Is absent-mindedness different from early onset Alzheimer's?

That happens to me all the time and I worry about Alzheimer’s. I have asked my friends and they all say it happens to them. I’m hoping it is just the fact that we all have so many things on our mind at any given time, that we just forget the here and now of what we are doing.

I use the excuse of chemo-brain I plan to ride that horse til I die! but a friend of mine who studies the neuro-psychological aspects of aging tells me that it’s quite normal for persons over 50 to have short term memory lapses. Partly because of a priority sorting imperative, and partly because our brains are full. Her words, not mine.
And, BTW, I am comforted to know that you shower.

I’ve been operating under the impression that what you described is standard age related memory loss and it’s less about where did I put my keys or why did I come upstairs and more of what the hell are these jangley things and where am I? If you start using your spoon backwards or putting your shoes on the wrong feet (or to use your example, say, drink your shampoo) it’s probably time to worry and get in for some Alzheimer’s/neuro-specific tests.

@janbb Don’t sweat it. My memory is a sieve lately. If I don’t write it down forget it, it’s gone.

I’ve read that it isn’t misplacing your keys or forgetting names, it’s finding your keys in the freezer or not remembering your daughter’s name. There is no absolute diagnosis until they do an autopsy after you die. They are working on earlier testing and towards treatment, but haven’t been very successful as yet.

@Sunny2 Thanks for the ray of sunshine.:)

I have the same dilemma often, @janbb, and it’s not helped by the fact that I can easily conjure the image of having used conditioner about 75,846 times before… how can I tell if the memory is from 2 years ago, or 2 minutes ago? :P

The two are very different. Here is an article that discusses the differences.

All that happened in the shower was your mind wandered!

A brain fart like you described can be an indication of Alzheimers, but it can also be nothing.
Don’t worry about it.

I’m sorry, what was the question?

I’ve heard as we get older, our brains go on autopilot more often. Sometimes we “wake up” and we don’t remember specific details.

My grandmother has dementia and here is the difference between normal spaciness and dementia that may or may not be related to Alzheimer. Even in the earliest stages, my grandmother wouldn’t take time to ponder whether or not she remembered something. If she were you, she’d likely come out of the shower with wet but unwashed hair and not notice until later in the day. In the early stages, she would definitely notice that she didn’t properly wash her hair, but it would never occur to her until she saw the effects in the mirror. At her current stage, she can’t wash her hair on her own at all. But there was a point that she just didn’t notice that her hair was unwashed and at some point she got afraid to get her head wet.

tldr, I think that pondering if you forgot something is different than just being completely oblivious. I’ve been spacy all my life due to ADHD so I’m used to feeling like you did in the shower. That’s almost a daily occurence for me and I don’t have any sort of dementia.

Oh damn, I do that same thing all the time (age 19). I would bet it has nothing to do with Alzheimer’s. Some people’s minds just don’t always live in the present.

I hope so!

My mother has been absent-minded since she was a kid but now that she’s gone into her 60’s, she’s all paranoid she’s getting Alzheimer’s every time she forgets something or does something in a rushed state of mind.

Luckily, there is a test that is supposed to identify some gene that supposedly points to a high chance of developing Alzheimer’s. I wish I could get my mom past her fear to get that damned test.

@Mariah : Stress is a huge factor in short term memory retention. You’ve been stressed, you’re getting better, so should your memory.

The way I’ve heard it: Can’t find your house key: normal. Can’t find your house: abnormal.

Just wanted to pop in and say that there are all sorts of causes of dementia that are not Alzheimer’s. If you notice any signs of dementia in you or a loved one, get it checked ASAP. Many people don’t go because they are in denial and hope it will go away. Other people assume that nothing can be done so don’t bother.

My grandmother most likely has-vascular dementia. We don’t know for sure because she refuses to get tested even though she’s obviously got a moderate-severe case of it now. Had she gotten treatment as soon as things started to go bad, she’d be in much better shape than she is now. Vascular dementia can be halted and somewhat reversed if caught soon enough. So can other types of dementia.

@keobooks Good points. I am aware of that as my Dad had vascular dementia too.

I get them several times a day as my deficient attention is drawn away from the task at hand.

Yes, this sort of absent mindedness is different from Alzheimers. It is caused by a lack of attention as showering is automatic and requires little thought. I have experienced it when carrying out various routine tasks, even driving, which can be disconcerting.

Like @JilltheTooth said, stress can be another cause of short term memory loss. And, if you grew up without fully developing your memory (like perhaps if you grew up in an abusive household, where you were constantly stressed, so that part of the brain just never developed fully), there can be limits to how much short term memory you’ll have no matter how unstressed you are in adulthood. There are really many different possibilities for why someone would be having this issue, and Alzheimer’s is just one of those possibilities. Also, if you’re worried and aren’t taking fish oil, take fish oil and it might help a bit. Also another cause of absent-mindedness: the mild dissociation that goes with “being in autopilot” or “having your head in the clouds”.

My forgetfulness seems to be a function of how stressed out I am. I forget a lot when I’m stressed.