Memory Improvement

By Team TherapyRoute

Most of us worry about our memory at some point. You forget a name, miss an appointment, or lose your thread. Is this ordinary forgetfulness, or a change worth checking?

---

Everyday forgetfulness, and when it matters

Minor memory changes can accompany normal ageing.¹ On their own, they are usually not a disorder.

Normal ageing is excluded once memory loss significantly harms social or working life.¹ Memory that worsens steadily over time can be an early sign of dementia.²

Dementia affects two or more thinking abilities, not memory alone.² A milder decline may show little effect on everyday tasks.

How memory works, briefly

Memory is not one single thing, and clinicians separate several kinds. Naming what is slipping helps you describe it.

Declarative memory holds factual knowledge and personal life events. Some memory, such as well-practised skills, can stay intact even when facts fade.³

What can affect your memory

Mood, anxiety and attention. Thinking and memory difficulties often travel with anxiety and depression. They can worsen when a long-term illness affecting the nervous system is also present.⁴

Low mood often brings rumination, a repetitive and self-critical style of thinking.⁵ That inward focus leaves less attention for the moment.

In ADHD, working memory is affected, the short-term hold used to plan and organise.⁶

In dissociative amnesia, important personal memories are lost after a stressful or traumatic event.² This is different from ordinary forgetting.

If low mood ever brings thoughts of harming yourself, please reach out now.

Physical health. Some memory problems have a medical cause that responds to treatment. Thyroid problems, vitamin B1 or B12 deficiency, anaemia and some infections can all affect memory.²

Injury and illness. Head injury, stroke, tumours and brain infections can also damage memory.⁷ When the underlying cause is treated, memory can hold steady or improve.¹

What actually helps

Much online advice is thin, and some does not hold up.

Movement has the best evidence. In one study, moderate walking improved memory, and in women also attention.⁷

Popular supplements have a weak record. Ginkgo biloba did not prevent dementia in trials.⁷ B vitamins showed no memory benefit over a year.

Attention training may help. Mindfulness works partly by training attention, which underlies memory. Early studies suggest it can help adults with ADHD.⁶

For study and learning methods, see our guide on learning strategies below.

When to seek an assessment

See a professional when memory changes worry you or affect daily life. This is more useful than testing yourself at home.

Clinicians use short screens like the Mini-Mental State Examination, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment or SLUMS.⁸ A screen is a first step, not a full assessment.

Scores are read against age and education, not one fixed cut-off.⁸ Language and cultural background affect these scores, so tests must be suitably normed.²

Deeper testing uses tools like the Wechsler Memory Scale.⁸ Your doctor can refer you when it is needed.

Finding the right help

If you want to talk this through, read our guide on how to find the right therapist.

Bring examples of what you have noticed, and note when it started and whether it is changing.

Related Terms

• Cognitive Health - the wider picture that includes memory
• Learning Strategies - study and learning techniques
• Brain Health - overall brain wellness that supports memory

References

1. [1] Kaplan & Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry, 11th ed (2014) — 21 (pt 4).
2. [2] WHO - Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Requirements for ICD-11 (CDDR, 2024) — 6D72 Amnestic disorder.
3. [3] Kaplan & Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry, 11th ed (2014) — 2 (pt 5).
4. [4] Eisendrath, S. J. (Ed.). (2016). Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy: Innovative Applications. Springer. — For Co-morbid Depression and Chronic Disease.
5. [5] Crane, R. (2009). Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy: Distinctive Features. Routledge. — 2 Underpinned by the cognitive theory of vulnerability to depression.
6. [6] Eisendrath, S. J. (Ed.). (2016). Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy: Innovative Applications. Springer. — Indirect Evidence: Theorizations in Directions for Mechanisms.
7. [7] Carmen Andreescu, M.D., and Daniel Varon, M.D. Amnestic Disorders and Mild Cognitive Impairment. In Kaplan & Sadock's Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry, 10th ed (2017, vols 1+2).
8. [8] Rex M. Swanda, Ph.D., and Kathleen Y. Haaland, Ph.D. Clinical Neuropsychology and Intellectual Assessment of Adults. In Kaplan & Sadock's Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry, 10th ed (2017, vols 1+2).

---

This page is for general education, not medical or psychological advice. If your memory is affecting daily life, please speak with a qualified health professional.