Hi, how’s it going?

I have an acquaintance with bipolar disorder that has a hard time with memory. From what I’ve heard, this isn’t entirely uncommon. For this person, it is very difficult to remember all but the most important things, if it happened more than a few days ago. He constantly has to have people remind him what had happened in the past, both good and bad.

Can you imagine if you couldn’t remember things very well? On top of all the other symptoms of bipolar disorder, those that deal with this have a hard time even remembering how their symptoms played out in the past! This person could argue about things that he had or hadn’t done – and be wrong!

Some people who have bipolar disorder also have memory problems, but maybe not to that extent. Maybe theirs is to the point that they can more or less remember things, but the details aren’t clear. Like, for instance, remembering that they took their medications, but they are remembering the wrong night. See how this can cause problems?

Memory problems are a hassle, and if they get too severe, medical attention may be necessary. But if they aren’t quite to that point, then there are some things that you can help your loved one do at home. Don’t get me wrong, regardless of how much it affects them, your loved one should always report these symptoms to their doctors.

One of the things that can be done to help with memory is checklists. This will help them remember if they’ve done something important or not, like taking medications or running an important errand. That will also help with organizational skills that might be lacking.

Another thing you can help your loved one with is simply to talk about events that have happened. If they still remember them, this will help solidify the memory in their minds. If they don’t remember them at all, this will spark at least an idea of what happened for them.

There’s a simple trick that can help with both memory and depression: activity. The more we stay active, the more our minds are stimulated, and then they work better. Staying active can be a number of things, ranging everywhere from exercise to doing hobbies or reading. There are very few things that don’t count as staying active, but I think TV would have to be one of them.

Getting the right amount of sleep is important to memory. When I say the right amount, I mean not too little and not too much. I know of a few people who sleep half the day and think that they need more sleep because they’re always tired, when really they’re just tired because of sleep overload. Getting too little or too much sleep can affect the way our brains work, and even someone who doesn’t have a disorder would suffer from a bad sleeping pattern.

There are mind games that have come out more recently that claim to help improve memory and brain abilities. These can be useful to help improve brain performance in general, as well.

Another thing you can tell your loved one that will help them is if they start taking notes or keeping a journal. Journals are good for writing down what has already happened; calendars are good for writing down what’s coming up. There are all types of things that can be done to improve memory, or to deal with the memory problems that are already there.

The most important thing to remember is to have patience with your loved one when they don’t remember something. It may be difficult at times for them to hear what had happened. But you can walk them through it so it’s not so hard.

What are your thoughts on all this?

Well, I have to go!

Your Friend,

Dave