MEMORY LOSS FROM STRESS: SYMPTOMS, CAUSES - DUDAS - 2024

The memory loss Stress can have many causes, but one of the most common is the stress of everyday life, which together with depression and lack of sleep make up the biggest enemies to our ability to retain information.

In some cases, it is thought that the person may be suffering from a neurodegenerative disease, so it is very important to make a proper differential diagnosis.

As the neurologist Mercé Boada explains: “In order to retain information, one must be attentive, alert, vigilant, and thus be able to start an action and finish it. This situation of attention-concentration is related to the psycho-affective state.

When evaluating adults with memory problems, it is observed that most of them do not present a deficit in the tests of pure memory, but in those of attention-concentration, which secondarily will produce memory loss.

Symptoms of memory loss

Memory losses due to stress can be of different types:

• Simple forgetfulness, of everyday life and that in principle have little importance. They can be from leaving the keys at home, to forgetting where we have left an object or utensil.
• More complicated forgetfulness. In this case, memory losses may appear that affect the memory of the names of relatives or addresses to which we go on a regular basis.
• More severe forgetfulness. These are the ones that can appear as a result of situations of deep stress or chronic stress. After a traumatic event or very stressful situation, very serious memory losses can occur. For example, not remembering specific episodes in our life, or even forgetting how to spell our name.

When we talk about memory loss due to stress, the most frequent type is that of the first case. They are usually small day-to-day oblivions that do not have serious consequences but that do cause discomfort in the person who is aware of being suffering from these gaps.

Other symptoms

In addition to memory loss, stress produces many other symptoms and consequences. On many occasions, the person who is suffering from chronic stress is not aware that they are suffering from it.

The demands of everyday life, the many tasks we have to perform and high expectations of ourselves can lead us to suffer from chronic stress.

In addition to affecting our memory and concentration, a series of symptoms appear that can help us identify it. Knowing that we are in a state of stress is necessary to begin to remedy it.

Some of the symptoms that appear derived from stress are:

1. Sleep disturbances. Nightmares usually appear, waking up in the middle of the night or having difficulty falling asleep.
2. Abdominal pain and digestive problems. Irritable bowel, nausea, vomiting and frequent diarrhea may appear.
3. Migraines and headaches.
4. Muscle contractures. Pain in the back and cervical area usually appear, which in many cases is related to headaches.
5. Defenses are lowered, making contagious diseases more likely to appear.
6. Changes in mood They are irritable at times and at other times with low spirits and depression.
7. High blood pressure may appear, which poses a risk for people with heart problems.

Causes

In 2013, an investigation carried out by the Center for Network Biomedical Research for Rare Diseases and the Sant Pau Hospital in Barcelona discovered the reason why chronic stress can cause memory loss.

Using magnetic resonance imaging techniques with patients who had suffered from Cushing's syndrome, a rare disease in which the body generates an excess of cortisol, a stress hormone, they discovered that there had been a reduction in gray matter in the brain area of ​​the hippocampus of these people.

This loss of gray matter is responsible for both short-term and long-term memory loss. In addition, it is shown that these damages are irreversible because the people with whom the research was carried out were already cured.

Another case of memory loss due to stress is the so-called dissociative amnesia. It is an episode of sudden inability to remember important personal information, almost always autobiographical.

It also appears suddenly and abruptly and almost always appears after a highly stressful event. Although the person cannot remember people or stages of their own life, this memory loss does not necessarily interfere with their normal functioning, since they do not lose language or other types of knowledge necessary for daily life.

This type of amnesia disappears in the same way that it appeared, that is, abruptly and spontaneously.

Causes of stress

Stress does not affect all people equally, and faced with the same level of demand or the same lifestyle, not all individuals suffer from it. It is important to bear in mind that the way in which each one faces these situations or the predisposition they have will be decisive when it comes to suffering or not chronic stress.

Taking into account the above, some of the causes that can cause this type of chronic stress and therefore memory losses are:

• Excess of tasks to be done and lack of organization. In many cases, the main problem is not having to do many activities or overwork, but a poor organization of the time available.
• Sedentary lifestyle and poor diet. Neglecting our body and our diet contributes to maintaining stress. With a proper diet and regular exercise, you can counteract the effects of stress and reduce its damage.
• Not getting adequate rest. Not only in reference to sleeping the number of hours necessary, but disconnecting from work or the focus that causes us discomfort.

On many occasions after work we continue to look at our mobile phone or mulling over that problem that we have to solve at work. But this, far from being helpful, prevents us from resting mentally from these tasks and then returning to them more lucidly.

Treatment

First of all, we must lower the stress level since this is what is causing the memory loss in addition to other symptoms.

To treat stress properly, in many cases it is necessary to go to a professional to help and guide us. A professional will not only treat the symptoms but will help us find the causes that produce it and thus be able to solve the root problem.

On the other hand, we can also put into practice a series of guidelines in our day to day to neutralize or reduce stress:

Sleep and rest the necessary time

Adequate sleep is essential to maintain a healthy and healthy life. Not getting enough rest causes lack of concentration, contributes to memory loss and also makes us more irritable, which can cause problems and arguments with people around us.

Exercise

Staying active is another of the key factors for a healthy life. It will also help us stay focused and rest from daily worries because during sports we get distracted and keep our heads busy. On a physical level, the practice of sports causes the release of endorphins, which causes a feeling of euphoria and well-being.

Use relaxation techniques

There are different meditation techniques; practice meditation, yoga, mindfulness, abdominal breathing, etc. You can learn about the different ways to practice relaxation to use the one that best suits your needs or the one that is easiest for you to practice.

Take care of the diet

It is very important to have a balanced and healthy diet. When we have a lot of worries and stress, it is common to eat excessively and also products that are not the most suitable for our body (sweets, fast food, prepared food, etc.). That is why we must be especially careful with the diet we follow at those times.

Practice activities that make you feel good and help distract you

Tasks like writing, drawing, listening to music, watching a movie, etc. Practicing an activity of this type can help us distract ourselves and focus on something other than the one that keeps us worried. For example, art therapy is a recommended activity.

Many times our mind needs to stop and disconnect from all the avalanche of tasks, demands and worries that are causing us stress. These activities will help us disconnect and spend a few minutes relaxed and calm.

Focus on the now

Continually thinking about the past and the future is one of the reasons that can generate more anxiety and stress. If we assume that the past is gone and that the future cannot be predicted or controlled, we are left to focus on the present, on what is happening now.

If we focus on the task we are doing at the moment, we will not only do it more efficiently, but we will also clear our mind of worry about what is to come and reduce the level of uncertainty that causes us so much discomfort.

When the future comes and we have to face it, we will find a way to do it as properly as possible.

Keep an active social life

Relating to other people, spending time with friends or talking to someone you trust are some of the things that can bring us greater well-being.

Furthermore, again, it is an activity that takes us away from everything that worries us so much and that is causing us discomfort.

Strategies to combat memory loss

In addition to putting into practice the above guidelines that will combat stress, which is the main source of memory loss, we can use other strategies to directly help these memory gaps or failures.

1. In the first place, it is important to know why these memory problems are occurring, that they are due to an acute stress situation and that they are punctual. If we think that these memory problems will always be present, we can generate greater concern, becoming a vicious circle from which it is very difficult to get out.
2. Help yourself with an agenda, notes, your mobile, to write everything you think you could forget. The moment you have it written down, you can forget it and leave space for other tasks or to concentrate on the task without having to remember from time to time that you have other pending things to do.
3. Organize your time in the most appropriate way for you. Divide the tasks you have to do into those that are more and less important. Also in those that are urgent to do them first and those that can wait.

It is recommended that you carry out the tasks one by one (for example, first I will make the report that they asked me yesterday, when I finish it I will start with the planning of this week, and then I will look for the information for the next report, etc.). In this way, until you finish one task, you do not start with the next, which you keep aside until that moment arrives.

Trying to do several tasks at the same time or leave one half finished to tackle another only contributes to generating lack of control and stress.

As we have commented previously, if after putting these guidelines into practice, memory losses continue, it is advisable to contact a professional who can guide and advise us.

Bibliography

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4. Goldberg, J. (2014) The Effects of Stress on Your Body. WebMD
5. Rosch, PJ (1997) Stress and memory loss: Some speculations and solutions. Stress and Health.