Have you ever had amnesia?
By reinydawn
@reinydawn (11642)
United States
February 25, 2012 10:41am CST
I'm sure you've all seen movies where people are injured or in a coma, then they can't remember anything. I guess I always thought this happened, but I've never really known about it for real. Until this past week.
A very dear friend was involved in a skiing accident a week ago. She has a severe concussion and after she came to early this past week, she has absolutely no memory of any of her friends and family. She remembers how to talk, walk, write, and it looks like all her motor skills are intact. But she only knows who people are because she is being told that's who they are. She has no memory of her husband and children, any of us friends and neighbors, no one is familiar to her. Once she has been told who someone is she remembers it the next time she sees or talks to them, but she doesn't remember any of their past with her.
This is very eerie for us, and very frustrating for my friend. She has had a few things come back to her - the smell of a perfume, the fact that one of the neighbor kids likes to sing. Some of the strangest things are that she doesn't remember foods that she did or did not like, it's like she's tasting them for the very first time.
We're hoping that this is short-term, but the doctors can't give us any time-frame for her recovery. If you knew anyone that something like this has happened to, please share your experiences!
2 people like this
9 responses
@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
25 Feb 12
I hope your friend makes a complete recovery, that must be awful for her husband and children. 
I've never known anyone like that or had it happen to me but there are a lot of blank areas in my adult life. For instance, my stepmother reminded me recently of something funny that happened when I stayed with them for a few months in my 20's. But I only remember staying for a couple of days! No, I stayed half a year with them...I don't remember a year or so of living with my mother in my 20's and a couple of years ago my sister came to visit--my mom was also visiting but I only remember my mother being here. It's very frustrating and puzzling.
I've never known anyone like that or had it happen to me but there are a lot of blank areas in my adult life. For instance, my stepmother reminded me recently of something funny that happened when I stayed with them for a few months in my 20's. But I only remember staying for a couple of days! No, I stayed half a year with them...I don't remember a year or so of living with my mother in my 20's and a couple of years ago my sister came to visit--my mom was also visiting but I only remember my mother being here. It's very frustrating and puzzling.2 people like this
@reinydawn (11642)
• United States
26 Feb 12
Yeah, I have some "blanks" in my life like that too. I always thought I wasn't around for my grandparents 50th wedding anniversary, but I just saw the video of it last weekend and there I am! I remember owning that shirt, but I have absolutely no recollection of the party.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169439)
• United States
26 Feb 12
In a way it is a relief to know that I am not the only one with random blank spots. I think they occur from stress, really. I do hope that your friend makes a swift and thorough recovery.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169439)
• United States
26 Feb 12
That is a lot like the new movie that is out called the Vow, which is a true story about a woman who completely loses her memory due to an accident. I want to see it. On the other hand, for people around your friend, I hope she gets her memory back.
@reinydawn (11642)
• United States
26 Feb 12
The movie "Overboard" has been on a lot lately and it seems to be a lot like that. I just hope she recovers quickly!
@longbangod (1785)
• Philippines
25 Feb 12
Personally I haven't encountered someone who suffered this problem. I mean including myself. Though I always see it in movies as you mentioned also. I don't really know if it really exist or perhaps its a very rare thing to happen in a man's life.
@GemmaR (8517)
•
27 Feb 12
I have never had amnesia, but my Grandad injured his head a couple of years ago and this means that he often gets times where he can't remember who he is or where he lives, or anything like that. Other than those few times, he is very good for his age and is alert as somebody half his age, which makes it even more scary in a way because we just don't know when things like that are going to happen so there's no way to prepare for it properly. You should never take your memory for granted, because it is one of the most valuable things in our life.
1 person likes this
@magtibaygom (4856)
• Philippines
25 Feb 12
That's the thing that I don't want to have, or don't want to happen to me, amnesia. Because, I don't want to forget all the things that matter to me, like my bank accounts, and my passwords in social networks like MyLot! No! No! No! 
@thelmadacullo112659 (642)
• Philippines
26 Feb 12
No...Never i have an amnesia......
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
1 Mar 12
I have had amnesia, but it was different from the things that you friend experiences, because I got my memory back relatively fast. I was riding my bike and I had an accident. I got a concussion, and I lost my memory. I was at work when it happened. I had a job in a home health care team and I visited patients in the their homes.
When I lost my memory everything disappeared. I didn't recognize the streets at all (I usually knew every single street in that district) and I didn't remember where I worked. I wanted to go back to the office and tell them what happened, but I couldn't do that, because I didn't know which which way to go and I didn't remember the name of the place where I worked or the address so I couldn't ask for directions either.
I sat on the sidewalk and I didn't know what I was supposed to do or how I was supposed to get back to the office, I felt really lost and it was a very scary feeling. Everything that I used to know was...gone. I also found it hard to tell the difference between things that actually happened and things that I only imagined. I kept thinking that maybe I wasn't working that day, maybe I only imagined that I was working. I had a lot of thoughts about that. After some time my memory returned and I was able to go back.
@megamatt (14290)
• United States
1 Mar 12
Never had it myself and never met anyone who had it to very seem the very least. But it seems like having a scary thought about something to have. Your entire life, where it is just going to be ripped right out of their memories, to never remember all of the joys that you had. That would make me feel in some way violated, like I had something rather precious taken away from me. It is rather horrifying to think about.
Hopefully the memories come back but in many cases, they never do. There are mental triggers that obviously bring things back but really the right time, at the right place is when they happen. I know I would be extremely frustrated, where I know I should remember things. It is like a locked door that they don't have the combination for. Talk about a horrible and rather rough break for someone to have and that's an awful lot in life.
@ardoy0731 (7308)
• Philippines
25 Feb 12
Yeah that selective and short term amnesia always happened in almost all movies.
In my case,haven't experience or no one of all the people I know and hopefully won't happen cause it is quite to be in that situation wherein you don't remember some things.
1 person likes this
