If you are one of those people who often forget something, you are probably worrying about this issue from time to time. Well, the thing is that there isn’t anything to worry about.
Being forgetful is actually a sign that your brain functions better than you think. This is proven through a study that was published back in 2017 in Neuron.
Being forgetful shouldn’t be always connected to a disease, such as dementia or Alzheimer’s. This issue can be a sign for you that you are actually a pretty intelligent and smart person.
A research team from the University of Toronto and SickKids Hospital decided to prove that this problem isn’t so bad. They attempted to discover the connection between forgetfulness and brain health and function.
It seems that the memories that we own are making us as intelligent as we are. We have to forget some information and make room in order to face new events and circumstances.
The brain actually spends a lot of energy when you occupy it with new information. It can be challenging to keep learning new stuff. This means that if you keep forgetting things, you will be spending much time on something that eventually will be forgotten.
However, according to the scientists, there are good reasons to being forgetful. This “issue” can actually come in handy.
As we are growing older, there are constantly new things that we need to acknowledge and learn, which means that everything that is getting older becomes less important and significant. That is why we need to make space in our brain for new information. It can become harder to cope with some circumstances if you are constantly bringing memories into your mind.
This means that your brain needs to forget some pieces of information that are not that important in order to make the new information as a priority.
Difference between memory loss and forgetting
Sometimes we get nervous because we forget things, but it’s not actually that critical. It is simply nature and this occurrence gets stronger as we get older.
If you forget simple things like forgetting where you left your keys or some object, or forgetting a date or appointment or forgetting information from books, shows and conversations, it actually isn’t that serious. It can happen to anybody and it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are suffering from memory loss.
As for the pathological memory loss, these are the signs of this disorder:
Constantly forgetting daily things
Forgetting names of people or objects
Forgetting numbers
Forgetting your sentences while speaking
Forgetting important information from previous conversations
Struggling to follow simple conversations or events
Feeling lost in places that you know
Don’t always think the worst thing when something happens to you. Believing that you suffer from memory loss is a serious thought. It is normal to forget things from time to time. Our minds are full of thoughts and worries which makes it harder to remember the simple things. The lives that we live, in this era, can be pretty challenging and we shouldn’t jump to assumptions that easily.
However, if you really believe that you have some disorder, you need to contact your doctor and explain your situation.
Sources and References:
theheartysoul.com
www.cell.com
www.utoronto.ca