Published on 12, July, 2020
I’ve been told that autistic people have fantastic memories. A few people on the spectrum are like walking encyclopaedias. I am not like this. I have always had a very poor memory. I had surgery on my wrist years ago and cannot remember which wrist it was. There are people I went to school with that remember me, I don’t remember them. This was back in high school. People will tell me something at work and have to repeat it several times and I still won’t remember it. I don’t remember hardly any of my birthdays, chunks of my life are gone. It has always been like this. I feel like I’m broken. Sounds bother me, smells bother me, people bother me. I don’t know what purpose I serve here since I don’t find enjoyment in much. If I had a great memory, I would love to go back to university to study. I went to college for nursing and it was such a struggle to pass all the courses. Is anyone else like this. I don’t know what to do to improve my memory. I feel like I am falling apart.
I'm really sorry to hear you're feeling this way. You're not broken - everyone's different.
One thing I would say is that there are different types of memory. For example, I struggle to remember names and faces, barely remember anyone I went to school with, struggle to recall what I did at the weekend (even on Monday morning!), and often find myself walking into a room and completely forgetting what I went in there for. On the other hand, if you asked me to recall the name of a really obscure dog breed, I could do it (it's a special interest). I also seem able to accurately recall quotes from books, as well as numerical information (e.g. credit card numbers and former postcodes/phone numbers).
If you'd like to go back to university, maybe you could try studying in your free time - you might find your memory for a subject that really fascinates you is actually better than your memory in other situations. Perhaps it'd be a good idea to buy some textbooks on a subject you'd like to study to see how well you take to the subject. Also, universities do have student support departments that can help students with additional needs (e.g. assessing you through coursework rather than exams, or allowing more time for exams/assignments).
If studying interests you, give it a go. If you want something, it's always worth trying.
This made me feel a bit better. I remember phone numbers from childhood along with addresses. I remember poems I had to learn when I was in grade school and a few other things. Maybe repetition is the key? There is also a theatre group I’d like to join. Maybe practicing memorising things will help me get better at it. I also think, as you said, if I am interested in it, it will be easier to learn. I was hoping joining this forum would bring some answers to light. If something works for one person, it might work for another!
Repetition definitely works for me! I'm also in a theatre group - I love it and it's really built my confidence. I also think that learning lines and music is very good for your memory. Hope you're doing okay and find a theatre group you like.