value to you in sifting through what is real and what is not; what is fact and what is fiction? E.g, if you went to a clinic and had some tests done to consider YOD, would it be helpful to you if they gave you the all clear?

Trauma can also affect our memory. So coupled with anxiety, the trauma of our health changes can really knock us for six!

Would it be worth reaching out to a health professional for further advice?

[ks1993]

Hi Mallikdel,

I can really relate to this, you're definitely not alone. My anxiety has had quite a significant effect on my memory, and I think it's because when we're in the fight-or-flight response, our brain struggles to store away long-term memories because it's focussing on keeping us safe and alive when we believe there's a threat.
My partner will often say, "remember this or that?" about an event a couple of years ago, possibly only a few months ago, and I won't remember at all - and it certainly makes me worry! But I think it might be, as I said, because our brains are so busy and preoccupied trying to keep us feeling non-threatened, safe, etc.
It can be extremely stressful and concerning though, I totally understand. I've also suffered from health anxiety, where I've convinced myself I've had so many different health conditions, but every time I've had them investigated by a health professional, nothing has come of it and I've been okay.

I would definitely recommend talking this all out with a trusted health professional, I hope you get some relief soon - these thoughts are so scary when they happen.

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi Mallikdel,

Welcome to the forums and thank you for joining us. You're certainly in good company here as health anxiety is such a common thing to go through.

Memory issues with anxiety are also super common, and it's good to hear from your post that you're open to that - and not just convinced of the dementia diagnosis. Memory issues tend to vary widely - Here I am gave a few experiences, but it can really interrupt lots of different parts of our lives.

I think a really important part to know and try and remember is that dementia is so so different and more complex than just memory issues. While it's totally natural that we'll forget names of things/places/people, with dementia, it's increasingly forgetful. Or maybe a person with dementia can't remember an event entirely, where as with non-dementia, we'll generally find that we remember bits and pieces.

I hope that this gives you a little bit of comfort. Sometimes thinking about the bigger picture (like what will happen to your family) can help in the sense that it forces you to think about perspective. It's not easy to dismiss these feelings and worries, but learning more about what you're experiencing can help them settle.

RT

[Mallikdel]

Thank you all for your responses.

It has been so scary and the more I think of it, I do believe that it may be my anxiety. I am going down into a spiral and I have been really stressed out during the last 6 months or so and All of a sudden two days ago, somehow the thought entered my mind that I am forgetting things a lot more than expected.

But your responses do suggest that memory loss is very common in anxiety. I will try to ride this wave and hope will come out unscathed on the other side as will all my other major non-existant diseases. Glad I posted.

[Gretskiez_]

Hi, I know this is years later now. But I am suffering exactly what you have described in your posts and replies. 
I am only 27, but a couple of days ago I realised I have been incredibly forgetful as of late, and immediately started to believe I had early on set dementia. 

I wanted to ask if you have improved at all since 2019? Was it just a bad phase of anxiety for you? 

I hope you are well!