Mental health is, perhaps, the most difficult subject in medical science. You don’t have to be a medical doctor to appreciate how complex the brain is and how extremely difficult it is to treat ailments relating to the central nervous system. We’d deal with some of these ailments in the coming weeks.
The subject of this article is forgetfulness, one of the most common bugs of all mortals throughout the world today. Forgetfulness is different from memory loss. While memory loss is the total obliteration of memory due to a brain-related disease, accident or old age, forgetfulness is a momentary failure to remember things, or routine chores, and this is not as a result of any disease, though it is more common with aged folks.
Human memory tends to dim as we grow old but some people have this propensity to forget things. People look for car keys, ATM card, wallets and fashion accessories around the home. There are times you can’t remember where you kept an important document that is so urgently needed. We all experience the frustration of looking for things we kept somewhere only days before, that we need right away. Some people can be very careless, they drop things anywhere and start looking for them desperately. It is a bad habit you have to combat before its too late.
If you are a youth of 16 to 35 and you habitually forget things, you may need to see a psychiatrist for a thorough check-up because what you are experiencing may be an early sign of brain issues. This is not to scare you. We all forget dates, faces, names, etc. It is not abnormal to misplace things and begin to look for them. You should begin to worry if you start forgetting things frequently. If you keep looking for things every time, you need medical attention; it could be a symptom of memory loss or other mental diseases.
As we age, we all tend to forget many things, but for a youth it is not normal. You need an alert mind to get by in the world. A sharp, lively mind is necessary to retain and recall what you studied in school. Your memory is your life. A sound mind is what makes you balanced. You have to be fully alert mentally to be considered a normal, healthy person. In the extreme case, where you forget things you ought to remember, it means your mental power of recall is weak.
There are many reasons why we forget things. One is poor memory. Not everyone is mentally alert. It is the same with physical energy. Not everyone is physically strong. Drunkeness, narcostics, abuse of medicaments, stress, exhaustion, conflict, fear, and a range of other psychological issues may be responsible for forgetfulness. Excessive intake of alcohol, may, over time, affect your memory. Those who take hard drugs or abuse medicaments are at risk of mental problems, including forgetfulness. You’d do well to avoid any habit that could imperil your health, especially mental function, because it is extremely difficult to treat.
The human mind has capacity. You can’t overload your mind with needless issues and expect it to function well. Don’t bother your head with things that are not of any real value. There are so many things you just have to dismiss out of hand, instead of worrying about them. Unforgiveness, for instance, could clog your mind, and because you are so bitter you keep nursing anger. Since your mind can only deal with one issue at a time, you forget other things you ought to remember because your mind is burning with anger.
You have to let go, if you want to enjoy considerable mental health. I want to encourage you to keep your mind free. It is, perhaps, your greatest asset. If you lose your mind, you are as good as an animal. A mentally ill person will be forced to live a sub-human existence. That is really unfortunate. Don’t allow nasty folks drive you into a mental institution. Just let go of whatever it is that is hurting you so much and begin living your normal life again. That’s one way to put your mind at rest.
When your mind is devoid of bile, you feel good and your brain functions better. When the memory of your phone is full, it slows down, it tends to malfunction. It is so with computers as well as the human memory. Decongest your mind; don’t get choked up by accumulated bitterness and other junk of the past. If your mind is free, it functions better and you’ll be more alert, you are likely to remember things you normally forget.
There are so many ways to keep your memory functional. One is to have a daily list of things you want to do. A notepad will help you a great deal. If you are starting your day, write out a list of things to do before you leave home. You can paste the pad on the dashboard of your car. If you don’t have a car, keep the pad in your bag, and check it out regularly as you accomplish each task. Regularly update your list. This will save you the stress of having to task your brain in order to remember minor things.
Weekend Spice: The greatest deliverance you will have is to let God deliver you from yourself – Norvel Hayes.
Ok folks, let’s do it again next Friday. Stay motivated.
•Ayodeji is an author, rights activist, pastor and life coach. He can be reached for mentoring and counselling on 09059243004 (SMS and WhatsApp only)