MY WORLD OF TRUTH

                    7 Reasons Your Memory Is Bad.

  You forgot your car keys at home (for the umpteenth
time!), you could barely remember what you had for
dinner the other night, and you missed your doctor’s
appointment (again!). Does this sound like a familiar
story to you? If this is how things go almost every
single day, then you must be wondering why this is
so when you’re barely in your 40s! 

Contrary to what
some people think, poor memory does not always
occur during old age. In fact, you’ll be surprised to
know that some kids tend to be forgetful at times,
and this is certainly not to be taken lightly. So,
whether you’re 16 or 60, and you struggle with
memory decline, it’s best to know common reasons
your memory is bad – and do something to prevent
things from getting worse.
The following are some of the typical causes of poor
memory among individuals, which may also lead to
reduced cognitive functions.

1. Depression
When people are depressed, it may be difficult for
them to concentrate and recall things because of
their preoccupation with their negative feelings.
Unfortunately, no one is exempted from depression,
and this can occur even to young children who are
frequently exposed to stressful situations. Several
instances that can cause people to be depressed
include the death of a loved one, lack of appreciation
from family members, and a few other reasons.
Negative emotions including anger, fear and anxiety
can also add to one’s forgetfulness and inability to
concentrate. No matter how hard they try,
concentrating and remembering things can be a
major challenge because of their fixation with
negative emotions and painful situations in their life.

2. Mental Confusion
Most people get into the habit of multitasking with
the hopes of getting things done as quickly as
possible. While this may seem as an exciting and
challenging activity for some, it can eventually lead
to mental confusion and stress. The moment their
mind is overloaded with things to do, it’s possible for
them to just lose it and experience mental
confusion. With a confused mind, poor memory may
arise and the only thing to resolve this is by learning
to focus on one thing at a time. Keep in mind that
your brain can only handle so much, which means
exposure to more ideas can lead to mental pollution.
Once this occurs, memory decline may follow
because of mental stress.

3. Inability to Express One’s True Emotions
There are individuals who have trained themselves
to hide their true feelings out of fear, shame or
pride. They tend to neglect the emotional aspect of
their life, so they are no longer in touch with their
feelings and thoughts. Although this practice helps
people perform well in their jobs or studies even
when their life is in shambles, this may be causing
serious drawbacks to their memory. The brain is
made up of two parts – the left and the right. The
left portion of the brain governs the logic while the
right facilitates artistic and emotional functions.
When one uses both sides of the brain regularly,
they are able to obtain a sense of balance in the way
they think. This goes without saying that a strong
and powerful memory is synonymous with
strengthening both hemispheres of the brain.
Hence, it is ideal to develop not only your logic, but
you should also work on improving your creative
side. By doing so, you can become a well-rounded
person with superb cognitive function.

4. Drug Abuse
Certain drugs are called illegal or illicit for one
obvious reason – because they do not serve any
function to improving or supporting your excellent
health. Unfortunately, there are individuals who get
hooked on these drugs after a few tries or
experimentation. Once their body has become
accustomed to these substances, losing the habit
can be a major challenge. Aside from serious
physical and psychological issues, drug abuse and
addiction can lead to memory decline as these
substances affect the hippo-campus or the part of
the brain in charge with cognitive functions. As a
result, poor memory occurs and worsens unless
addressed properly (along with overcoming
addiction).

5. Excessive Alcohol Intake
Based on scientific research, too much consumption
of alcohol can lead to numerous health issues and
mental problems including damages to your
retrospective memory. This is responsible for
learning and recovery of memories, which prevents
you from becoming forgetful. However, alcohol
consumption and addiction can lead to periods of
blackouts or temporary loss of memory. When the
habit of drinking continues, parts of the brain
receive less supply of oxygen, specifically areas that
contain alcohol. Over time, this condition can cause
negative effects on the entire central nervous
system.

Thiamine is an essential nutrient that is necessary
for metabolizing food and converting it into energy.
In addition, this B-vitamin is responsible for
ensuring the normal functions of your nervous
system. According to experts, large amounts of this
vitamin is located in your brain, which maintains the
production of neurotransmitters that impact your
mood, memory, movement and thought. For those
who receive insufficient amount of thiamine from
their diet, they are likely to suffer from Wernicke-
Korsakoff syndrome, which is a type of neurological
disorder that leads to short-term and long-term
memory loss. To prevent this condition, it is
important for people to receive the right amounts of
thiamine, which is a maximum of 1.2 mg for adults.

7. Lack of Sleep
Sleep helps refresh your body and mind while
enabling any necessary repairs of worn out cells and
tissues. In addition, brain waves are created as you
sleep, and these are responsible in storing memories
to your brain. These brain waves also transfer
memories to the prefrontal cortex, which is the
section of your brain that stores long-term
memories.

 When you lack enough sleep, memories
are unable to move toward the frontal cortex, and
this leads to forgetfulness and short-term memory
loss. Thus, adults should aim to get at least 7 to 8
hours of sleep to improve their memory and prevent
any deterioration of their frontal lobe that can result
to cognitive decline.
Having a good memory can significantly impact your
performance level. Thus, it’s only right to start
enhancing your memory by avoiding these factors
that can make you more forgetful and function less
efficiently.