worried I'm losing my mind - forgetting things etc

[tankerdale]

I'm 35. In the last few weeks I've made silly mistakes about dates about 3 times. Just getting my weeks mixed up. The worst was I'd agreed to play music with a friend for his friends renewal of vows ceremony and I turned up on the wrong day - the day after. He'd clearly put Saturday in his texts but for some reason I had it in my head as Sunday.

Today I've scared myself because whilst out with the kids at an after school activity I suddenly remembered some pasta on the stove. It had been on for about 45mins. Arrived home to a very smoky kitchen and downstairs, smoke alarm blaring, thank fully no flames.
I'm worried I'm losing my mind! Do I go to the gp about this? Or just be more careful?

Do you have a lot on your mind/are you very busy? I've had similar in the past. Likelihood of something worrying is very very small at your age whereas being absentminded happens a lot to busy mums!

Always worth getting it checked out.

I had memory issues a while ago, your phone alarm can be a godsend as can making lists.

Exercise your memory by doing crossword puzzles and mind games as these really help too. Good luck x

I guess I am busy and have a lot on my mind. I have 3 DC (8, 5 & 1) and am going back to work next week to a new job. I don't feel conciously too anxious about it but maybe on a deeper level. Still it has freaked me out, I feel I can't trust myself and am now worried I'll make a mistake in my job.

Thank you. User did your memory issues just resolve themselves? I think I will have to use my phone diary religiously and check it daily.

my memory was crap when I was low on iron. I was also very tired at the same time.

My diet hasn't been great lately so low iron is maybe a possibility.

Hi Tank, I think for your own peace of mind, that you should visit your GP.
You do have a young family, and are starting a new job, plus you haven't been eating as well, as maybe you should.
All of these things are stressful, and use up a lot of brain energy.
Do you exercise ?
Do you sleep well ?
Are you anxious ?
There are no wrong answers, by the way, just possible reasons for your forgetfulness
Go for a check up, Im sure you'll be fine 💐💐

I think you're just busy with running a home and 3 kids and maybe anxious about going back to work, which will add to the load. I think the thing about the pasta is reassuring because if there was anything sinister you wouldn't have remembered, and you did. It's a bit of a viscous circle because the more you forget things, the more you worry and so the more you forget.

I exercise a bit (walk up and down a steep hill for school run) but not as much as I should and I am overweight/borderline obese.

I sleep okish, a bit disturbed by dc3. I have these recurring dreams where I wake up in a panic that I've forgotten something/someone - usually that someone is meant to be staying the night and I've forgotten to make them a bed/tell them where to sleep. It's a bit weird and hard to explain but I've had those dreams for quite a while. Sometimes it takes a while to realize it's not real when I wake up and I can talk nonsense to dh or get up and walk about.

I've never thought of myself as particularly anxious in general. I have had mild depression and been on 20mg Prozac since shortly after dc3 was born.

Mine is bad too (42). I've left the oven on a few times recently, and worse turned it on for no reason and forgot about it. Then wondered why my kitchen was hot. But I'm a working lp so put it down to exhaustion and stress. I exercise and am healthy but I've not slept much in 6yrs.

I have behaved like this when very stressed, or when a stressful future event is to take place. Like the things you say as well as stuff like making myself a cup of tea. Then making myself another cup of tea literally 5 mins later and then finding the first cup. Putting things in the wrong cupboard. Buying the same things twice, forgetting I'd already bought it. Making a complete bags of a fairly simple dinner, burning stuff etc things I'd usually never do. It all goes away again when the stressful stuff has passed. It's like nothing 'sticks' very well in your head when the other worry thoughts are flying around in there.

The dreaming suggests that you do have underlying stress.
Just have a word with your Doc, I'm sure you'll be okay.

The anxiety dreams might be a side effect of the Prozac?

The memory issues might just be sleep deprivation. If I have broken sleep (a frequent occurrence for the last three years, thank you DD) I forget lots of things. People's names etc. I've just developed coping strategies, double checking, writing things down etc. I don't forget anything huge, and loads of details still get retained, so it's not a disaster for me. I'm just trying to be kind to myself until I manage to get more sleep.

The trouble is that you start to lose confidence and this adds to the worry and stress. I remember going through a similar time years ago. Had tests and the results came back as anxiety which I had certainly had for some time. It's worth a check up just to reassure yourself.

I think this is pretty normal for mums of young kids, especially if you have underlying anxiety. Similar to sentia I haven't had an unbroken nights sleep in 3.5 years and am totally reliant on my phone / lists to remember things for me. Even then I still miss things from time to time. I keep a notebook by my bed and one in the kitchen and scrawl things down when I need to.

I'd say get your iron checked too. I've got three DCs, work full time, always juggling a million things but a couple of years ago my iron was dangerously low but because I was so busy and my iron reduced over a prolonged period I didn't notice. My brain felt foggy, and I felt like I couldn't be bothered remembering so didn't retain basic info. I also use my phone alarm to remind me about things too.