Declining memory/attention span/sharpness

Keyzer

I'm very concious of this issue as my father, in his 80's, has done virtually nothing to stimulate his brain since retiring nearly 20 years ago. And by nothing, I really mean nothing.

I try to read as much as I can, I play guitar and took up the piano almost a year ago. This keep my mind active.

I am acutely aware of how much time I spend on my phone, too much really. But I read on my phone versus reading mindless nonsense.

The brain is like a muscle, use it or it just fades away.

storker

I'm in my early 50's and I don't think my attention span or retention has disimproved to any noticable extent. I have a lot of interests...too many probably...but if I get engrossed in reading, or a task or activity, I can keep at it for ages. Certainly, my phone isn't a distraction, but then I mainly use that for reading or chess or Netflix - I don't do social media, so I'm not persecuted by updates and on my phone I have all alerts and notifications turned off. Very few things are so important that one needs to be instantly updated about them, and for those that are, that's what phone calls are for.

pxdf9i5cmoavkz

Cartroubles wrote: »

Has anyone else noticed that their overall mental sharpness has become poorer from mid 20s onwards? I used to pride myself on my memory and ability to focus but now at 31 I really struggle.

I put it down to phone and device usage and living in my head more, worrying about work and never really stopping to look around. I've also become one of those people that will repeat the same story to the same people because I can't recall who I've told it to.

Anyone experiencing similar?

Others have said this already but it's worth repeating. The brain is a muscle and it needs to be exercised. The one problem as we grow older is that we tend to get locked into "what we know" and learning new things could be seen as more hassle than it's worth. It's not true, learning something new is always helpful.

There may be another problem though. Depression. Depression has been associated with short term memory loss.

Grayson

safeasparagus wrote: »

As long as the **** bank keeps working I’m happy enough.

I read an article about how excessive masturbation and porn can affect memory.

Autecher

Alfred Poor Scorpio wrote: »

There may be another problem though. Depression. Depression has been associated with short term memory loss.

In my case I think that's it. I used to have very good memory in my 20's. It would often be remarked upon in work. I used to go out 2-3 nights a week socialising, read a lot and talk to people every day. I'm 35 now and I barely go outside except to go to work and run errands. I don't do any of my old hobbies anymore as I have lost interest in them and I don't talk to my friends much either. My long and short term memory have gone very bad, i'm constantly forgetting things and loads of stuff from my youth has just vanished from my memory. I am on my phone and tablet a lot which are definitely a contributing factor too though. I keep saying to myself i'll get off the phone and off the couch and do stuff but I always fall back into the much much easier option of staying in by myself.

Autecher

Autecher wrote: »

In my case I think that's it. I used to have very good memory in my 20's. It would often be remarked upon in work. I used to go out 2-3 nights a week socialising, read a lot and talk to people every day. I'm 35 now and I barely go outside except to go to work and run errands. I don't do any of my old hobbies anymore as I have lost interest in them and I don't talk to my friends much either. My long and short term memory have gone very bad, i'm constantly forgetting things and loads of stuff from my youth has just vanished from my memory. I am on my phone and tablet a lot which are definitely a contributing factor too though. I keep saying to myself i'll get off the phone and off the couch and do stuff but I always fall back into the much much easier option of staying in by myself.

Maybe consider a trip to the doc too. You don't have to live with low mood, and it's not just all about medication or being numbed, you can be helped but you have to go ask for it first. I hope you feel a bit brighter soon.

sbsquarepants

Grayson wrote: »

I read an article about how excessive masturbation and porn can affect memory.

I think I read that one too, i'm not sure though.;)

Autecher

Candie wrote: »

Maybe consider a trip to the doc too. You don't have to live with low mood, and it's not just all about medication or being numbed, you can be helped but you have to go ask for it first. I hope you feel a bit brighter soon.

I have tried medication of increasingly higher milligrams, therapy and cbt several times each. They are not for me, I don't think they work. I don't want to hijack the thread though so I'll leave it there. Thank you for the advice and kind words

Former Observer

In my opinion what you are describing is indeed related to smartphone and internet use.

As a teenager and young adult I used to read a lot, one thousand page Russian novels were no issue for me, but fifteen years later I found that I was caught in a perpetual loop of skimming websites and watching dozens of TV series. My attention span was absolutely corrupted and I could hardly read one full page of a book anymore. Before sleeping at night I used to listen to podcasts and I basically crammed my entire waking life outside of work with chatter and inanity.

Identifying the problem is important (because for some people this is not a problem, they are very happy to live like this). In my case I forced myself back into reading novels, as well as academic books that interest me, but also keeping a weekly diary. It took about seven completed novels until I could approximate the ease with which I use to read. You need to invest in yourself a little. Be interested in yourself. And as you say, reflect on your thoughts and feelings. If you feel resistance then you know there is a blockage of some sort and you need to work on it, but be patience, it'll come, you've already made the first step. Few things are more important than developing and recovering your self-image and through this you may find your connections with other people will deepen too. Try to do a few things away from the computer like drawing or writing with no particular purpose in mind other than enjoyment.

Finally, ignore the people saying this is age related. At thirty whatever you can still do anything you want and in many respects, if you get over this hump, you will come out even stronger.

topper75

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

The gargle dims the brain.

What you make of all the new buildings along Dublin's quays?

_Whimsical_

Are you on any medications OP?

All sorts of medication can impact your memory and cognitive function.

One that's commonly a source of memory problems, sometimes serious problems, is statin medication for high cholesterol. You're probably young to be on that but you wouldn't be the first 20 something I've met on it.

wakka12

After doing some research the reasons a person in their 20's might be experience memory loss are

depression, a lower education level, being physically inactive, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, smoking, alcohol over use, Underactive thyroid, lack of sleep, stress and anxiety, many different types of medications, over use of tech devices

And its not nearly as uncommon in young adults as you would think

'Over 18,500 individuals, ages 18 to 99, were asked about memory problems and the lifestyle factors. Unsurprisingly, memory problems were more prevalent as people aged. Twenty percent of the respondents had memory issues, with 14 percent of them being young adults, 22 percent being middle-aged, and 26 percent being older.'

https://www.medicaldaily.com/memory-loss-young-adults-problem-too-depression-poor-education-and-physical-inactivity-increase-risk