Case managers have a lot on their plates. And remembering all the details for each case can be daunting. Do you ever "forget" things and berate yourself for the rest of the day (or week)? No case manager wants to destabilize a patient's case and care due to forgetting important details. Furthermore, you may worry that your memory is failing; is this normal memory loss or the dreaded onset of dementia? Recent research takes away some of that worry.
Dr. Scott Small, MD, is the director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Columbia University and author of the book, Forgetting: The Benefits of Not Remembering (Penguin/Random House). He believes that, in most cases, not only are memory lapses normal but they are necessary for the functioning of a healthy brain as well (Cantor, 2021)-just as cleaning out the cache of your cell phone is to the health and speed of that tiny computer.
Letting go of "stuff"-whether in your brain or your closet-may be the exact mechanism needed. I remember a few years ago I decided to really clean out my closet; eight large garbage bags full, to be exact. Not only have I not missed one item in the past years but I can retrieve what items are left with more ease as well. This analogy is worth pondering on.
Maybe, our miraculous brain knows this and is a perfect instrument to retrieve and forget. Recent research is revealing that there are separate molecular "nano-machines" within neurons: one for memory and the other for forgetting. This is the active mechanism within our brain that helps us clear out unnecessary pieces of information so that we can retain the most relevant for long-term storage (CBC Radio, 2021).
It is not news that we have been living in the "information age" for sometime. Researchers believe that it is essential to be able to turn down the noise and discard unnecessary details. If that is not possible, it can interfere with access to new and important information. It is believed that in our subconscious, and particularly during sleep, the brain is constantly sorting out which memories to keep and which can be purged and forgotten. The ability to forget helps us prioritize, think better, make decisions, and be more creative. Normal forgetting, in balance with memory, gives us the mental flexibility to grasp abstract concepts from a quagmire of stored information, allowing us to assess the important issues from the dross (Cantor, 2021).
The brain can be too active or too slow. The book addresses these. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition in which traumatic or terrifying memories remain embedded in the mind like shrapnel, impeding the brain's natural recovery. It is disease of too much emotional memory-a "brain-on-fire" disorder. This is characteristic of other psychiatric conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety disorders, and phobias. In these disorders, key brain regions get flooded with signals that fire persistently. Conversely, a "brain on ice" includes diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease and are characterized by disrupted neuronal networks that gradually degrade over time (Cantor, 2021).
The researchers found that the best methods to prevent or quell painful memories or PTSD include to stay social, seek friendship and love, and engage with life and then social interaction may be a key to better mental/emotional functioning. But what has been happening the past couple of years, with COVID-19, undermines that. Isolation and loneliness are associated with so many adverse consequences, from depression, high levels of anxiety, and increased suicide rates to reduced immune and cognitive functions.
Another good tactic is to make a conscious decision to let go of resentments, grudges, and past disappointments. The more we dwell on a hurtful memory or ruminate over the events surrounding the memory, the stronger the neuronal connections become around the memory; as in other systems, the more we use a pathway, the more powerful it can become.
It is reassuring that forgetting names or details may not be a sign of impending dementia. Is it "normal" forgetting (where did I park my car?) versus that you could no longer remember that you owned a car? How much forgetting is just because your mind was thinking of something else when you went into the store, put down your keys, or met a new colleague (what was his/her name?).
In fact, forgetting could be the necessary and helpful tool that your brain uses to "clear the cache." Whether clearing the cache or pruning your closet, this act of downscaling makes us (and our computers) work with better accuracy. There are many roads to "self-care," and going easy on yourself because of small missteps leaves room for kindness and patience. Maybe, I really don't need or want that photographic memory I have always wished for....
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