“Is this an actual problem related to some underlying brain disease? Or perhaps this is just the chickens coming home to roost after a really hard, stressful year.”
Dr. Amy Sanders, Director of Hartford HealthCare’s Memory Care Center, helps to put our minds at ease by exploring stress- and age-related brain fog or memory loss – especially after a year of global worry.
You’re probably not losing your mind
Out-of-character forgetfulness and oversights might make some people think they’re losing their minds. The good news, according to Dr. Sanders, is that’s usually not the case. “In many patients, when the cognitive machinery is put to the test, it works fine. We can then reassure them that they are among the ‘worried well’ and not in serious cognitive decline.”
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When to worry
Dr. Sanders uses the lost keys scenario. If you’ve lost your keys and eventually find them in your coat pocket – that’s a minor oversight. If you find them in the freezer – that could indicate a bigger problem because it’s out of the ordinary.
Memory loss is NOT normal
Memory loss is never a normal part of the aging process, according to Dr. Sanders. “We used to think it was but now we know better.” She says as we get older our brains age just like the rest of our body and things just tend to take longer. The same goes for our memory. Your recall may take a little longer but true loss of memory needs to be addressed.
Learn more about services offered at Hartford HealthCare’s Memory Care Center, go to www.HartfordHealthCare.org/MemoryCare
