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REDUCED MENTAL CAPACITY- your tips

white knight
Community Champion
Community Champion

Those that have had long term treatment in the form of medication from illnesses like depression, anxiety, stress, PTSD and many others, could experience less capacity to process their thinking.

 

I’m now 67yo and due to mania, anxiety, bipolar and other issues, basically lived 3 lifetimes in one, it was packed with activity only a person with mania would cover. My early life had stress from family issues, financial stress, relationship problems and poor choices of employment like prison warder and crowd control. I commenced medication at 53yo.

 

Although I’m positive I know my memory and thinking ability has declined. For me there is no better example of this than trying to remember which bank account to withdraw money from or explaining to someone from the bank or Centrelink, the issue I have. For these reasons my wife, my carer, is magnificent. However, what if I was alone? How many of you suffer alone with these issues daily?

 

I have made some changes to help myself. Eg hang up and ring these people at 8:29am or just before they open. Write on my ATM card which account to access. Keep a notebook with me (but I’m likely to forget the biro!.)

 

So what tips do you have to assist me and the members that will help us with life’s daily living?

TonyWK

2 Replies 2

Bob_22
Community Member

Hi TonyWK,

 

Great topic. For me, I've had extensive treatment with ECT which leaves many gaps in my memory. Both short term and long term. For this reason, I used to keep a journal which outlined the daily activities I did on that day. I kept this for three years but stopped recently due to laziness unfortunately. I also keep a password manager so I don't have to remember pin  number or passwords. 

 

Bob

white knight
Community Champion
Community Champion

Hi Bob

 

Yes I have passwords auto saved, helps a lot.

 

I had a friend or a friend that had ECT and she also had memory loss and easy confusion.

 

I do find however that the country town lifestyle helps. Less stress and locals are easy going. 

 

Regards

TonyWK