Is Depression Affecting Your Memory? The Connection Between Depression and Memory Loss
Key takeaways:
Depression can cause many physical and mental symptoms beyond changes in mood. These include changes in memory.
People with depression often experience a range of symptoms related to memory. These can include short-term and long-term memory loss.
Treatment for depression — from medications to lifestyle changes — can also help with memory loss related to depression.
When most people think of depression, they think of emotional symptoms like sadness. But if you are living with depression, you probably know that it can cause a lot more symptoms beyond mood, like fatigue, body pain, and changes in appetite.
It is also common for people with depression to experience brain fog and forgetfulness. And for some, these symptoms can be just as serious as the psychological changes. They can have a big impact on your interaction with others, work, and day-to-day tasks. But the first step in getting help is recognizing how depression could be affecting you beyond just your mood
How does depression affect the brain?
Depression is in part caused by imbalances in certain neurotransmitters, like serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. When these chemicals are out of balance in the brain, they can affect your mood and thinking. But current studies also show that depression can lead to physical changes in the anatomy of the brain and changes in the function of brain cells.
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These changes in the brain lead to some of the well-known emotional symptoms such as:
Feeling depressed, sad, or “down”
Feeling hopeless
Less interest or enjoyment in activities that were once enjoyable
Bad thoughts about oneself, or feeling like a failure
Feeling guilty
Suicidal thoughts
But depression symptoms are even more complex than this. The effect of these changes in the brain can lead to additional physical symptoms. And there is also evidence that they can affect the function of other organs, like the gut. This means that depression can lead to symptoms like:
Sleeping too much or too little
Eating too much or too little
Trouble concentrating
Moving more slowly than usual
Restlessness
Low energy or feeling tired
Among the many symptoms associated with depression, it can also cause memory loss and the way your brain processes and remembers information.
How does depression affect your memory?
Multiple studies show that it is common for depression to be associated with memory changes. For some people, this may feel like brain fog. This can lead to changes in:
Short-term memory: This often feels like forgetfulness. They may walk into a room and not remember why they went in there.
Concentration: Someone may be having a conversation and forget something that was said just a few minutes ago.
Speech: It can feel hard to remember certain words. It can seem like someone is having a hard time communicating their thoughts as well as they used to.
Attention or orientation: Someone might seem spacey or scatterbrained, like their mind is somewhere else.
But depression can also cause memory loss that seems to go beyond attention in the present moment. Depression is also associated with difficulty remembering prior life experiences. This can look like difficulty remembering the details of past events — or forgetting the event entirely.
It can often be harder to remember experiences, especially when they are positive or happy. But depression can affect memory surrounding negative events too. Someone may remember them with increased or distorted detail.
Sometimes, someone’s changes in their memory is due to just the depression itself. But depression can also cause other conditions and diseases, which can also impact one’s memory.
What are the other effects of depression?
People with depression are at increased risk of other diseases. And many of these diseases also affect brain function. These include:
Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other inflammatory diseases
Some of these conditions will affect memory more than others. It is also hard to know if depression actually causes these conditions. But experts can see that they are more common in people with depression. So this makes it likely that depression at least plays a part in how some cases of these diseases develop.
Can you improve memory loss from depression?
Studies show that treating depression also improves many of the mental and physical symptoms of depression — beyond just mood. For example, one study showed improved breathing for people with depression and lung disease.
When it comes to memory, there is evidence that treatment with an antidepressant can help. So people who take medication for their depression also have long-term improvement in their memory.
But it doesn’t mean medication is the only thing that can help. Certain lifestyle habits can also help to improve memory — and mood — in general. Some of these include:
Exercising regularly
Sleeping well
Eating a healthy diet
Staying hydrated
Having regular social interactions
How to get help for depression
Depression is a serious condition that affects many aspects of people’s lives, from social relationships to their ability to work. Depression is even linked to increased mortality and shorter lifespan. If you know you have depression — or think you might have it — know that depression is highly treatable.
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned in this article, reach out to your healthcare provider or someone you trust, especially if your symptoms last for more than 2 weeks. And seek medical help sooner if the symptoms feel severe. There are many different treatment options that can help. These include:
Thoughts of suicide or loss of will to live is a medical emergency. Anyone dealing with these feelings should seek help immediately in an emergency room or with a health professional. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has a 24-hour emergency hotline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
The bottom line
Depression is a serious condition, with many symptoms beyond mood changes. It can impact your memory in multiple different ways. If you are experiencing memory loss and wondering if it could be depression — or something else — talk to your provider. Depression should not be tackled alone. Treatment can make a huge difference in your day-to-day life. So, if you or a loved one are dealing with depression, the time to seek help is now.
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For additional resources or to connect with mental health services in your area, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357. For immediate assistance, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988, or text HOME to 741-741 to reach the Crisis Text Line.
