I
Already Told You That
by Woody Dent
"I already told you that!" my wife and friends used to say to me. "Don't you remember asking me only yesterday? I didn't remember.
Every time I made an error; people told me about it over and over, but it didn't help my memory. Eventually I felt like punching anyone who said those words to me, ''Don't you remember?" As anger and resentment increased, I became more solitary even though I am a people person by nature and love to run my mouth. Their response to my memory loss was ruining my life.
I decided to tell my close friends and family how angry I was when they made me feel stupid. First I explained that MS causes short-term memory problems. Then I said, ''1f I forget sometimes, it doesn't help to remind me that I forgot. If it isn't important, let it pass." They were surprised to learn how much they had hurt me. Now my personal relationships are greatly improved because we talked about the prob1em.
So many things can be kept simple if communication remains open. Tell them how you feel! Then get to work to tell them your capacity even though you may have short-term memory loss.
Here are some tricks I have learned:
Discover also whether memory problems are really caused by depression. A neuropsychologist can test you, but this is expensive and not all insurance plans cover the examination. Consider memory for important things in life.