Am I just being a hypochondriac?

[Curly K]

I'm 38 years old and for the past few years have had quite a bad short term memory... I forget simple words in the middle of a sentance (having a converstaion with me is like playing a game of charades), when asked to remember something (either to get from the shops or bring to work etc...) I know if I don't write it down I'll forget. I even leave items by the door to remind me to take places and end up walking straight past them.

This has always been a source of amusement for myself aswell as friends and family and not something I've really worried too much about until yesterday.

I've just found out my Uncle has been diagnosed with vascular dementia and early onset alzheimers and am now concerned this could be a genetic.

I've read a few details online, but I don't like doing this too much as it can be 'quite dangerous' to read too much information then self-diagnose.

I have thought about making an appointment to talk to my GP, but this fills me with dread - I hate going to my GP. It's not something I do often (probably once in 10 years), my last visit left me feeling stupid and a bit of a 'time-waster' - I didn't feel he took my concerns too seriously at that time and don't want to feel like that again unnecessarily.

Am I reading too much into this? Am I just not thinking straight, following the shock and upset of my Uncle's diagnosis? Rather than seeing my GP, is there anyone else /better I can talk to about my concerns?

I look forward to hearing what any of you have to say or suggest.

Thank you

[Christin]

Hello CurlyK, welcome to Talking Point.

Can I just say that if you are concerned about your health, in my opinion, you really should go to see your GP. There are many factsheets here that can offer advice, and this is a link to one called 'Should I Be Worried About Memory Problems?'

As the factsheet says there are many causes of memory problems, stress for instance can be a huge cause. Often, once the cause is known, help can be given.

With very best wishes to you. Please do let us know how you get on. x