Memory Loss

I have had severe to moderate major depression for many years, taken many medications and had ECT treatments. I have some really large gaps in my memory--sometimes several years are totally unremembered. Occassionally I will remember something specific if helped by someone else who was there, but sometimes even this is not enough and the memories are just NOT there (unrecoverable).

My question is: Has anyone else experienced memory loss like this with their depression?

I have been told by a number of therapists/psychiatrists that my memory loss is due to the depression and not ECT but sometimes I question that...

Honestly, I've heard that ECT does that, although serious illnesses will also do it.

I crashed in 2008 and my memory was severely affected. It has bounced back a little but it's not what it was, so I can verify the latter.

I have memory loss from my earlier years. Therapists told me I blocked painful events in my life. I have even had black out bipolar times where others told me what I did.

Frownupsidedown,
I know exactly what you mean. Unfortunately, I have had many ECT treatments and I have experienced the same type of memory loss. It is terrible. I have huge chuncks of time that I cannot remember including my time in law school, my kids birth and growing up, vacations and more. I also have a very bad to non existent short term memory. My pdoc also says the depression may have done this, but I truly doubt it. Had I known what ECT could do, I would never have undergone the treatment even though I would probably be dead now because what I have now is not really living. Feel free to pm me if you wish. I am so sorry you are going through this too.

I have never had ECT but it is starting to come up as an option. My memory is very bad indeed, but I have not lost chunks of years. It´s more like it´s very foggy and fragmented in general. My short-term memory is a disaster. I can´t remember doctor´s appointments or anything like that.

ECT definitely messed up my memory. I don't remember much from the first year my husband and I were dating. I forgot how to get to my old job and around the town I grew up in. But it came back eventually. But I fully believe that depression messes up memory too. Since I became depressed at 13 there are distinct periods where I can"t remember what happened. Like most of my freshman year in high school and all of 2006. I remember specific events but have no timeliness to put hem on unless I take out a calendar. In fact this happened to me recently. I just realized a couple of weeks ago that I don't know what happened in January and February. I have no idea what I taught in my classes or anything. I know because I can look at my plans but I only vaguely remember actually doing it. So I know what you mean. It's scary when it happens

never had ECT but my pdoc has commented my memory was bad because i can't even remember anything i did like 1 week ago!

Can't say my memory loss is that severe, but I do have problems remembering people and what I've done and holding things in working memory and so on. It's pretty irritating and embarrassing. I can almost never remember exactly what someone has said to me if it's longer than a few words.

Could be the depression for me; haven't had ECT.

I had ect, and I have bad memory loss. Major portions of my life that I don't remember at all, short term memory sucks. Could be the depression I suppose, but I think it was the ect