Head up! Chest out!
Fake it till ya make it!

I have HORRIBLE memory problems. I can't remember things that have happened years ago, months ago, days ago and even if they only happened a few days ago. I can't remember who people are. I have I guess what you could call word loss. I know exactly what the word is, I can usually see it in my brain if it's a thing, but it just won't come out. My brain just doesn't want to work Luckily my family and close friends understand it.

I'm a pretty upbeat person and I try to not let things get me down. I more or less just laugh things off.

When someone I don't know says hi when I'm out I'll just say hi back and walk away. When they start a conversation I'll just come right out and say "I'm sorry but who are you?" I'll tell them that I have a horrible time remembering people, I'll even tell them it's because I've got epilepsy and that has something to do with it. I'll tell them that people should wear name tags so everyone knows who they are. They usually agree with me and laugh.

Not remembering things isn't that bad. I figure it's sort of nice finding out things that happened that you didn't know did.

Word loss is the worst but also the funniest in my eyes. As I said I know what the word is, usually see it in my brain, but it just won't come out. I might have to play a 'game' describing it and even playing charades at times. I just love once when I was having problems with my freezer so I called the company that made it and was put on hold for I don't know how long. When I finally got to talk to someone I could't remember the word 'freezer'. I stood there looking at the freezer describing what it was to him. Saying 'the really cold part' and some other things like that he finally guessed the word.

I had really bad back problems, two herniated discs. I had to have screws put in. It had nothing to do with epilepsy, drs even said that.

Hope this long post helps.

@A MyEpilepsyTeam Member Same for me. I have plenty of other ways to irritate my back, but not indirectly from Epilepsy.

@A MyEpilepsyTeam Member Unfortunately memory issues are a reality for people with Epilepsy and seizure disorders, and it only gets worse with side effects from medications and even worse with an increase in stress, I regularly need those around me in a conversation to work with the details that I can provide to get the name of the person, place, thing or the word that I want (except one in email or posting online where I can search the internet or notes). I am hesitant to get into live conversations because of the frustration/embarrassment that comes from not being able to access things when I need them from my brain. Any time that I try to push my brain to recall something, an aura (at least) is triggered. And it is only getting worse with age (and high stress of living in this age).

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I do have back issues . But it has nothing to do with depression nor my Epilepsy.

For me , my back may act up from sitting or laying wrong, lifting heavy items wrong and ect.

I have the same problems as you do as far as memory. I don’t remember events, people, everything... I see it as people who are confident, happy and, in a certain way, really care about how they are seen and how they are viewed by others, sit up straight and have good posture. I don’t have good posture- I have back and neck pain (plus, I also have arthritis, but that’s not what this is about)- and I think in our case being weak in posture & slumpy can be caused by not having happiness, not having that stuff you need in your life and in yourself that gives you confidence & strength, reason to move forward when you have to deal with this crap you shouldn’t have to and that other people are so lucky to not have to deal with... it’s stuff weighing you down and giving you less strength and care- the sadness, anger, loneliness, low self-esteem. I’m depressed, I get sad and cry for 30 minutes with my cat on my lap, thinking, “I need to live for her”, and I slump like crazy, then I also can lash out in anger and then be suicidal. It’s crazy 👎🏼