Really interesting thread.

I have a good memory of people and conversations I have with them - this has made social situations worse however when I ask them later about something they told me last time I saw them (e.g several months ago) and they have no recollection and think it’s a bit weird. Close friends are used to me, but I definitely think it’s made new acquaintances not want to talk to me. Learnt to not mention these things and just say hello instead. 

On the other hand my memory of things like actors names is terrible. Can be told a million times and can’t recall it.

Like others on here I sometimes struggle to call up words or put a coherent sentence together, but for me I don’t think this is actually a memory issue I think it’s an information processing and outward communication issue

Glad I’m not on my own with this. I’m a fairy sensible and logical person but I’m his doesn’t half make me look unintelligent sometimes. When I don’t have the time to find the word people change the conversation to something else or worse pretend I didn’t even speak. 

Unfortunately all the planning I do for those occasions do not go to plan which is a shame. It’s comical how much time I put into scripting knowing the conversation will not go that way. 

My long-term memory seems to be considerably better than my short-term memory.

My earliest memory is of my mother taking me to a playgroup and has always remained vivid. Although I had only been taken there once, I can remember where it was located, the combination of smells that had assaulted me, and my overwhelming desire not to be there.

There are phone numbers I remember, which were last used several decades ago. I can also remember past addresses of various relatives and friends. In addition, there are conversations from the past I remember as well.

In terms of general knowledge (facts), I also do not consider my memory to be anything special. On the rare occasions I watch TV quiz shows, I feel it is quite an achievement if I have correctly guessed the answer to a single question.

As a post-menopausal, soon-to-be 50-year-old, I am finding that my short-term memory really can be rather abysmal. This can be especially true with conversations I'd had less than thirty minutes previously. Yes, I have now reached that time in my life when I'm now becoming accustomed to my son telling me, "You just told me that a few minutes ago!"

My memory is probably a bit different to most peoples'. I don't remember much of my childhood up to my time in Secondary School besides very key events.

I tend to have a near photographic memory of landmarks in locations I have been to before. Once I have been somewhere at least once, it is fairly hard for me to get lost. When I was living near London, my family would often ask me to help them map out routes across the London Underground since I would be able to calculate it at very fast speeds. 

My ability to remember less mundane things in the short-term however is fairly limited. I often find myself needing to look through the same places more than once if I lost something, or looking up the answer to the same problem multiple times if I didn't write it down fast enough. 

As far as Good/Bad memories are concerned, I would say I have mostly a mix but my brain lingers a lot more on the bad than the good from what I can tell. (Though that's more of how our psychology in general works I think)

Broadly speaking if I have enough time to prepare for something, I will be fine. If I am told to prepare for an exam, and have to answer questions in a short setting, that will be where I struggle. My Academic Results categorically show I do infinitely better in Coursework settings than exams. Including one time I had to avoid breaking down when I started the one module in my entire degree that requires exams to determine my grade.

Take5 said:

I forget words when in conversation and the more pressure I feel the worse that is

I get affected by this as well. I try to write down what I want to say, almost like a script to prepare me beforehand. Does work sometimes but not always practical as I can't preplan every conversation.

Interesting discussion. Thanks for making this thread.

My long term memory is excellent, my short term memory is terrible. I read a book and by the end I can remember only a few characters names and only bits of the plot, same with when I watch a TV show or film, after many trips to the GP this eventually was agreed to be part of my autism and also resulted in my ADHD diagnosis.

Long term memory is amazing. I can remember directions with ease even if I've been to the place once, it's like it is ingrained in my memory. I can remember songs that played when I was a child, and the conversations that took place when the songs played like one in the car was You Better You Bet by The Who and I can remember my dad complaining about temporary traffic lights and how long it takes builders these days... With that song I also get a lovely scent memory of strawberry as there was a strawberry air freshener in the car.

Bad memories are ever present and easy to recall. I have emetophobia (fear of being sick) and can recall every single time I have been sick, I can also remember smells and remember the physical pain I felt at the time. 

My short term memory is by far the worst of my memory, though I am told by professionals that this is because of my autism and ADHD.

Alien0n3arth said:

And I have a good memory like a movie, I remember a lot of events that took place decades ago and I remember them with many details, others are astonished by the accuracy of my memories. 

Me too.

Wow I relate a lot! Is it related to autism? The forgetting words? I struggle with it since ever, in every language I can speak. It frustrates me a lot! During preparation for my German B2 exam I had to repeat words to not forget them in the speech. And of course I forgot other words that I didn’t expect to. Like for example Spedition. I wanted to say I studied logistics and Spedition but I forgot the word Spedition so after the logistics there was an awkward silence but I passed that test with max points anyway. I’m good at languages and I can speak 3 foreign languages at levels B2-C1. And I have a good memory like a movie, I remember a lot of events that took place decades ago and I remember them with many details, others are astonished by the accuracy of my memories. 

I have a poor memory being honest.

I forget words when in conversation and the more pressure I feel the worse that is. I even struggle finding words when typing and can sit there in a daze rummaging through my mind to find what I need to say. 
Long term memory is good but not dates, I can remember things I did as a child like yesterday and what music was playing or what my mum was doing at the time. It’s like I can go back there.

All in all I’m no good in a pub quiz unless it involves motorcycle racing or music and I can see my life in the past like a story and that’s about it. 

As I mentioned in another thread, I have poor episodic memory. I barely remember much of my childhood beyond a handful of core memories. I even don't remember relatively recent events or things I've done with people.

But I have a very good memory for technical information, numbers and facts.

I have been keeping a diary since 2014 which I am very glad about, because I use it instead of my memory now. It's an indisputable source of what happened and what I thought about it so I'll always know, even I don't remember it myself.

Long term memory - good (strangely so). I seem to be good with detail.

Can remember dates of events and conversations (some which are general "every day" things, especially when it's an anniversary of the thing). I feel this kind of memory helps anchor me in time.

VERY nostalgic. Although this is memory and emotion.

Remember obscure facts too so yes to the pub quiz thing. 

I did an online course a few years ago about forensic psychology. The concept of memory is interest that we often don't remember things as they actually happened (altho this was linked to witness testimony of traumatic events). 

Working short term memory - often abysmal.

I have a good memory and can remember some things from when I was a couple of years old.

People don't like doing quizzes with me, because I tend to get a lot of the answers, unless it's certain subjects that don;t interest me like sport or soaps. That being said there are questions on university challenge that I don't understand at all, I know what the individual words mean but when put together I'm lost, I still have trouble with only connect too.

Lotus said:

I also often forget what word I want you use, which is frustrating because it halts my communication while my brain hunts for the word that I need.

Unfortunately word finding difficulties appear to go hand in hand with ageing.

I'm the same.

I don't really understand how memory works and how it is affected by autism. I seem to have a better memory than some people for events, but I don't remember much of my early child (before age 7). I also often forget what word I want you use, which is frustrating because it halts my communication while my brain hunts for the word that I need.

This is quite interesting:

Intact context memory performance in adults with autism spectrum disorder

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-99898-2