In addition to the action that the Government can and should take, there are steps that individuals can take.  Download the Beginners Guide to Campaigning for more information.

Photo courtesy of Steve Caddy

Wouldn’t it be fantastic to remember absolutely everything? Well apparently, for one woman who has this remarkable ability, it’s not a blessing, but a curse.

The downside might be that you would remember every bad thing that ever happened to you, in excruciating detail, and exactly how you felt at the time – but as if you were re-living it. Over and over again.

So for those of wanting to improve our memory, remember the words of W. W. Jacobs:

“Be careful what you wish for, you may receive it”

Photo courtesy of Mercuryvapour

The jury’s out on whether Epilepsy or anti-seizure medication (or neither) causes memory loss.

This Timesonline article reports on one person’s experience and the views of 3 leading neurologists who believe that Epilepsy may be linked to long term memory loss.

This may be particularly true for those of us with temporal lobe seizures, as this is the part of the brain where memories are stored. They do believe that it’s not modern drugs that are causing the problem (although older, barbiturate-based ones might).

In cases of severe memory loss, to cope with the effects it helps that the sufferer is believed by both the Doctor and by friends/family. Help should also be sought for associated anxiety or depression.

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If you do decide to de-clutter your home, then download this excellent, free e-book from Organize IT (though they will appreciate a donation or feedback).

The guide has chapters on:

1. Understanding clutter
2. Starting to de-clutter
3. Putting it into practise

Photo courtesy of Wokka

- it isn’t enough. You need to simplify.

Why? So that you can focus on what’s important – whether your family, friends, hobbies or even your work.

Two recent posts on Zenhabits have brought this home.

The first is a list of 21 easy actions to simplify your life. It’ll be much easier to be organised if there’s less to organise. Having just decluttered my spare room/office I don’t want to get into bad habits.  Don’t try and follow every suggestion – just concentrate on a few for maximum impact (or you’ll make life even more complicated!).

The second explains why and how you can achieve simplicity.

Together, these two posts will help you move towards a simpler way of life – with less stress and more time to do the things that you want to do.

Photo courtesy of Mediterrate

Latest research from the University of Oxford highlights the role of vitamin B12 in preventing memory loss in the elderly. Not stated, there may be some relevance to epileptics with memory loss.

B12 naturally occurs in meat, fish and milk. Liver and shellfish are particularly rich sources of B12. Diets poor in B12 have been linked to anaemia and nervous system damage, for example Vegans not eating B12 supplements or fortified breakfast cereals.

The Vegan Society warns that that 10 to 30% of those aged over 50 may have trouble absorbing B12 and suggests it may be worth Vegans eating foods fortified with B12 or taking a supplement.

Oxford’s research will now trial B vitamins to help the elderly.

In summary, “this is another example of why it is crucial for people to lead a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet rich in B vitamins and antioxidants”, Dr Susanne Sorensen, the Alzheimer’s Society.

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Recent news items, following research from the University of Western Ontario, warn of taking medication with grapefruit juice as this could substantially impair the absorption and therefore the effectiveness of the drug.  Other fruit juices may have a similar effect.

This echoes an earlier warning in 2002 from the New South Wales Department of Health that grapefruits and grapefruit drinks could interact with Carbamazepine (Tegretol) used to treat Epilepsy. To repeat the advice in their factsheet:

“People should carefully read the Consumer Medicine Information sheet that accompanies most prescription-only products obtainable from the pharmacist. Anyone with concerns should consult their pharmacist or doctor.”

Photo courtesy of BrittneyBush

When is the best time to make your weekly shopping list? 10 minutes before you leave the house? If so, what’s the point- you may as well just get to the shops and buy on impulse. A list made at the last minute involves trying to remember all the essentials you normally buy, everything you’ve run out of, plus those special ingredients for the meal you plan to cook this weekend!

Many people find it’s easier to make and update a list as they go along. Perhaps they keep it pinned up in the kitchen or attached to the fridge. Then it’s easy to add items to the shopping list during the week whenever you realise you need something.

Ideally, you should keep the list handy - what if you’re cleaning your home and find there’s no bathroom cleaner or toilet paper remaining – you may forget to add it to the list unless you go to the kitchen immediately.  You may see an advert on TV, fall for the persuasive marketing and decide to try the new product – it would be a shame if you forgot all about it!!!

Without a list, sooner or later, you’ll forget something when you go shopping, but the consequences aren’t severe.

If your memory isn’t perfect (or in our case, you can’t trust your memory) and you need to remember to do important tasks either at work or home, then you need a “system” you can rely upon: something that isn’t inside your head. (I don’t mean a computer system, just a complete process and everything that goes with it, to help you get on with your life.)

I’ve always found that making “to do” lists helped me greatly. However, I didn’t make full use of these until a work colleague introduced me to David Allen’s Getting Things Done (GTD) technique. At a simplistic level, this is a system for making lists of tasks that need to be done,  recorded onto a simple notepad that you carry with you; these tasks are then processed one at a time. David Allen talks about it being a “trusted system”, because the brain is less than 100% reliable, so it is very relevant for us.

In addition, I used to write copious notes, whether study notes or meeting notes. It took time to write these notes and more time to refer back to them when required. I was fortunate enough to attend one of Tony Buzan’s seminars and learn to use mind mapping. This is a visual representation showing the connections between related ideas. Quick to write and even quicker to reference.  Mind maps were developed by psychologists to aid memory, again, very useful for us.

These are the two main aids that I will explain help:

• avoid forgetting
• avoid the stress of being unsure of whether you’ve forgotten something important

Photo courtesy of Shoebappa

I’ve been toying with the idea of writing for a month or so. Initially, I was inspired by an article in Epilepsy Action‘s magazine about coping with poor memory (either following a seizure, or as a side effect of medication). My plan was to explain how I used a version of to-do lists and other techniques to ensure that I’m always organised and confident that I won’t forget anything.

In preparation for writing the article, my research uncovered additional, useful refinements and techniques that I’ve since put into practice: I now have far more ideas than will fit into a single article (but I’m not planning to write a book either!).

Now my challenge is write for a web audience (who have millions of other blogs, websites and general distractions) and to keep up the momentum.