What are the reasons for memory loss due to depression?

Experiencing memory loss due to depression is evidence that our depressed brain is moving us away from reality. Like a boat that deviates from its course and gets caught in a neurochemical storm, being pulled into a cave from which the outside world can only be perceived blurredly and vaguely. From where we find it difficult to focus, remember, react, think, and pay any attention.

When we talk about depression, we immediately imagine someone who has crawled on the couch or in his bed and has lowered the shutters. We associate this mental disorder with silent suffering, listlessness and helplessness. But depression is often “bearable” and there are thousands of people who face their responsibilities every day, despite this gaping wound that limits them in almost every area of life and every activity.

Depression negatively affects episodic memory and the recollection of events.

Because depression goes far beyond a certain emotional state. This psychological condition means feeling upset, physically exhausted, listless, apathetic, and hopeless. Like a Trojan, this disorder makes itself comfortable in the mind of the person concerned and, above all, means a disruption of his or her cognitive functions. The latter is undoubtedly an important aspect that is not talked about often. And yet it is extremely important to keep it in mind in order to develop a more holistic, more appropriate, and more sensitive therapeutic approach.

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Memory Loss Due To Depression: What Happened To Me?

Sufferers have difficulty understanding instructions, and even more so, giving them. They find it difficult to understand what they are hearing or reading. Someone's name is on the tip of their tongue, but they can't remember it. They black out when they drive and cannot remember what their destination was. They perceive that others get angry with them for not paying them any attention while talking to them. They experience more and more misunderstandings with the people around them because they just may not be able to concentrate on something, to remember what they have been told, to draw simple conclusions, etc.

As we can see, memory loss due to depression is much more than just forgetting. Depressed people perceive their surroundings as being covered by a mental fog that makes everything seem too distant or too confused to concentrate on and understand what is happening, where they are and what one wants from them. All of this causes discomfort, social misunderstanding, and worse, makes the feeling of depression worse.

Why is it all happening? What is the cause of all these processes?

"Accelerated" neurons

Stress is usually a factor that increases your risk of developing depression. The feeling of threat, fear, pressure, constant alert or fear - these are all dimensions that favor the release of glucocorticoids, with cortisol being the most common hormone released.

A brain that has cortisol in it works differently. The neurons are "accelerated" and favor known processes such as recurring thoughts, worries and obsessive thoughts. What happens in the face of this hyperactivity is best illustrated graphically: In order to reduce this hyperactivity and exhaustion as well as the death of nerve cells, these cells cut their connection to others. Information is no longer transmitted as quickly, things are forgotten, the memory loses performance and the brain suddenly works slower and goes into energy-saving mode.

If depression becomes chronic or we have recurring depressive episodes, the hippocampus continues to shrink. However, it should be noted that the hippocampus is one of those structures that is characterized by high plasticity. With therapy, memory exercises, and appropriate cognitive strategies, he can return to his original size, which can improve our attention, memory, etc.

Dopaminergic nerve cells

One reality that is characteristic of people with depression is anhedonia. Because of this mental disorder we lose the ability to enjoy the simplest things, to feel interest, joy, motivation and to have energy for something new, to leave the house to do something and to socialize.

The dopaminergic nerve cells are responsible for “rewarding” us for these kinds of things, i.e. those activities that the brain considers positive. A depressed brain is thus an organ in which dopamine is no longer effective. And with that everything changes and everything is out of balance. We lose our motivation, and more importantly, a deficit in this neurotransmitter also means that changes in the serotoninergic and glutamatergic systems, in the action of opioids and endocannabinoids, occur.

When all of these neurochemical systems and processes do not work as they should, we lose our curiosity, our ability to pay attention, learn, store and retrieve new information, and make effective decisions.

Memory Loss with Depression - What can we do?

It is a fact that memory loss can occur due to depression. But everyone experiences this in a different way. In the case of mild to moderate depression, for example, it is known that cognitive deficits can be restored through therapies and exercises.

However, in the most severe cases, a multidisciplinary strategy is required that combines the pharmacological approach with psychotherapy and other treatments that focus on memory, and even with dietary supplements based on magnesium and B vitamins. In addition, we must not forget how important it is to be able to count on the support of those around us. Understanding, closeness and sensitivity to the person affected by depression are essential.

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