Is it normal to not remember most of your life?

Occasional lapses in memory are a perfectly normal part of life for all of us. We've all forgotten someone's birthday or misplaced our keys now and then. But when memory lapses are persistent and get in the way of your daily life, they may be an indication that you're experiencing the early stages of a memory disorder.
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How much of your life is it normal to remember?

A handful of people — only 33 confirmed to date — can remember such minutiae, recalling almost every moment of their lives after about age 10 in near-perfect detail. They have what scientists call a highly superior autobiographical memory, and now researchers have identified what makes their brains special.
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Why can't I remember most of my past?

Your lapses may well have very treatable causes. Severe stress, depression, a vitamin B12 deficiency, too little or too much sleep, some prescription drugs and infections can all play a role. Even if those factors don't explain your memory lapses, you don't need to simply resign yourself to memory loss as you age.
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Is it normal to not remember everything?

It's normal to forget things from time to time, and it's normal to become somewhat more forgetful as you age. But how much forgetfulness is too much? How can you tell whether your memory lapses are normal forgetfulness and within the scope of normal aging or are a symptom of something more serious?
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How far back does the average person remember?

Summary: On average the earliest memories that people can recall point back to when they were just two-and-a-half years old, a new study suggests. On average the earliest memories that people can recall point back to when they were just two-and-a-half years old, a new study suggests.
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When Do Childhood Memories Fade?



Why do I have no memory of my childhood?

Childhood or infantile amnesia, the loss of memories from the first several years of life, is normal, so if you don't remember much from early childhood, you're most likely in the majority.
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At what age does memory start?

New research shows that our earliest memories may begin at age 2.5, about a year sooner than previously thought. How far back you can remember depends on a long line-up of factors, including your culture, gender, family, and the way in which you're asked to recall memories.
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Why can't I remember events in my life?

Occasional lapses in memory are a perfectly normal part of life for all of us. We've all forgotten someone's birthday or misplaced our keys now and then. But when memory lapses are persistent and get in the way of your daily life, they may be an indication that you're experiencing the early stages of a memory disorder.
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What is fuzzy brain?

Brain fog is characterized by confusion, forgetfulness, and a lack of focus and mental clarity. This can be caused by overworking, lack of sleep, stress, and spending too much time on the computer.
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Does depression make you lose memory?

Depression has been linked to memory problems, such as forgetfulness or confusion. It can also make it difficult to focus on work or other tasks, make decisions, or think clearly. Stress and anxiety can also lead to poor memory. Depression is associated with short-term memory loss.
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How do I know if I have repressed memories?

low self-esteem. mood symptoms, such as anger, anxiety, and depression. confusion or problems with concentration and memory. physical symptoms, such as tense or aching muscles, unexplained pain, or stomach distress.
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Why do I feel like I can't retain information?

When the body experiences too frequent stress responses and the body becomes overly stressed, the brain can experience problems with rationalizing, remembering, and recalling information. The learning impairment symptom is an example of this.
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How do you know when memory loss is serious?

10 warning signs
  1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life.
  2. Challenges in planning or solving problems.
  3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure.
  4. Confusion with time or place.
  5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships.
  6. New problems with words in speaking or writing.
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How do you know if you are suppressing trauma?

Strong Unexplained Reactions to Specific People

This feeling may be a sign of repressed childhood trauma. Your mind and body warn you that the person isn't safe, even if you don't know them. As a result, you may feel your body shift into a more protective stance, or you may have a strong desire to leave the situation.
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Why are none of my memories in first person?

From comparing recent and older memories, researchers know that the time that's passed since the event occurred makes a difference – the older the memory, the more likely it is to be in the third person (that is, seen from the outside) rather than the first person (that is, seen as though from inside your own body).
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Why do I feel like Im dumber?

Brain fog can be a symptom of a nutrient deficiency, sleep disorder, bacterial overgrowth from overconsumption of sugar, depression, or even a thyroid condition. Other common brain fog causes include eating too much and too often, inactivity, not getting enough sleep, chronic stress, and a poor diet.
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How do I get mental clarity?

How to promote mental clarity
  1. Get enough quality sleep. How much sleep you get is directly proportional to how much energy you will have throughout the day. ...
  2. Manage your stress. ...
  3. Practice mindfulness. ...
  4. Find a work-life balance. ...
  5. Practice self-care. ...
  6. Move your body. ...
  7. Maintain a healthy diet. ...
  8. Ask for help.
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What does mental fog feel like?

Experiencing brain fog can make you feel like you're lost in a maze. You might feel confused, alone, frustrated, disoriented, bewildered, unclear, and adrift. Brain fog can also affect your emotional well-being. Being unable to think clearly may make you feel powerless, irritable, and downcast.
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Can ADHD cause memory loss?

ADHD Is Associated With Short-Term Memory Problems

Although they do not have problems with long-term memories, people with ADHD may have impaired short-term — or working — memory, research shows. As a result, they may have difficulty remembering assignments or completing tasks that require focus or concentration.
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How common is SDAM?

To date, the research literature has described five individuals with SDAM. However, we have been contacted by many others reporting this syndrome. We suspect that the prevalence of SDAM may be similar to other neurodevelopmental syndromes (e.g., synesthesia, developmental prosopagnosia), at 1-2% of the population.
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What is psychological amnesia?

Psychogenic amnesia refers to cases of memory loss presumed to have a psychological, rather than neurological, cause; and is either 'global' or situation-specific (Kopelman, 1987, 2002a). Global psychogenic amnesia is characterized by a sudden loss of autobiographical memories for the whole of a person's past.
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Can you remember being born?

It is generally accepted that no-one can recall their birth. Most people generally do not remember anything before the age of three, although some theorists (e.g. Usher and Neisser, 1993) argue that adults can remember important events - such as the birth of a sibling - when they occurred as early as the age of two.
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How much of my childhood should I remember?

“So, three-and-a-half years — some studies will be a little closer to three, some studies will be a little closer to four — but that's the average.”
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At what age does memory decline?

As all those of middle age who have ever fumbled for a name to fit a face will believe, the brain begins to lose sharpness of memory and powers of reasoning and understanding not from 60 as previously thought, but from as early as 45, scientists say.
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Do I have childhood trauma?

Symptoms of Trauma by Age Group

Children who are experiencing trauma or have experienced it in the past exhibit different common symptoms of it, depending on their age group. Preschool-age children: Frequently crying or screaming. Demonstrating separation anxiety.
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