This is so hard.

[Cecethat]

My memory loss is nuts. So many things create it. APS, Fibromyalgia, nerve damage, & even trauma. I feel almost defeated. How do you all encourage yourselves during these times?

[petmice]

Your comment about encouragement has me wondering how I approach my various challenges (multiple health conditions, with a new diagnosis last week). Might be time for me to think about it as I live with other people who have to put up with me.

I have a lot of little habits that pick up the slack in my memory and help make things a little less frustrating - like always putting my keys in certain places automatically and making lists for everything (including what I'm doing when I go down to the basement).

I do get discouraged because it often seems like one condition settles down only for another to act up, but I try to be thankful for whatever part of me is working and make light of whatever part of me is NOT working - being able to laugh at something gives you power over it. This has been a harder since I had covid at Christmas and noticed a pronounced mental impairment that has not gone away. But I haven't lost my mind completely, so I focus on self-care and those little memory habits and carry on. Summer has finally arrived by us, so I use it as an antidepressant and wait to see what lies ahead for my health.

[Cecethat in reply to petmice]

Yes absolutely. We will almost always have some form of a flareup from the different issues. It makes me feel alone at times. So, I started watching motivational videos. Eddie Pinero is a great one on YouTube.