24. Forgetting things. Afraid of Alzheimer’s.

[JohnM]

I’m 24 years old, and I work at a public library shelving books. I’ve been doing this for four years, and when I got to work and got my first cart of books today, I couldn’t remember if the cart started on the left side or the right. Immediately a bolt of terror shot through me. I’ve only had a little over four hours of sleep, and I took 50mg Benadryl last night to sleep (been taking it regularly), so that could account for it, but the fact that I forgot something I’ve been doing without a hitch for 4 years makes me afraid I have early-onset Alzheimer’s or dementia, and the more terrified I get the more confused I become. I’ve definitely been forgetting things more often over the past few months, but I’ve been dealing with a great deal of stress, depression, and am in recovery from drug addiction (amphetamines). Has anyone else had this problem? Could it just be the lack of sleep and the Benadryl? Could really use some help right now because I’m extremely frightened right now.


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[FreeSpirit99]

I’m 24 years old, and I work at a public library shelving books. I’ve been doing this for four years, and when I got to work and got my first cart of books today, I couldn’t remember if the cart started on the left side or the right. Immediately a bolt of terror shot through me. I’ve only had a little over four hours of sleep, and I took 50mg Benadryl last night to sleep (been taking it regularly), so that could account for it, but the fact that I forgot something I’ve been doing without a hitch for 4 years makes me afraid I have early-onset Alzheimer’s or dementia, and the more terrified I get the more confused I become. I’ve definitely been forgetting things more often over the past few months, but I’ve been dealing with a great deal of stress, depression, and am in recovery from drug addiction (amphetamines). Has anyone else had this problem? Could it just be the lack of sleep and the Benadryl? Could really use some help right now because I’m extremely frightened right now.


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Hi john it’s almost a certainty that this has been caused by the lack of sleep/medication. At your age the possibility of Alzheimer’s or dementia is so slim it’s hard to put a figure on it. Whenever I’m stressed and anxious I too forget things that are usually second nature to me. Try not to worry about it you are clearly going through a lot as with all anxiety the more you think about it the worst it gets.


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[JohnM]

Thanks so much for replying. I’ve been having unusually bad memory since around February of last year, but I’m usually able to get over the initial spike of anxiety and chalk it up to stress and recovery from drugs, but sometimes I forget something so big that it sends me into a frenzy. In February I forgot my coworkers name and couldn’t remember it until she told me. I’d worked with her for four years. I guess if it was Alzheimer’s/dementia it would
have progressed massively since then.


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[FreeSpirit99]

Thanks so much for replying. I’ve been having unusually bad memory since around February of last year, but I’m usually able to get over the initial spike of anxiety and chalk it up to stress and recovery from drugs, but sometimes I forget something so big that it sends me into a frenzy. In February I forgot my coworkers name and couldn’t remember it until she told me. I’d worked with her for four years. I guess if it was Alzheimer’s/dementia it would
have progressed massively since then.


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Yes it most definitely would have gotten much worse. You also would have it more constantly and not only sporadically. You’ll be okay I’m sure of it


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[foreverworrying]

Hi John, please don't worry, this sounds just like sleep deprivation, and like you said, could be the meds. Most likely one of those!

Also, this has happened to me before! I think sometimes things become so 'innate', that we just forget to THINK about them, and then when we think about them, our brain doesn't know where to find it. Once I forgot my pin number, of a card I use every day, it literally felt like it 'fell' out of my head as I always typed it in without thinking! And those times we drive home and have forgotten the route we took? Maybe you're just a natural at your job