HOW CAN I CORRECT MY SHORT TERM MEMORY LOSS? HELP!!!I smoked…

Question

HOW CAN I CORRECT MY SHORT TERM MEMORY LOSS ? HELP!!!

I smoked marijuana for about six months last year to help me go through a very
difficult time BUT I have stopped smoking for about 7 months now ;since october
of 2008.

I still masturbate almost 3 times a week and this has been going on for a very
long time.

How have my previous exposure to majuana and my current addiction to
masturbation affected my short term memory and what can i do to correct this.

Im trying to go back to school and do things right. I need some help thanks ....
Collins

Dr. Kaushik · Accepted Answer

Hi there,

Welcome to Just answer !

I can see that you are eager to know the reason for your short term memory loss
and how can you go back to your normal previous self.

First of all let me tell you that Masturbation is a very normal act , and is not
at all associated with memory loss of any kind. So, relax and do not feel guilty
about doing it , masturbation does not even remotely cause any memory loss.

However , since you have been addicted to Marijuana in the past and had been a
chronic marijuana smoker , so it is possible that marijuana might have caused
some neurological damage , as a result of which you have developed short term
memory loss.Marijuana is known to cause neurological deficit / damage , anxiety
[/topics-anxiety/] , psychoses, depression , besides causing lung cancer , so in
the interest of one's psychological and physical health it is advised to not
consume marijuana in any form .

So, i suggest you get a CT SCAN BRAIN done , as it will reveal any neurological
damage , which might have been caused due to prolonged marijuana abuse .

So, apart from getting a CT scan bain done, you may ask your doctor to start you
on psychostimulants , that are Central nervous system stimulants , which are
used commonly to improve memory , increased attention, concentration and
alertness. Some good psychostimulants are -- Adderall XR , or ,Ritalin , or
Modafinil (provigil). You may get started on any one of the mentioned stimulants
, let your doctor decide which stimulant to choose for you out of the three ,
and also decide on the dose.

As far as fluoxetine is concerned , you may continue it for depression.

I wish you rapid recovery to the best of health.

I hope my answer serves your query according to your satisfaction.

Please press the ACCEPT button if you are satisfied with the answer as only then
will i be credited for my service.

Regards...

Dr. Kaushik · Answer

Thanks for the nformation.

Well, from your symptoms , two possible causes of your present state can be made
out,

1) Prolonged abuse of Marijuana leading to some Neurological deficit , that is
effecting your Cognition (thought process) , which includes impairmrnt of memory
, judgement , decreased attention and focus , inability to concentrate , speech
that includes reading , writing and speaking being effected. In other, words due
to marijuana abuse you have developed some organic brain pathology such as some
neurological deficits / brain insults due to substance (marijuana) use.

So, to rule out this probable Diagnosis , you have to undergo CTscan brain ,
which will reveal the presence of brain pathology / deficit , which was inturn
caused due to marijuana , and depending upon the CT SCAN report , the treatment
needs to be started by consulting a neurologist and the treatment will entail
CNS stimulants as mentioned above such as Adderall (amphetamines , amphetamine
salts) , Ritalin , concerta ( methylphenidate ) , focalin ( dexmethylphenidate)
, Provigil/ modafinil , etc.

2) Now the second probable cause of your present condition is psychological ,
and that is Depression with Generlized anxiety , you see, in both depression and
excessive anxiety , scholastic performance as well as your confidence to do a
task gets a beating so much so that you are not able to perform in any of your
previously well performed tasks as efficiently as before , and you further loose
your confidence in yourself , and your symptoms start getting worse ,in which
your depression and anxiety start effecting your memory , attention span , focus
and concentration as well.

For this , you need to consult a psychiatrist and get evaluated for the same.

So, i suggest you first get a CT scan brain done , if it reveals a suspected
organic brain pathology then it means that your present condition has stemmed
from brain damage caused due to marijuana abuse , and so you should consult a
Neurologist , get evaluated and get started on his treatment which will comprise
of cognitive enhancers/ stimulants .

But, if the Ct scan report comes out to be normal , then it means that
neurological deficit is ruled out , and your problem is psychological , and this
will require an evaluation by a psychiatrist ,and he will start you on anti
depressants , and anti anxiety , and mood stablizers for treating depression and
anxiety .

So, the very first step is to get a CT scan brain done and from there on you
shall go ahead with one of the 2 probable diagnositic possiblities.

I wish you best of health. Take care . You may let me know of your reports .

I hope my answer serves your query acording to your satisfaction.

Regards...

HOW CAN I CORRECT MY SHORT TERM MEMORY LOSS? HELP!!!I smoked…

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