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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by River1924 on April 8, 2006, at 14:00:32
Hi,
You don't really need to read all this, you can answer the question in the subject line and I'll be happy. The letter sort of got out of control. : )River.
_________
When I used "Ask.com" and searched "Negative Symptoms in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy"...'I eventually came to this site:
http://www.epilepsy.com/articles/ar_1063660975.html
It discusses many things but one is a kind of doctor called a "neuropsychologist." I came across these sentences: "The analysis [by the neuropsychologist] often reveals the extent to which difficulties with encoding, storage, or retrieval may be contributing to your memory problem."
One of the problems of my mental disorder(s) and, to me the most invisible but most problematic, are my problems with memory. This can be good because part of learning is the ability to forget... the so called "beginner's mind." (I might like quadratic equations if I could forget that I hate them and the systems' complete inability to tell me why someone's final equation was better (ie correct) than my more peculiar equations.) Anyway, I've visted Europe, I was in college for two and half years and got A's and B's, I spent three years in Chicago, I had a childhood, and to me it is all a vague nothing. I can pull up details but not with any ease. These cognitive problems in mental health are finally being addressed by theorists. Finally, with the atypical psychotics, researchers got the point that even if all the standard syptoms of schizophrenia are removed, basic cognitive deficits can completely interfere with "success." (see http://www.matrics.ucla.edu/) Although I don't have schizophrenia, temporal epilepsy, or asperger's syndrome, I can relate to some of their symptoms and understand how frustrating it can be...
For me it is even more frustrating because when I say I have memory problems (executive, short term, autobiographical), I might get a smile or a "reminder" that depression and anxiety affect memory or little bity test with 20 questions and get by with flying colors.
Still, as my mother would exclaim with exasperation when I was younger, "you wouldn't remember your own head if it wasn't screwed on!"
Now that I'm 38, my memory has worsened. I could watch Jeopardy and the answer would pop into my mind. Now, I only have a feeling (if that) that I know the right word but I cannot get it.
I have a brother with the exact same problem but he does not have mental health issues. He has done okay. He writes everything down and he married a woman who can organize very well. He appreciates this (rather than resents it as some men would.) His career, farming, did not require as much my failed goals did: filmmaking, academic/liberal arts studies. free lance journalism. What I am trying to say... the cognitive problems (if they are the same as my brother's) are not related to my mental health problems.
So, if anyone has experience with a neuropsychologist, please tell me if the information and testing was helpful.
River.
Posted by Phillipa on April 8, 2006, at 17:11:17
In reply to Anyone ever seen a neuropsychologist?, posted by River1924 on April 8, 2006, at 14:00:32
I always thought a neuropsychiatrist delt with people that had problem with their psysical brain. Not sure though. Love Phillipa
Posted by gardenergirl on April 8, 2006, at 23:15:10
In reply to Anyone ever seen a neuropsychologist?, posted by River1924 on April 8, 2006, at 14:00:32
I have done neuropsychological testing as part of my training, but I've never seen one as a client. You may already know this, but a neuropsychologist is a psychologist (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) who has specialized training in assessing functions of the brain in a more in-depth approach as compared to psychological testing in general.
I think they are very useful in answering questions about an individual's areas of weakness and strength in brain function when there is some question about what's going on.
That said, processing speed and memory do decline with age. You and I are similar in age, and I can tell you from personal experience and from my studies that there is a certain amount of normal decline in one's ability to quickly recall things. Having to write things down in order to remember them is not necessarily a sign of dysfunction. It's a rather adaptive thing to do, actually.
And if you are falling within normal limits on screening tests, it may not be necessary to see a neuropsychologist. In reading about what your mother said about your memory as a child, I do wonder if it's possible you might have some mild struggles with attention. Given your career interests, you might be someone who tends to be more creative and more likely to daydream or get caught up in your own thoughts, perhaps because they are quite interesting and creative. (I'm not sure this is coming out right, sorry). Most folks who might have mild attention problems for whatever reason can usually function just fine, but if they get more stress going on at any time, may find they are now struggling. The usual way of dealing with it, which they might not even be aware of, can fail under stress.
If you don't initially attend to something, it doesn't get into short-term memory and thus can't be encoded into long-term memory. I know that's a problem in my case. I've always been a bit dreamy and spacey, and sometimes my husband will say something which I seem to respond to, but then it's gone right out of my head and I have to ask him to say it again.
Just some thoughts off the top of my head...Feel free to take what might be helpful and disregard the rest. :)
gg
Posted by River1924 on April 9, 2006, at 0:41:40
In reply to Re: Anyone ever seen a neuropsychologist? » River1924, posted by gardenergirl on April 8, 2006, at 23:15:10
Posted by gardenergirl on April 9, 2006, at 12:31:57
In reply to Thank-you (nm) » gardenergirl, posted by River1924 on April 9, 2006, at 0:41:40
Posted by LegWarmers on April 9, 2006, at 17:14:38
In reply to Re: Anyone ever seen a neuropsychologist? » River1924, posted by gardenergirl on April 8, 2006, at 23:15:10
at what age is this *noticable* normal decline considered normal?
Posted by LegWarmers on April 9, 2006, at 17:17:28
In reply to At what age? » gardenergirl, posted by LegWarmers on April 9, 2006, at 17:14:38
Posted by gardenergirl on April 9, 2006, at 21:08:37
In reply to At what age? » gardenergirl, posted by LegWarmers on April 9, 2006, at 17:14:38
> at what age is this *noticable* normal decline considered normal?
I'm not sure about noticeable, but the neuropsych. I worked with said that the literature showed it was "all downhill after 26." By this he meant that cognition was at its peak then and then gradually declined over time.
I found that a bit depressing, given my age at the time.
It's a very very slow process, though and probably not all that noticeable most of the time.
gg
>
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