Transient gaps in memory in adolescents?
October 27, 2020 8:51 PM Subscribe
Have you experienced a situation where you are doing something, and then you suddenly realize that you are in the middle of doing something else, with no memory of how you got there? Has this happened more than once? What is it called?
I learned that for as long as they can remember, a adolescent family member has been experiencing what they call "lost time", where they will be doing something and then suddenly realize they're doing something else, with no memory between. For example, they'll be reading a book and will be three chapters later, or they'll be in one class and then suddenly be in another class (!) or in the middle of a conversation (!!), and not know how they got there. Apparently they didn't realize until today that this wasn't a thing that everyone experiences.
Have you experienced this? Do you know what it might be called? What I might search on? (A quick google yields "transient global amnesia" and "confusional migraine"....)
Additional data is that this family member is dealing with anxiety issues, which we are in the early stages of trying to sort out.
I learned that for as long as they can remember, a adolescent family member has been experiencing what they call "lost time", where they will be doing something and then suddenly realize they're doing something else, with no memory between. For example, they'll be reading a book and will be three chapters later, or they'll be in one class and then suddenly be in another class (!) or in the middle of a conversation (!!), and not know how they got there. Apparently they didn't realize until today that this wasn't a thing that everyone experiences.
Have you experienced this? Do you know what it might be called? What I might search on? (A quick google yields "transient global amnesia" and "confusional migraine"....)
Additional data is that this family member is dealing with anxiety issues, which we are in the early stages of trying to sort out.
You might be interested to read up on so-called highway hypnosis.
It's named for the very common phenomenon of "losing time" while driving, but the term is also used more generally. Wikipedia has some good references and further reading.
posted by SaltySalticid at 9:27 PM on October 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
It's named for the very common phenomenon of "losing time" while driving, but the term is also used more generally. Wikipedia has some good references and further reading.
posted by SaltySalticid at 9:27 PM on October 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
This sounds like it could be seizures to me. A thorough neurological workup is in order.
posted by diva_esq at 9:35 PM on October 27, 2020 [15 favorites]
posted by diva_esq at 9:35 PM on October 27, 2020 [15 favorites]
This happened to me constantly at the age of fourteen. I can now identify them as dissociative blackouts.
I'd be concerned for any adolescent experiencing this, but it's honestly even more worrying to me that this has been going on "for as long as [relative] can remember." With the caveat that I know next to nothing about neurology, this would make me concerned about a physical phenomenon like seizures. On the other hand, it's possible this person is struggling to remember much at all right now, so they may not be recalling their early life with much accuracy. It's also possible they've been suffering from the effects of trauma and/or poor mental health since very early childhood.
But if it is anxiety, etc, that's the culprit, here's a summary of how it felt for me:
At the time, my anxiety and mood disorder were starting to manifest in a major way. I was also in a life situation that was making me miserable. However, I had no ability to connect the dots of "I happen to be intensely suicidal" and "I loathe every second I'm at this school," to their collective effect--which was (for instance), "Okay I'm apparently on a city bus and I don't remember anything since second period." I just thought I was "going crazy," to the extent I thought about it at all. Like, the troubling part is that I didn't care it was happening, and practically didn't even register that anything abnormal WAS occurring. Sure, occasionally I'd be distressed because I'd failed a test I didn't remember being assigned, on a subject I'd never heard of, that I couldn't remember taking. (Bonus creepy points: the handwriting often barely resembled my own, and the answers sounded like they'd been written by someone else entirely.) Or because I didn't know where I was, or felt like something important had just happened and I had missed it. But most of the time, I didn't care or really notice I'd blacked out. I was basically just not present in my life.
The blackouts stopped after I transferred schools. My hatred of school was the single most stressful/upsetting thing in my life, so alleviating that was enough to at least end the dissociation.
Best of luck sorting this out. I would try to get clarity from your relative about what they're experiencing. For instance: "as far back as I remember." Does that mean, "since I was three," or does that mean, "since last January," or what? Or are they having brain fog that's making it difficult to think or remember or respond in general? Also, have they had odd physical symptoms in addition to the mental ones?
posted by desert outpost at 9:54 PM on October 27, 2020 [5 favorites]
I'd be concerned for any adolescent experiencing this, but it's honestly even more worrying to me that this has been going on "for as long as [relative] can remember." With the caveat that I know next to nothing about neurology, this would make me concerned about a physical phenomenon like seizures. On the other hand, it's possible this person is struggling to remember much at all right now, so they may not be recalling their early life with much accuracy. It's also possible they've been suffering from the effects of trauma and/or poor mental health since very early childhood.
But if it is anxiety, etc, that's the culprit, here's a summary of how it felt for me:
At the time, my anxiety and mood disorder were starting to manifest in a major way. I was also in a life situation that was making me miserable. However, I had no ability to connect the dots of "I happen to be intensely suicidal" and "I loathe every second I'm at this school," to their collective effect--which was (for instance), "Okay I'm apparently on a city bus and I don't remember anything since second period." I just thought I was "going crazy," to the extent I thought about it at all. Like, the troubling part is that I didn't care it was happening, and practically didn't even register that anything abnormal WAS occurring. Sure, occasionally I'd be distressed because I'd failed a test I didn't remember being assigned, on a subject I'd never heard of, that I couldn't remember taking. (Bonus creepy points: the handwriting often barely resembled my own, and the answers sounded like they'd been written by someone else entirely.) Or because I didn't know where I was, or felt like something important had just happened and I had missed it. But most of the time, I didn't care or really notice I'd blacked out. I was basically just not present in my life.
The blackouts stopped after I transferred schools. My hatred of school was the single most stressful/upsetting thing in my life, so alleviating that was enough to at least end the dissociation.
Best of luck sorting this out. I would try to get clarity from your relative about what they're experiencing. For instance: "as far back as I remember." Does that mean, "since I was three," or does that mean, "since last January," or what? Or are they having brain fog that's making it difficult to think or remember or respond in general? Also, have they had odd physical symptoms in addition to the mental ones?
posted by desert outpost at 9:54 PM on October 27, 2020 [5 favorites]
The middle of a conversation seems a bit unusual, but to some degree everyone experiences this.
they'll be reading a book and will be three chapters later
I think most avid readers have experienced getting lost in a good book and finding quite a bit of time has passed -- but they would remember what happened in the book.
they'll be in one class and then suddenly be in another class (!)
I used to have a job delivering pizzas. Driving back and forth to the store for the entire shift, over and over and over. I drove to work by mistake at least once on once of my days off, and this was not at all uncommon for people who worked there. Sometimes they would even stop in and say hello (generally they realized the mistake in the parking lot, and were just coming in to be friendly). So, depending on how boringly consistent the task of going to/being in a class is, this could be worrisome or might not be. Does this ever happen with their favorite class, or is it just subjects they don't like or find boring?
However, it could definitely be a sign of something wrong. Might be good to talk to a doctor about just to make sure. Keeping a journal of these instances until the doctor appointment would be a good plan.
What is it called? Some of the things you looked up and found have more to do with what causes this in any given individual, and that's not something you know. I don't have a good handle on what exactly disassociation is, I think a lot of people would use that word but I would not use it if going to a doctor, because so often these things have a very specific medical meaning that is different than the common meaning. Just describe what's happening.
posted by yohko at 10:13 PM on October 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
they'll be reading a book and will be three chapters later
I think most avid readers have experienced getting lost in a good book and finding quite a bit of time has passed -- but they would remember what happened in the book.
they'll be in one class and then suddenly be in another class (!)
I used to have a job delivering pizzas. Driving back and forth to the store for the entire shift, over and over and over. I drove to work by mistake at least once on once of my days off, and this was not at all uncommon for people who worked there. Sometimes they would even stop in and say hello (generally they realized the mistake in the parking lot, and were just coming in to be friendly). So, depending on how boringly consistent the task of going to/being in a class is, this could be worrisome or might not be. Does this ever happen with their favorite class, or is it just subjects they don't like or find boring?
However, it could definitely be a sign of something wrong. Might be good to talk to a doctor about just to make sure. Keeping a journal of these instances until the doctor appointment would be a good plan.
What is it called? Some of the things you looked up and found have more to do with what causes this in any given individual, and that's not something you know. I don't have a good handle on what exactly disassociation is, I think a lot of people would use that word but I would not use it if going to a doctor, because so often these things have a very specific medical meaning that is different than the common meaning. Just describe what's happening.
posted by yohko at 10:13 PM on October 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
Yes, this could definitely be associated with any of several neurological (including seizure) or psychiatric issues. If I were you I would strongly encourage this family member to see both a neurologist and a psychiatrist, to rule out anything serious. If it is related to a seizure disorder, they will likely be able to be diagnosed by wearing an EEG headcap for a little while, which is a simple and straightforward process, and the memory lapses might be able to be reduced or eliminated entirely with medication.
posted by biogeo at 10:49 PM on October 27, 2020 [6 favorites]
posted by biogeo at 10:49 PM on October 27, 2020 [6 favorites]
This has happened to me my whole life, and to many other people I've known. It is related to either routine/repetetive things like driving, school classes and church, or being in a state of flow/immersion like reading or playing piano or hiking. It can be momentarily disconcerting but in general it is restorative; it's less available to me during stressful times and I can't will it to happen. I have done creative work my whole life, and I don't think it would've been possible without that ability/gift/flaw/whatever it is. I feel sorry for those who don't have it.
posted by headnsouth at 11:18 PM on October 27, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by headnsouth at 11:18 PM on October 27, 2020 [3 favorites]
Like headnsouth. I think of it as suddenly becoming aware that I've been running on autopilot. Happens more often if I'm very relaxed.
It's kind of weird when it happens while reading a book or watching a movie, because if I flip it back to the last point I can actually remember being at before unexpectedly winding up where I am now, and then start re-reading, I'll almost always be able to predict exactly what will happen, who will say what to whom and so forth. So it's not just a total blank-out: memories clearly were being laid down the whole time, it's just that I was paying so little attention to myself that I am missing from all of them.
In fact this is one of the clues that led me to my current understanding of how my own ego works: it doesn't have object persistence like a ball or a chair, despite the fact that every time I go looking for it in the place where I think it will be, there it is. Rather, there's a really convincing illusion of ego/inner-self continuity brought on by the fact that the very act of checking for it is what it actually is.
posted by flabdablet at 12:45 AM on October 28, 2020 [4 favorites]
It's kind of weird when it happens while reading a book or watching a movie, because if I flip it back to the last point I can actually remember being at before unexpectedly winding up where I am now, and then start re-reading, I'll almost always be able to predict exactly what will happen, who will say what to whom and so forth. So it's not just a total blank-out: memories clearly were being laid down the whole time, it's just that I was paying so little attention to myself that I am missing from all of them.
In fact this is one of the clues that led me to my current understanding of how my own ego works: it doesn't have object persistence like a ball or a chair, despite the fact that every time I go looking for it in the place where I think it will be, there it is. Rather, there's a really convincing illusion of ego/inner-self continuity brought on by the fact that the very act of checking for it is what it actually is.
posted by flabdablet at 12:45 AM on October 28, 2020 [4 favorites]
to some degree everyone experiences this.
Not true - I definitely don’t. I mean, I might be reading a book, get lost on another train of thought, and realise that I’ve not been reading for five minutes because I was thinking about something else. But I know what I’ve been thinking about, I know it distracted me from my book, and I have a sense of how long I was distracted for - there’s no lost time.
I’d definitely investigate with a doctor.
posted by penguin pie at 3:05 AM on October 28, 2020 [16 favorites]
Not true - I definitely don’t. I mean, I might be reading a book, get lost on another train of thought, and realise that I’ve not been reading for five minutes because I was thinking about something else. But I know what I’ve been thinking about, I know it distracted me from my book, and I have a sense of how long I was distracted for - there’s no lost time.
I’d definitely investigate with a doctor.
posted by penguin pie at 3:05 AM on October 28, 2020 [16 favorites]
This teen needs to see a neurologist.
posted by basalganglia at 3:08 AM on October 28, 2020 [7 favorites]
posted by basalganglia at 3:08 AM on October 28, 2020 [7 favorites]
The only person I know in person who has experienced what you describe has a seizure disorder. Neurologist please, this is serious.
To add another data point, I have never experienced anything like this, it's not a universal thing that happens to everyone.
To add yet another data point, I started becoming symptomatic for a neurologic condition I was born with as an adolescent. It was years before my parents took me to a doctor for it, brushing it off as "migraines". ("But why don't we take the 13 year old child to the doctor for migraines though" is a question I stopped bothering to ask years ago.) I suffered for years because my problem was brushed off as a "common experience many people have" instead of something unusual, serious, and manageable with medical intervention.
Whatever influence you have in this child's life please use it to get them to a neurologist as soon as you can.
posted by phunniemee at 4:35 AM on October 28, 2020 [7 favorites]
To add another data point, I have never experienced anything like this, it's not a universal thing that happens to everyone.
To add yet another data point, I started becoming symptomatic for a neurologic condition I was born with as an adolescent. It was years before my parents took me to a doctor for it, brushing it off as "migraines". ("But why don't we take the 13 year old child to the doctor for migraines though" is a question I stopped bothering to ask years ago.) I suffered for years because my problem was brushed off as a "common experience many people have" instead of something unusual, serious, and manageable with medical intervention.
Whatever influence you have in this child's life please use it to get them to a neurologist as soon as you can.
posted by phunniemee at 4:35 AM on October 28, 2020 [7 favorites]
No one has mentioned psychological fugue state caused by trauma. It would be worth looking into.
posted by serendipityrules at 6:17 AM on October 28, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by serendipityrules at 6:17 AM on October 28, 2020 [2 favorites]
Yup, I would have described my experience this way (and it was actually so much worse), and it was being multiple (a dissociative disorder.) it’s definitely worth pursuing both from a neurological perspective (seizures) and a mental health perspective.
posted by warriorqueen at 6:31 AM on October 28, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by warriorqueen at 6:31 AM on October 28, 2020 [4 favorites]
I am familiar with this being known as a "fugue state" (WP article links to many useful sources) and it's a different thing than getting caught up in the flow of a thing (which makes sense with reading or music, less sense when moving between classes in school). My sister has a seizure disorder and this was one of the symptoms. I have never experienced this more than just "Wow I am super sleepy or spacey and was spacing out while doing $THING and I have done more of $THING than I expected" but it's always explainable why it happened, not just "How did I get into the bathroom?" Would suggest maybe a neurologist work-up and/or some help with anxiety/mental health (which looks like it's getting addressed but maybe mention this aspect). Thanks for caring about this young person.
posted by jessamyn at 11:09 AM on October 28, 2020
posted by jessamyn at 11:09 AM on October 28, 2020
A neurology work-up is imperative. This could be seizures - there's a type called "absence seizures" that sound plausible. Whatever the cause it's important that the teen is evaluated by a qualified professional. Imagine if this happened while driving, or swimming, or another potentially life-threatening activity.
posted by citygirl at 3:35 PM on October 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by citygirl at 3:35 PM on October 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
Yeah, this really needs to be investigated. This doesn't sound like "flow" or zoning out on a long drive.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 3:58 PM on October 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Ursula Hitler at 3:58 PM on October 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by XMLicious at 9:03 PM on October 27, 2020 [1 favorite]