A big hello from Nick

[Nick Wadham]

Hi I'm Nick, I'm dyspraxic, I hate it, it makes my lif hell, it makes my wife's life hell, it makes me hate myself sometimes (I'd never do anything stupid, I have three fantastic kids who think the world of me and are my saving grace along with my wife) it causes arguments which I can't cope with as I can't think fast enough because of everything else that goes on around me, which makes me resent my wife, even though I love her to the end, I gut a sulk on, she gets madder... I hate my short term memory, because basically I don't have one, a paradox I know! Making lists are a suggestion that mae me want to throttle the well-meaning advisor, yeah great, until I forget what to put on the ******* thing, or even what I had to make the list about, or even to make the list in the first place!!!!!!!!!

Then there's my inability to empathise, which inadvertantly makes me appear disinterested and un-caring, which I'm not!

I guess it's the memory thing really, it's driving a wedge between my wife and me and I just don't know what to do about it, has any one here got any strategies apart from lists that might help?

PLEASE

[gherkin001]

Hi Nick, and welcome to the mad-house!!

My short-term memory is also problematic, mainly because of my epilepsy medication. I find that telling my hubby what I need to remember does the world of good, he then will either write it down or just keep reminding me sporadicallythroughout the day/week leading up to the event. Means I never miss an appointment.

Kirsty

[rosie3]

Has anyone had a go at memory training?. I had a lesson on it and read a few books. It is a question of keeping it up and using it all the time. Not that I managed it but thats the theory.

It is having code words to match numbers and mentally creating pictures to link what is on your shopping list for example to the respective visual code words. For example a key for 3 could have a bunch of bananas hanging off it. Then when you mentally go through the numbers of your shopping list you get to three. Think of the code word (Key) and of course that image produces the bananas so you buy bananas. If you perfected the technique you could have a brilliant memory in theory if you put the work in.

Also for example having a familiar house, for example a mental picture of the house you live in; and attributing various rooms to separate centuries I suppose top of the house clockwise round for example to the bottom.

Then you mentally dump each person or article (Nelson or a potato for example) into the appropriate room in the house - I suppose you could take it further and make the window side the end of the century and the door side the beginning of the century. Then when you want to remember when Nelson fought his battles or when the potato was invented you just go and have a look and see what room you put them in. Then you will know which date (roughly,) they were.

Would that help anyone?

Rosie