Difficulty remembering names? - ADD / ADHD Message Board

hyperev · 06-25-2003, 11:03 AM

I find it difficult remembering names of people I meet. It takes me a long time to remember the name of new people I meet, so I was wondering if this might be related to my ADHD. Does anyone else have this difficulty, and if it is related to ADHD, what are some ways I can overcome this. I also find it strange that if I meet up with an acquaintance I haven't seen for a long time, I sometimes forget their name, but I never forget a face. Just wondering.

Oma61 · 06-25-2003, 01:14 PM

hyperev,

My 7yr old daughter has that problem...severely! She has very extreme ADHD problems although her official diagnosis at present is Asperger Syndrome. She can't remember a person's name 5 minutes after being told. We have had other children over to play and 5 minutes after an introduction, my daughter will ask "What's your name again???" she does this the whole time the child is over for a visit...everytime she wants to address the visiting child she asks me (or the child, or her sisters) "What's her name again?"! She even has trouble remembering aunts and uncles names...the ones she sees at least once or twice a month!!! Sometimes it's funny, but then, when I think about how hard it is for her to remember and think about how complicated that will make life as an adult, I don't think it's so funny anymore. Unlike you, she has trouble with the faces, too. If she sees anyone who even remotely resembles someone she knows, she is "positive" that she knows them and will even start talking to them like she knows them. I've had to rescue her from those situations a few times!

Best wishes...

mlgable · 06-25-2003, 11:52 PM

I have a lot of trouble with that kind of thing and I don't have ADD/ADHD. I think that is just something that happens to people whether or not they have ADD.

momoffive · 07-02-2003, 06:46 AM

adhd/add.....my9 yr old daughter has had problemswith memory and we found outlast year it was due to absent seizures.One of the meds we tried was making it difficult to communicate. She wouldbe teling you something really important to her and halfway thru she would forget .She was getting very frustrated with herself! After more exams and monitoring we discoverd it was due to meds. Once we removed the one med. her speech returned to normal. She still has memory problems but dont we all? lol :hammers:

elfinart · 07-05-2003, 08:34 AM

Although it's true that this is something that happens to everyone, if you have ADD, it may certainly happen more frequently, because it is more difficult to focus on the information you are trying to recall. This can happen with any information, not just names. I am a college student and it makes test-taking very difficult. Often times, I know the answers to questions but just can't give them on demand. In conversation I will routinely forget the word for something I am discussing. So, yes, it can be a particular problem for you. I just can't provide any help, but if it is especially troublesome or you believe it happens far too frequently, you should tell your doctor and/or counselor, because a medication change or coping method may be needed.