it took me a while to get that... I'm getting slow

Hi
I have memory problems, mainly short term and from around the time of my trauma. I had a lot of word-finding problems for a couple of years, and we weren't sure if it was due to head injury, the pain medication, or lack of sleep/PTSD. It was so embarrassing for me as one of my key skills has always been communication. It got a lot better and then I had a bad week last week (alone, partner away, no sleep, pain, medication again) and it got really bad again - losing words multiple times in the space of an hour. It was awful and I was so upset that it had come back. It seems to be improving again, but as I am still not sure if it is PTSD or the pain meds, I have been opting for pain the last few weeks as I've had to do a lot of presentations, and it would be awful if I lost words there (at my new job, hardly anyone knows).

The other weird memory thing is that my trauma was around the time of a loved ones birthday, and for a whole year I couldn't remember this person's birthday! I didn't realise why. Then one day I saw the diary for that week and realised that I had somehow hidden this memory. Even now, when I know, I have to think 'ah, her birthday is next to the trauma, so that means it is trauma-1'.

I can remember the names of people I met once at a conference from before the trauma, but not the person who sits next to me every day!

I think sometimes I lose whole days and weeks because if alone I can do nothing but eat my nails and gaze into space for whole days. Not surprising I can't remember anything about it.

Worst thing is, I used to be great on pub quiz teams... and now I'm hopeless.

There have been many times that I have been at a loss for words. They just go away right in middle of the sentence; or I forget the name of the person I am talking to.

What is really embarrassing is when I can't recall my own phone number, social security number or address. I just stand there staring and my mind is a total blank. It does not happen all the time; mainly if I am nervous, upset or tired. But considering I get upset and don't know why, others around me are confused as to why I can't remember basic information.

Cecilia,

I forget my address all of the time! It's so embarrassing!

Not to be mean; but, I am SO GLAD!!!! We are not alone!!!

I have a hard time remembering most things from my childhood (the time of the trauma). I remember vague, odd situations, some of which are related to the abuse and some of which are not. But from talking with friends, I think I have a far less cohesive narrative of my youth than people who were not abused. Which makes sense. My brain was focused on getting through things, not on experiencing them.

Now, in adulthood, I am quite flaky. I keep my calendar with me at all times and attach post-its that remind me of things as I recall them. I go to the grocery for two items and then forget what I needed. I go downstairs and forget why. I wouldn't say I've got a flaky personality--in fact, I'm often quite anal and perfectionistic--so I do think this is something of a carryover effect of the trauma's effect on memory.

i have memory and time issues too i seem to be getting bit more understanding of this sometimes .I read all learning is impaired under stress.Sometimes people say i come out with things that are clear and make more sense and that some times i listen better i find compliments difficult but when someone has said i listened better and i could feel that experience was different that feels good .

i have some memory problems myself depending on what it is. my wife can tell me something and i may have forgotten about it 24 hours later. but if it were something that happened years ago, i have a better chance of remembering it. in relation to ptsd, i remember all my traumas as if they were yesterday. i remember the smell of things, the ways things felt to touch, and the things i heard.