Info: Memory

WHAT IS MEMORY?

In a nutshell, memory is the ability to store and recall facts and the events of our lives.  There are three types of memory:

SENSORY MEMORY- This type of memory, outside of our conscious control, operates within an extremely fast time frame (less than two seconds) and is very short lived.  It refers to items detected by the senses- hearing, sight, and so forth.  There is a large capacity for unprocessed information, but we are only able to process a small amount of it.

SHORT TERM MEMORY- This type of memory allows one to recall, without memorization, a number of facts (usually five or five) for several seconds to a minute.  "Chunking", or grouping numbers or facts into groups of three, allows one to remember more facts.  It relies more on audial input than visual input, although trying to remember words that sound the same ("dog", "hog", "fog", etc.) tends to confuse us.

LONG TERM MEMORY- This type of memory lasts from a few days to a number of years, even decades.  Short term memory becomes long term memory through connection with other important information and through repetition.  This can occur naturally through reflection and usage, or deliberate recollection and repetition.  Information that is perceived to be important is often easier to remember.

HOW DOES MEMORY WORK?

Memory is a very complicated activity, one that I admit I don't understand fully. I'll try to explain what I do, and I think I'll skip all of the chemistry and neurology and large words that one can't pronounce.  When it comes down to it, memory takes place in three stages:

STAGE ONE- Encoding.  You take in the information through your senses, entering it into SENSORY MEMORY.

STAGE TWO- Consolidation.  Your brain takes the information, encodes it, processes it, and stores it, usually in SHORT TERM MEMORY. 

STAGE THREE- Retrieval.  This is when a person recalls the information.  After many uses of the memory, or practice memorizing it, it can enter into LONG TERM MEMORY.

SYMPTOMS OF MEMORY LOSS

Symptoms of memory loss may include: the inability to remember events, memory that gets worse over time, confusion, irritability, and difficulty completing tasks.

CAUSES OF MEMORY LOSS

MENTAL AILMENTS- Anxiety, Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), depression, stress.

METABOLIC DISEASES- Diabetes, thyroid gland diseases, and lung, liver, or kidney failure.

NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES- There are many, most prevalent being Alzheimer's Disease, Dementia, Huntington's Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, and Schizophrenia. None act specifically on memory; instead memory loss is often a casualty of generalized neuronal deterioration. Currently, these illnesses are irreversible, but research into stem cells, psychopharmacology, and genetic engineering holds much promise.

TOXINS- Alcohol, drugs (both prescription and over-the-counter) and other toxins can lead to free radicals, and overexposure to them may cause blackouts and memory lapses.

TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY- Damage to the brain can cause parts of it to stop functioning, inhibiting the ability to use it to remember things properly.  When a patient, known as "HM", had brain tissue removed in an attempt to cure his epilepsy, he suffered anterograde and retrograde amnesia, providing the first evidence to scientists of the localization of memory function.

NUTRIENT DEFICIENCY-  Just like the rest of our body, the brain needs certain nutrients, such as B vitamins and amino acids.  If it gets too much cholesterol and triglycerides, it doesn't get enough blood and nutrients.  When our memory goes blank, it may be the brain calling out for nutrients that will support the neurotransmitters it needs.

WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR MEMORY

HEALTY DIET- Eat a balanced diet and drink plenty of water.  Keep calorie intake moderate.  Make sure it's rich in antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables.  Take a vitamin/multivitamin.

MENTAL ACTIVITY- Challenge yourself by doing brain teasers, learning new things and reading.

NAP- Get plenty of rest.  Fatigue can affect the concentration and memory of people of any age.

REDUCE TOXINS- Don't smoke or use tobacco products.  Use alcohol in moderation.  If in doubt about a drug, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using it.

SLOW DOWN- Forgetfulness may indicate that you have too much on your mind.  Slow down, focus your attention on one thing, the task at hand.

STAY ACTIVE-  Exercise regularly, and try to participate in social activities.

STAY SAFE- Avoid head trauma by wearing seat belts in cars and helmets on bicycles and motorcycles.  Avoid such activities as boxing that have a high risk of head injuries. 

STRESS REDUCTION- Stress can impair memory and put the areas of the brain involved with memory processing at risk.  Try meditation, yoga, and other relaxing activities.

STRUCTURE YOUR LIFE- Use alarm clocks and calendars, lists and notes, and keep a schedule.  Have one location, like a table by the door, that you store items you have a tendency to loose, like your wallet or purse, cellular phone, keys, etc.  Park your car in the same place at the office.

THERAPY- Problems such as depression, grief, and loneliness can affect your memory and more.  In many cases, talking with a therapist can help.

OTHER MEMORY-RELATED CONDITIONS

ANOMIA (aka NOMINAL APHASIA)- Those with this condition have suffered damage to the frontal and parietal lobes of the brain, causing them to experience TIP-OF-THE-TONGUE PHENOMENON (where one can almost recall the word they are trying to describe) on an ongoing basis.

KORSAKOFF'S SYNDROME (aka KORSAKOFF'S PSYCHOSIS or AMNESIC-CONFABULATORY SYNDROME)- This is an organic disease that affects memory.

HYPERTHYMESIA (aka HYPERTHYMESIC SYNDROME)- Those affected by this disorder cannot forget small details that otherwise would not be stored in their memory.

MEMORY TEST

There is a neat test to see how your memory is at the following site: http://www.memorylossonline.com/learning_memory/mem_games/verbaltest1.html

http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/guide/is-your-memory-normal

http://www.suddenmemoryloss.com/

http://www.healthynewage.com/memory.html

http://www.memorylossonline.com/index.htm

http://www.ilcusa.org/media/pdfs/isoa.pdf

Info: Mental Health

WHAT ARE MENTAL ILLNESSES?

A mental illness is usually caused by an extremely traumatic event or a chemical imbalance in the brain.  Like heart disease or diabetes, it is a sickness, a physical illness, that the victim has little control over and no choice in suffering from.

There are things that a person can do to soften the impact: reduce stress, participate in therapy (both with a therapist or counselor and with a psychiatrist), take medication, and stay away from objects or events that trigger their problems.

The recognition and understanding of mental disorders have changed over time and across cultures. Definitions, assessments, and classifications of mental disorders can vary, but guideline criteria listed in the ICD, DSM and other manuals are widely accepted by mental health professionals. In the U.S., mental disorders are diagnosed based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV). Categories of diagnoses in these schemes may include dissociate disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, eating disorders, developmental disorders, personality disorders, and many other categories.

CAUSES OF MENTAL ILLNESS There are a wide variety of causes, but they include: genetics, early childhood development, drug use, disease and injury, changes in brain chemistry or neurotransmitters, psychological trauma, life experiences, society, and culture.

TYPES OF MENTAL ILLNESSES

ANXIETY DISORDERS-  This includes PANIC DISORDER, PHOBIAS, OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD) and POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD).  These are all illnesses where anxiety runs out of control, disrupting normal daily activity.  PANIC DISORDER is when the victim feels terror, believing something horrible is about to happen at any time.  PHOBIAS are irrational fears of a particular object, person, place, or situation, while SOCIAL PHOBIA is fear of being in a social situation.  OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER is the OBSESSION, or overwhelming, constant need to do something rather like a ritual, whenever confronted with a certain situation, in order to quash the OBSESSION for the moment.  POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER, most frequent amount people who have been through or witnessed a horrifying event, is where the victim is terrified it will happen again.  All of these anxiety disorders have similar symptoms: shakiness, trembling, muscle aches, sweating, cold/clammy hands, dizziness, jitteriness, tension, fatigue, racing pulse, dry mouth, numbness, and tingling in extremities.

BIPOLAR DISORDER- Also known as "manic depression", victims experience extreme (and frequently violent) mood swings.  During frantic mania stages, they are overconfident and energetic, feeling on top of the world, overconfident, and hyperactive; they sleep much less, are easily irritated, their thoughts race, they lack good judgment, and they often take reckless behavior.  Conversely, there is devastating depression, when they can barely function at all (see DEPRESSION for other symptoms).  They are on an emotional roller coaster, never knowing what will happen next.  Bipolar disorder affects approximately 2.3 million American adults, or about 1.2 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year.  Men and women are equally likely to develop bipolar disorder.  The average age at onset for a first manic episode is the early twenties.  Almost one-third of six to twelve year old children diagnosed with major depression will develop bipolar disorders within a few years.

DEPRESSION- Depression includes MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER, DYSTHYMIC DISORDER, and BIPLOAR DISORDER (see other entry for more information).  This disease can affect the body as well as the mind.  A victim can lose interest in their favorite activities, change their behavior and attitude, neglect responsibilities, isolate themselves.  They find it difficult to find any pleasure in life, feeling sadness, extreme disappointment, confusion, and anxiety instead.  Physically, they may have aches and pains that are unrelated to health issues, be fatigued, have changes in appetite and changes in weight, changes in sleep.  Their self esteem may be low, and they may experience suicidal thoughts which sometimes develop into action.    Depressive disorders may be appearing earlier in life in people born in recent decades compared to the past.  Depressive disorders often co-occur with anxiety disorders and substance abuse.  Approximately 18.8 million American adults, or about 9.5 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year, have a depressive disorder.  Nearly twice as many women (12.0 percent) as men (6.6 percent) are affected by a depressive disorder each year. These figures translate to 12.4 million women and 6.4 million men in the U.S.  While major depressive disorder can develop at any age, the average age at onset is the mid-twenties.

PERSONALITY DISORDERS- These are illnesses that affect one's mood, self-image, and relationships, such as ANTISOCIAL, BORDERLINE, DEPENDENT, NARCISSISTIC, PARANOID and SCHIZOID (see other sections for more information) PERSONALITY DISORDERS.  Their symptoms are: fear of abandonment; inability to keep stable relationships; impulsiveness; distorted views of others, events, and themselves; inappropriate emotional responses; poor interpersonal skills; self destructive behaviors; suicidal behavior; mood swings; intense and inappropriate anger; and a distorted view of reality.

SCHIZOPHRENIA- This disease affects how a person thinks (causing trouble concentrating and organizing thoughts), feels (causing inappropriate feelings or an inability to express feelings), acts (a lack of treatment makes it extremely difficult for a victim to function in society).  Symptoms include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thoughts and speech, inappropriate behavior, and withdrawal.  Approximately 1.5% of the population will have an episode of schizophrenia during their lifetime.  A child with one parent who has schizophrenia has a 12 percent chance of developing it, while a child whose both parents do has a 40 percent chance of doing so.

SCHIZO-AFFECTIVE DISORDER- This illness has the symptoms of both a mood disorder (most frequently bipolar or depression) and schizophrenia.  Symptoms may include psychosis, impaired expression or interpretation of reality (such as from hallucinations), paranoid or bizarre delusions, disorganized speech and thinking.  This usually manifests in early adulthood, but has been known to appear in childhood.  It is more common in women than in men.  It is more episodic and has a more favorable prognosis than schizophrenia, while those with the bipolar variation has a better prognosis than those with the depressive variation.

DUAL DIAGNOSIS- Sometimes, a person can have a DUAL DIAGNOSIS, in which mental illness is diagnosed along with a substance abuse problem, mental retardation, or borderline intellectual functioning.

PREVALANCE
Mental disorders have been found to be relatively common, with more than one in three people in most countries reporting sufficient criteria. An estimated 22.1 percent of Americans ages 18 and older - about 1 in 5 adults - suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. When applied to the 1998 U.S. Census residential population estimate, this figure translates to 44.3 million people. In addition, 4 of the 10 leading causes of disability in the U.S. and other developed countries are mental disorders - major depression, Bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time.

SUICIDE STATISTICS

-In 2006, 33,300 people died by suicide in the U.S.
-More than 90 percent of people who kill themselves have a diagnosable mental disorder, commonly a depressive disorder or a substance abuse disorder.
-The highest suicide rates in the U.S. are found in white men over age 85
-In 2006, suicide was the 7th leading cause of death for males, and the 16th for females.

-In 2006, suicide was the 3rd leading cause of death among 15 to 24 year olds

Channing Bete Scriptographic (2003). About bipolar disorder. Classic scriptography, n.p. 2003.
Channing Bete Scriptographic (2003). About borderline personality disorder. Classic scriptography, n.p. 2003.
Channing Bete Scriptographic (2003). About schizophrenia. Classic scriptography, n.p. 2003.
Channing Bete Scriptographic (2003). Dual diagnosis, what you should know. Real style scriptography, n.p. 2003.
Channing Bete Scriptographic (2003). Understanding mental illnesses. Classic scriptography, n.p. 2003.
Channing Bete Scriptographic (2003). What everyone should know about depression. Classic scriptography, n.p. 2003.
Performance Resource Press, Inc (2002). Anxiety, item #6064. Troy, Michigan. 2002.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_Illness
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics.shtml
http://www.meehlfoundation.org/StatisticsAboutBipolarDisorder.php