Forgetting Names

I am wondering if this is as common and as severe in others as in me?

I can't remember names of most of:

- the people I went to school with;

- my teachers;

- the people I have worked with in the past;

- old and some current neighbours;

- even some former close friends/girl friends.

There are some exceptions to the above, people that I can remember but many people I should know are lost forever.

I am wondering if this is an ADD thing or if I have a form of Alzheimer's Disease or other problem. I haven’t asked a doctor about this but thought I would ask here as I am examining everything in my life now.

As best as I can remember, I have been like this all my life.

Your comments will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Vic

There is no way I could say if you have add, or signs of alzheimers, etc. because I'm not licensed to diagnose. Also, I don't think it's ethical to do so over the internet...but I could be mistaken about this.

As for being forgetful, I can tell you that before I was diagnosed with adhd, I was also severely depressed. My brain felt like swiss cheese much of the time. The more I worked on the depression, the better my memory became. There are techniques one can learn to help with name recognition. Myself, I repeat the person's name several times in conversation with them. I'm also one for honesty. If I can't recall someone's name, I apologize and ask them to please repeat it for me.

Every year brings in several hundred new students--it's difficult to remember all of their names. I try to remember first and last, this way, if I cannot recall the first name, I can still respectfully acknowledge one of them in passing with "good morning Miss Smith." Once the year is over, however, and summer happens, many of them change so much in three months, that they look completely new to me in September. I have to start the process all over again.

I would encourage you to discuss your concerns with your doctor. He/She cannot effectively treat you without all the pieces of the puzzle. :) Keep at it, and please vent here as often as you would like to do so. Examining one's life takes time. It didn't all happen overnight, right?

I forget names. That is.. I fail to remember them in the first place. It has always been a frustrating problem for me. I eventually learm names, but I have to put some effort into it.

Me :D

Well, I can't get you a diagnosis either, but if it's Alzheimers I had early, early onset! I remember in high school people always calling my name and saying hi to me, and I would entusiastially greet them but rarely would I remember their name unless they were a close friend. Even ADHD meds haven't helped this much for me. I recently assessed a number of students and a week later, I had to look at pictures of them and have the teacher jog my memory as to who was who. Frequently, within 3 seconds of someone giving me their name I don't remember. My daughter called my parents by five different relative's names for about a week before she got the right titles connected to them and she's showing definate signs of ADHD -- so I'm guessing there is a connection.

You know, the truth of it is -- if you have ADHD (I don't know whether you've been assessed or not), it effects everything to some degree. It's kind of the filter through which you see the world.

I use to remember everyone and everything. I was well known for remembering full names, birthdays, phone numbers, life situations, etc. At some point in my life, may it be due to depression or the lack of caring, I've dumped a lot of information. I will always remember your face and I'll slightly recall where I might have known you from but unless someone else can fill in the blanks, I'm lost.

After meeting someone for the first time.
I will remember there face for the rest of my life.
But I wont remember what there name was.
I remember places in great detail but not the names of them.

I can relate to Speedo - I don't "record" new names. How can I remember them later? :D

I've contemplated handing out "hello my name is..." stickers to the public, but I decided it would be too costly. Ha ha.

It would be so simple if everyone had their name tatooed on heir forehead at birth so people like us conld remember who we were talking to. :eek:

Me :D

I don't remember names easily,but can remember other characterisitcs of a house i service. I recall Peoples names by asking how did you spell your name? lol I wonder why we remember weird things..not the normal stuff??

because these things capture our attention?

I don't ask people how they spell their names to get them to repeat their names:

I asked the wrong people too many times and was embarassed- K-I-M, J-O-E, M-A-R-I-A, etc...:eyebrow: (they actually spelled their names for me!)

I have found that using mental mechanisms suuch as repeating their name to myself, or associating their name with an object or event to be helpful, but I mostly have to meet the person several times to remember their name reliably.

Me :D

Thank you all for your comments.

I guess I wasn't clear with my question.

What I really want to know is:

Is this is a common ADD/ADHD problem and as severe in others as with me?

I am not looking for a diagnosis and would never expect one here.

I have tried multiple methods of remembering names and taken courses that guarantee a better memory. I unfortunately forget to use the techniques.

Yes -- it is a common ADHD problem. The severity varies with the person and circumstances. I would say from your description that mine is as severe as yours.

Names...hard time remembering.

Faces...never forget.

What I wore/did/said...what she/he wore/did/said...where we went....always remember.

How many of you can remember what your drivers ed teacher looked like, what he said to you ("You'll most likely wind up on assigned risk, Mr. Lancaster!") but for the life of you, can't remember his name??

Eric

LOL my driver's ed teacher taught us how to hotwire a car. I remember his name because his son was named for him, and I dated his son. Just don't ask me to know by heart people I knew from other places, without telling me the location first. We moved a lot when I was growing up, and then I went to two different colleges. I've moved as an adult three times in the last four years, too. I may realize I know someone, but I'm never sure where I know them from, ya know?

What's strange to me isn't so much that I forget names -- I've gotten used to that and cover up pretty well. What amazes me is that teachers always knew my name. I could be in one of those huge general requirement college classes of over a hundred and my teachers would still greet me by name in the grocery store. :eyebrow: Even with my memory there are certain type of students who after all these years whose names have stuck in my mind -- just never realized I was THAT kind of student!:rolleyes: LOL!

I have had trouble remembering names of people and places for....well, for as long as I can remembers...lol. I can place a face, can tell you if I've been in a certain place before, but line up a few people and ask me what their names are...and I'm lost. This is particluarly vexing in business, as its best to remember things like your bosses name, and your customers' names. :p

Heck, I've been with people who are showing me their town, where they grew up and interesting places that have significant meaning to them...ask me if I remember any names of those places? Sigh...my poor short term memory drives me crazy.

I know the feeling, I tell people upfront. "I'm sorry, I'll probably not remember your name but I'll remember your face. I'm apologizing in advance." Luckily I'm behind keypad locked doors and I have to rarely actually remember name. Faces, places I meet people, what we were doing the whole she-bang that's the easy stuff to remember, their name. I've got a better chance of solving Unified Field Theory than remembering their name.

As far as other remembering other things, my past is swiss cheese. I remember bits and pieces, more if I try really really hard. Been like that my whole life. I know it sucks bad.

I have been married for 18 years now. I ran into a women I dated 'seriously' for quite some time before I was married. I could not remember her name. :confused: I don't think ANGRY would be stong enough to record her reaction. :mad:

I can remember the name of every girl I ever dated. They are the only names I remember with any clarity! *Don't tell my wife!*

Eric

From the ADDers I've met, I think it's a very common problem for us.
I've suffered with the name forgetting thing forever! It's one area that I've developed coping mechs for... "hey, bud!" "Whassup, bro!" "mornin', cutie!" and the classic "dude". When you work it in right, it seems no one knows. But it's embarassing when everyone knows YOUR name. I will say that my adderall has really helped with this.

It's tough learning names... but once it's in there, I'll remember forever.

I have the same problem. The memory tricks work for me. But I have to do them consistently. Everyday- I read for an hour, listen to music, talk to friends or make new friends. Parletts memory book is the best.

Parletts book talks about forgetting names. Forgetting names is brains way of telling you that it is not being used enough. I work with allot of people and have known them for years- but damn if I cant remember half of them.

Check out this book, it gives you lessons and inspiration.

I have trouble remembering names and phone numbers. Words spelling is a problem, too.

I forget names too, and I have talked to doctors about this who seem unconcerned. They also seem unconcerned that I don't remember faces either, or major life events. I understand that memory problems and ADD go hand in hand, but in my case, I think there may be some other problem. ADD often goes hand in hand with other disorders, so maybe we have one of those! I am doing a thesis on adult ADD (I am a product designer, and need to design and make a product or service). Do you think the area of memory is an important thing to focus on within the ADD world? Imagine if I could fix your problem with names. Would that help?!

After meeting someone for the first time.
I will remember there face for the rest of my life.
But I wont remember what there name was.
I remember places in great detail but not the names of them.
exactly...it isn't that i'm not interested in knowing ppl...
i can remember faces...even haven't seen them in yrs...and i dun even know them that well...

but names...i forget them once strangers have told me...
with close friends, bf, family members...i rarely address them by names...

and my brain goes blank when i need to use the name...for instance...i got a bday present and friends were asking who gave that to me...i was embarassed coz i had troubles telling the names...

I can remember the strangest things with utmost precision:

- When I was in school or church plays as a kid I'd know every line in the play.
- When I worked at a large boarding kennel a few years ago I could remember which run almost every dog was in most of the time.
- I can often remember every word that was said in a conversation, or minute details about an event.

But...

- I'm horrible with names when I meet people.
- I can't remember some of my ex-boyfriends' names
- I can only remember a few of my teachers' names, and have forgotten the names of professors while I was taking their class.
- Very often I have to pause when someone asks me my address or phone number because I forget what it is.

It seems like the more trivial something is, the more likely I am to remember it. :faint:

Forgetting names in 3 seconds after hearing them?
Whoever said that is speaking for me too.

A fellow ADDer told me to ask the person to spell it at the time of meeting. Then, while they spell, picture the letters in your mind. It did help for a couple of days. But I stopped using it, and, in the mean time, forgot the names of the few with whom I'd used the technique, as well as the name of the person who told me about the technique.

I remember struggling through Tokien's The Hobbit many years ago because of the names.

It didn't become a real problem for me until I moved away from a not very populated area where I had lived for 15 years to a big city with a job where I was supposed to learn 500 names ASAP.
I'm in another job now, also with tons of names. But I still haven't recovered from the first big move.

If I hear the person called by name a few times, I generally remember it, although every now and then I will temporarily forget the name of someone whose name I really do know.

I do remember faces -- to the point where I can draw realistic portraits.

My middle daughter, who is an adult and has mental/personality issues, cannot recall faces at all. In Psychology terms it has the name of "face blindness." I always suspected she was autistic to some degree, and I believe it is commonly found in people who are autistic, have Asperger's, or Turret's.

When I hear names I can put a face with them, but I can't alwways put a name with a face. It just gets burried in the muck.
One of my husband's favorite games is "Who's that actor?" While we're watching movies Both old and new. I think he does it just to get his laughs at the frustrated looks on my face. He usually tells me after a minute or so and it's like i can hear it clicking in place, but It's not always so easy.
I'll think about it for a long time if a name and face don't come together. Usually after I give up it surfaces..after I needed it, but oh well. I generally don't have trouble with colleagues but sometimes have blocks when talking with students or doing paperwork.

I once called a client the wrong name, and his business card was sitting in front of me on my desk. I have resorted to rhyming in my head when introduced to someone.

Besides Chuck, I am still having a terrible time with most common names. Last week, I called someone named Matt Jeff, so soft-consonant endings are a particular problem. Women's names I've just about given up on. The only thing saving me here is the large number of Indian and Chinese people I work with. They expect you to bungle their name, and are honored if you get the first syllable right.

I forget so much its not funny. I have found a way by if i can, writing anything and everything down. So that way i will know i have that something written somewhere. lol. Its sounds a bit weird, but wow, u should see my little notes EVERYWHERE. lol. It is frustrating. but theres not much u can do if you'd tried your best. Just keep going on whats kindof working. lol. Names, i just forget as quickly as i'v been told. Unless i'm repeatedly told or i have written it down. But even then it doesnt stick. Things just take time and eventually names will just pop in my head even at the complete wrong times. lol.

I don't catch people's names when introduced to them 95% of the time.

I just finished a two-week, intensive course at a live-in facility. Of the 24 members of my class, I can recall about 8 first names and maybe 5-6 last names. They just don't "click".

I was always one of those people who would walk down a highway & have people say "Hi Ben" and I couldn't remember their name. I always wondered why they could remember mine & I couldn't remember theirs (and no, I'm not the type of person who sticks out in a group).

The best thing about the training I just attended was that everyone was required to wear a photo name-badge all the time!

I indentify with all those who can remember names. I just founf out I might suffer form ADD and I ma relieved because I though I was geeting Alzhaimer. I have given on on remembering names. Have´t you? daysi

I can not remember names, phone numbers, street names, etc. I can't give a person directions because I can't remember the names of the highways in town that I don't use as much. I can get anywhere and remember things like a persons shoes, what they were wearing, etc. I can't even remember the date Christmas falls on, Easter, birthdays. I am in fact a smart person and have excelled through work very well as an area manager at my work...but those things make me crazy and until I found out I had Add-I felt that I was stupid. Now I think it is funny...yet sometimes it is embarrassing when I have just met someone and they find out! I try to keep it hidden so people do not know!

Hey Marmalade man,

I dont know how widespread not remembering names is in people with ADD - but i do know that I am awful for remembering names! and i even have to sometimes think about peoples names with people ive known for a long time.

if im talking about somebody, i will often not remember their name - i can picture them etc but wont be able to remember their name. It doesnt only go for peoples names, also names fo places, bars, bands, movies, books, anything really - ill be able to picture them but not remember their name..... but hey thats just me!

I know I am particularly bad at remembering names. Interstingly I had my memory tested and my memory works fine. I have no clue why I have troubles remembering preoples names.

ME :D

I am extremely bad at remembering names. If I meet someone new and we introduce ourselves, I will usually forget their name 5 seconds in the conversation. "What was your name again???

I can't remember the names of many people I went to school with, even the ones that I was friends with. I'll see someone I had known from school (high school, college, elementary, whatever) and recognize them immediately but just cannot recall their name for the life of me.

I guess sometimes I'll come off as arrogant, like I really don't care what their name is, but that's not it at all. I hear it, it just doesn't "stick". It goes in one ear and out the other. I feel like a lot of things people say to me do that. :D

"Hey Buddy" is my technique.
It's funny how I have an incredible short term memory. Give me 30min and a random string of 100 numbers and I'll recall them. But I'm always at a loss for words and names. Can't recall a joke to save my life and can't quote anything someone has said. I would be a terrible trial witness. I quote metaphors, allegories and parables like the often stereotyped Indians on TV.

I have a retched memory all round. I was mentioning this problem in regards to the impact it has on my work relationships this week. So often I'll finish up a converstation with someone new to me and they finish and say something like "It was nice to meet you Ian".

All the while I lost their name the minute it was spoken. The only hope I have is to say the name when I'm first told what it is. So instead of trying to remember only remember it, the conversation might go as follows.
Jane says - "Hi, I'm Jane"
Ian says - "Hi Jane, I'm Ian"

In that way I have got her name to my ears twice. It works, but I still have trouble using it consistently.

Any other memory prompt tricks for social situations would be a great help. It's so powerful to boost someones contact with their name and I suck at it!

In having a real name that barely no one remembers, I totally relate to how people forget people's names, LOL !!!

But here's the funny thing..I forget other's names as well, unless I deal with them on a daily basis.

And I've remembered names of others so often...and yet totally blanked out while in their company..in the midst of conversation...
and was left standing there with 'my mouth open'...scrambling my mind, trying to figure out why I can't remember their name..now all of a sudden.

I've been called by my sister's name, by another other sister.. (yeah that one sits well when we're all together...the two of us look at the one sister who called out the name like she just went batty, after 30 years, of knowing our names)

I'm beginning to think that in day to day living, with all the information that we are expected to remember...and all of it being a priority...something has to give.

I understand that the human brain has an enormous capacity for retention of information...but again...I'm giving myself a break on this one.

I've tried to associate people's names in the past with some facial feature.
i.e.- Suzy with the big blue eyes

But if I don't see Suzy with the big blue eyes for another four months, that goes right down the drain..and she becomes:
A face with big blue eyes.

I've now decided that unless you see the person on a daily basis, and they're in your immediate work environment (as in your immediate- sharing the same section, of the same floor, of the same building)- using a cheat sheet of a map of the work place is fine- and writing the names of the people you would like to remember on it.
or
Talking with the person without using their name (lame but has been done numerous times by many people who forget people's names)
or
Being polite, smiling, and without attempting to repeat a slew of other names first, and just admitting that you can't remember their name. Just make sure, however, that it's not your boss.
(Also- sometimes in doing this..you'll find that every time you encounter the person, they'll ask you 'What's my name?', which is annoying as heck, but it usually guarantees that you'll remember their name in the future)

I do know the worse thing you can ever say is:

'Who are you again?'

HOW TO REMEMBER NAMES AND FACES (http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/remnames.htm)


How to Remember Names - eHow.com (http://www.ehow.com/how_1986_remember-names.html)


How to Remember Names - Free Name Remembering Tips (http://http://www.leadersinstitute.com/resource/howtoremembernames.html)


remembering names and faces (http://www.memory-key.com/EverydayMemory/faces_and_names.htm)

I found these last night and thought they might make a good starting place to see if I can help learn how to better remember.
Cheers!

now I do not know if someone mentioned this already (the huge amount of replies overwhelmes me) but I have found this trick very useful:

You: "What is your name again?"
Other: "Peter, Jane etc."
You: "yes, I know that. I meant your familyname".
Other: "ooh, uhm, van der Bilt".
You: "ooh yes now I remember. Thank you".

Well there you go. Isn't ADD all about finding creative solutions to common problems?
It works for me though :-)

I have a lot of trouble remembering names. I also have increasing trouble remember past events ...even if they meant a lot to me. My best friend is always reminising about highschool and she always brings up things that I had completely forgotten.

As for the names, I think that FOR ME it has a lot to do with being distracted ....I get nervous in social situations so I am always thinking about trying to make eye contact, smile, and what I am going to say next that I forget to do anything with the name that gets thrown at me. Basically I am so wrapped up in how I am presenting myself I miss the details of the info coming in. I wonder if this is a problem for anyone else?

Yep... Forgetting names... I thought I was going insane!

Here's what happens to me:

A colleague or anyone for that matter, introduces themselves

What they say:
"Hi Ray, I'm Jeff"

What I hear:
"Hi Ray, I'm BEEEEEP! Please leave your name and number and I'll get back to you

Bad at names.

GREAT at birthdates, phone numbers, license plates, etc.

Yeah, definitely license plates, definitely. 'Bout a hundred dollars.

This is what I hear...

"Hi I'm ................" I'm thinking oh Hi...wow I really like the way his hair is done, oh crap am I gonna remember to pick up milk on my way home milk milk milk milk milk milk remember pick up MILK...Why is he staring at me, I'm supposed to say something at this point...what was I supposed to get?

This is what they said
"Hi, I'm Jared, how are you?"

I am 56 now and never can i remember a time when i could remember a new persons name.. I would have to hear it constantly over a few days to register it in my brain

This is what I hear...

"Hi I'm ................" I'm thinking oh Hi...wow I really like the way his hair is done, oh crap am I gonna remember to pick up milk on my way home milk milk milk milk milk milk remember pick up MILK...Why is he staring at me, I'm supposed to say something at this point...what was I supposed to get?

This is what they said
"Hi, I'm Jared, how are you?"
Sounds like me!

I think every one has this problem. I forget the easiest thing sometimes and I am only 18. Sometimes I forget to spell certain words like their, school, and lots of others. So dont feel bad!

Yep... Forgetting names... I thought I was going insane!

Here's what happens to me:

A colleague or anyone for that matter, introduces themselves

What they say:
"Hi Ray, I'm Jeff"

What I hear:
"Hi Ray, I'm BEEEEEP! Please leave your name and number and I'll get back to youYeah, I do that all the time. Generally it's gone in 3 seconds if I even register it in the first place. Even if I do manage to hear it and repeat it, chances are slim of it sticking.

Scattered

I don't try any tricks to remember names. I just don't address people by their names and wait for eye contact in order to speak. If the person is not around, I find no shame in asking someone else who they are (even if they've been part of a group I'm in for several weeks or months). I don't even really feel ashamed asking the same people to tell me the same names repeatedly. I'll openly tell people that I'm really bad with names and that it has nothing to do with whether or not I care about them.

I have a similar problem with dates - I generally don't know when something happened. I can tell you how old my kids are, but I have to subtract their age from the current year in order to tell you what year they were born in - I can't seem to remember that. I don't know the age of either of my parents or any relatives other than my brother.

There are people from highschool who never said two words to me (they were never nean, we just had different friends ) and now somtimes I"ll see them com into work and they'lll say "Hi Ashley!. And I"ll just say Hi. I have no idea what there names are. I feel; guilty that all these people think me important enough to remember and I don't remember there names. I'll know there faces.

I have never been good with names, and it can be very embarressing, esp in business meetings. I have learned to write down everyone's names in those situations! When I meet someone new, the first thing I think about is their face and then what they are wearing...no remembering names is involved...does this just make me superficial though??

This is what I hear...

"Hi I'm ................" I'm thinking oh Hi...wow I really like the way his hair is done, oh crap am I gonna remember to pick up milk on my way home milk milk milk milk milk milk remember pick up MILK...Why is he staring at me, I'm supposed to say something at this point...what was I supposed to get?

This is what they said
"Hi, I'm Jared, how are you?"
This is exactly what I do. We had a new salesrep come in the office the other day and I had to sit in a meeting with him and other supervisors. I have no idea at all what was said because I just could not quit thinking about his horrible hair. And his name....huh?

Same things here, I just totally zoned out when the name was given, I am usually in a rush to pass that part and move forward with what their questions are. Use to work for a cedit bureau, and most times it was just people calling in wanting numbers for the credit reporting agency, from the point they started talking my mind just focused on what they wanted and then I went into my usual speech for the consumer. Like a robot, just see the question not the people. I sometimes will remember a person from a conversation where something to do with credit stuck in my mind about them.

I am terrible, have to ask people who they are all of the time, don't remember classmates, old boyfriends, customers, people at church, most times I get away with meeting them saying hi, and avoid saying their name the entire conversation. But I can recall the weird feeling I get when someone says my name back to me. It is like it got personal and suprised me that they addressed me by my name.

I am terrible on message boards, I don't look at names often unless something in the post caught my attention. But still if I look at the name, I am likely to forget it just as quickly as it came.

Even though my medication has improved it I still have a major blind spot with names. Many of my coworkers are "hey you" or "hi guy" to me - just total blank.

I used to think it was lack of concern for them but I know that isn't so now. But if I try very hard and work the name in my head - then it's much improved.

sometimes i feel like i am the only one who seems to forget names. it is realy emarassing when somone i know comes up and starts talking to me. this has happend my whole life. so you are not alone in this.

I seem to remember names with repetition. I work at an elementary school and had to keep track of over 50 children. It took me a while to attach all of the names and faces, but just as the kids were starting to get frustrated with me I started to remember them, almost all of them. The ones that I didn't see every day I'd sometimes forget, but I was amazed that I could remember so many names and we are talking last names too. But ask me someone's name I just met and I so easily forget. If I meet someone just once or twice it is very hard for me to remember their name, but over time amazingly it does eventually stick. I'm just slow to get it into memory. More often, I am introduced to someone only once or twice and I've been embarassed when I see them again and they remember my name but I for the life of me can't remember theirs. Do I think it's part of having ADD? In my own opinion and experience, yep.

I try so hard to remember names..It goes like this....

"Hi Tracy, My name is Susan"

I am like "Susan, her name is Susan, susan, now don't forget her name, Susan, yep, match that with something to remind me..Susan, don't forget...Ok, I think I can get it..Yep, Susan..she has a sunny face..yep..sunny susan, that will do it..I'll never forget that..see that was easy..her name is Susan"

all the while..poor *Susan* has been talking to me, and I have had a blank look on my face, from trying to remember her name, but I haven't a CLUE what she said to me apart from that...but at least for a minute I KNOW her name..SUSAN!!:p

then she walks off, I promptly forget her name, and still have NO clue what she even wanted in the first place :faint:

No wonder they think I am weird!!! LOL :D :D

The weird thing about me is I can never remember what peoples names are on tv, but I can tell you exactly what movie they were in or movies, LOL and When I first meet people I have trouble remembering their names but if someone walks by me that was in my first grade class I will be like oh that was ashlee or what ever their name is, LOL I do learn peoples names eventually, I think I have learned little tricks also. Plus if you ask somone how to spell their name and it is somthing like Joe or kim, say no I mean is it kimberly or just kim, or is it Joe or just Joseph..,..:p:p:p

My doctor told me that people with ADHD see thing in pictures and people without it see things in words. He said that is why we remember faces instead of names. He gave me a study method for ADHD's. I tried it on a couple of students that were studying for a test they couldn't pass. I told them to put a funny related picture to each answer on the test. They did it and had fun doing it. They went to the teachers class and took the test. Both of them made a hundred.

X-Man

Ok, i will remember this post, marmalade man created a sticky :D . Non-Adders would look at me like i was nutz. That is why mind mapping works so well for note-taking for ADDers. tony buzan has some books, so do others.

Do you all have to see the name written down after getting to know the person too? I see the name as an image, not as letters. I can remember what the person wore, how they walked, facial expressions, and so on, but names do take time. I have learned how to ask for names politely and with humor as the case may be.

I remember people best by the stories they tell me. If they hold my interest in the beginning, I am better at remembering them. Sometimes they will have to start talking to jog my memory, but it comes back if they held my interest in the first place. I hate it when people tell me we *talked for ages* somewhere, yet I have absolutely NO idea who they are...I get so embarassed...is that a *normal/usual* adhd thing??

If it's any consolation i also can't remember names etc 2 the same level you describe, when people speak about someone and i comment i dont know them i'm always told i do and when they're pointed out i realize they're right.

Forgetting names in 3 seconds after hearing them?
Whoever said that is speaking for me too.
I always do that. Recently at a video shoot I introduced myself to one of the riders twice...

Just found this forum and its so nice to hear that many of the things I experience is common in others with ADD - I can never remember names - faces yes.

Yeah, names kick the **** out of me. And it's not just people I meet. I often don't remember the names of people I read in a book and have to go back several times to find out who is who. It's a pain and the meds don't seem to cure this very well.

I have a particular problem when people don't look like their names. Let me explain, for me some people's names seem right -- I think,' Oh yes, that woman looks like a Lisa." Sometimes I actually remember those people's names. Major problem arises when people don't look like their names (to me) -- I think, "oh no, he's not a dylan; he's a brandon." And then I will have to fight to stop calling that poor person "Brandon."

I find that in a classroom with 3 kids the same name it is helpful. I just name them, Sam 1, Sam 2, Sam 3, and one was a girl. Another class had 3 Nicks! Guess what their names were?

Hope I am not off topic! But this does make it easier to remember names! It is just remembering who is Sam, who is Ashley, and so on.....

I'm getting to the point, where I'm older, so I do this now.

If I haven't regularly seen somoene, and I run into them, and I can't remember their name (even if they remember mine-which is doubtful, since my first name is bizarro, and I'm highly surprised if people get it right, let alone remember it, when they're not close friends of mine, and are involved in my life) I just come out and say politely, that I can't remember their name.

I used to do that *thang*, where I would stand there and talk with people, and act like I remembered their name, and while I did remember them, but not their name- the whole thing just doesn't sit well with me, anymore, so I just tell them now.

I figure if they're po'd about the whole thing, 2, 10, or 15 years later- I truly don't care. If we haven't stayed in touch since then, and I made the effort to be honest with them, it's not my issue, if they're aggravated or not, at that point.

I'll take this even further, and admit that I went on a date with a guy, way back when-twice, and ran into him a few years later, while I was out with my sister...and I could not remember what his name was, for the life of me.

My sister didn't know him, so she couldn't 'save' me...

Anyways- I told him that, and very politely, too- and he was po'd to no end.

The dates weren't worth remembering, either, obviously, lol !
But I didn't feel the need to tell him that.

So....I did the next best thing.
I noticed a few people, whose names I DID remember, and my sister and I, walked over by them, and left him there 'sputtering'...

That's just what works for me now.
Admitting politely that I don't remember someone's name, if I haven't talked to them in a while.

Consequences what may.

I have Speedo and Nova's problem.
You might as well not even tell me your name, because I'm NOT going to remember it. Unless she's cute, but even then I'm going to forget it. :D
What's bad is that my wife has the same problem, but she doesn't have ADHD, she just doesn't remember names! So taking her along with me to a party is absolutely useless. I mean, it gives me someone to talk to, and I know HER name. LOL
It took me a month or so (back in 2001), to learn everyone's name at work.
Now I know 150 names, by their face. But it took awhile to learn them!
If it's a new person, I might need to hear their name a few times on separate occasions, before I get it.
By now I know most of you have SKIMMED over my post, because that's what we do. Skim for details....I'm one of you!!!
So the cliffnotes version of what I said was "ADHD people are bad with names when hearing them for the first time or first few times." :D
And no, I have not found a method to this.
I had a book on 12 ways to improve memory, but I lost it.
Seriously, that's not a joke....
It's gone!

I forget names all the time, even those people that I'm around far too often to allow for that.

What's more frustrating, I rarely register someone's name on a first time meet and greet. I'm so focused on their face, or maybe my own nervousness as well, I really don't even hear it. If you were to repeat it to me in the situations, it wouldn't even sound familiar (vs. forgetting, where you'd say, "oh, yeah!").

I've noticed that when I meet people I'll forget their name INSTANTLY.

However, it helps a lot if it's like this.
"Hi, what's your name?"
"I'm John"
*We begin to shake hands*
"Nice to meet you, John."

It's easier if you repeat it outloud, it goes into your verbal memory then.

However, I usually forget to do this.

I've noticed that when I meet people I'll forget their name INSTANTLY.

However, it helps a lot if it's like this.
"Hi, what's your name?"
"I'm John"
*We begin to shake hands*
"Nice to meet you, John."

It's easier if you repeat it outloud, it goes into your verbal memory then.

However, I usually forget to do this. I've tried this and have the same problem: I forget to remember the memory technique.

Base-level irony, I know.

I can typically solve my problem with remembering names by simply slowing down and repeating the name to myself several times after being told it. For me, forgetting is simply a function of not paying attention to what the other party is saying, even if they are answering a name query I posed only seconds ago. I frequently catch myself asking for a name and then moving on to something else even as (or before) they answer.

That's for the more immediate memory problems. As for others, I tend to be a tape recorder. I can often recall conversations verbatim--months after they occurred. If I were having more long-term memory problems, I'd be a tad concerned and would certainly mention it to my physician.

If I think I see someone I know but I'm not sure if it's them or not and/or I am not sure about the name.:o .....like in a store & I walk past them... & say what I think their name is like "Tammy" if it's not them then they don't pay it any attention & if it is them then they say "yea":D & look at me. Weird as it sounds it works 99.99% of the time. And if it isn't them noone pays attention to it.;)

Some names I'm Great with & some well it's just kinda hopeless............for example I have 1 current son-in-law & 1 that will be my son-in-law in a few months & another that will be my son-in-law next yr...:confused: .& I often call the 2 to be son-in-laws by my current son-in-laws name. But they all seem to take it in stride. I think that the fact that one of my daughters with ADD is married to my current son-in-law & my youngeset daughter that also has ADD is engaged to the one that will be my son-in-law next yr has Alot to do with them taking it so well. :cool:

BlessedLady

I can remember names of people only after I establish something more than a casual acquaintance with them. Some people I never learn their names and after weeks of still forgetting I just say hi and talk to them in ways that show I'm familiar with them without being to obvious about the fact I don't know their frikkin' name. lol

i was a teacher for about a year and couldent remember my students names even after a semester of being with them and calling there names daily!!! when I see people from high school I have no recognition of who they are, they remember me. i don't think it's Alzheimer's, it's just that I start thinking about something else when they are telling me their name.

Names but NEVER Faces. (Of adults)

I`m very bad in remembering names. And sometimes it`s funny, because I go on a first date with a guy I met few days earlier without knowing his name. And it`s embarrassing to asked on the middle of a date: hey btw. waht was you`re name again....(even sometimes I cannot helpmyself and the question just pops up).
But anyway I developed the habbit to say right the way that probably I won`t remember his/her name next time and he/she will probably have to say it to me at least 3 times until I remember ....

I`m very bad in remembering names. And sometimes it`s funny, because I go on a first date with a guy I met few days earlier without knowing his name. And it`s embarrassing to asked on the middle of a date: hey btw. waht was you`re name again....(even sometimes I cannot helpmyself and the question just pops up).
But anyway I developed the habbit to say right the way that probably I won`t remember his/her name next time and he/she will probably have to say it to me at least 3 times until I remember ....I just read my comment one more time and found many mistakes... Sorry about that. :)

I am new here, and have read a number of posts. Get this, I can't remember ANY of you guys' names!;)
Seriously, though, I was just telling my best friend, who also has ADD that I remember people's names by waiting until the LAST thing I say to introduce myself again. Making the name the last thing I hear really helps. Also, relevence has a large effect on whether I'll remember not only names, but just about anything else, as well. If I have some idea that something is significant to me, then my focus tends to kick in automatically. In fact, my impulse about things that seem really big to me---even subconsciously---is to study it so much that the information becomes automatic.
I have a truly prodigious memory, when I am able to access it in this way. This is one way that my ADD actually helps me, to some extent. But a student often is not accomplishing anything other than study:(

lol...most my life i have forgotten names,and yes it does get embarrassing!!!

I do try an put something about that person with an image to the name but on so many occassions ive also forgotten what theyve said,i used to think i was sooo dumb,lol, now i just accept the fact its part of me

i can never remember the name of a band,or artist to a song...going to the Music shop is a nightmare:eyebrow:

Im alright with remembering names, names and phone numbers are easy. My problem is that i mix up my highways. For example i think that highway 17 going north would be highway 17 going east:faint:. And vice versa lol

I use to remember everyone and everything. I was well known for remembering full names, birthdays, phone numbers, life situations, etc. At some point in my life, may it be due to depression or the lack of caring, I've dumped a lot of information. I will always remember your face and I'll slightly recall where I might have known you from but unless someone else can fill in the blanks, I'm lost. Sounds just like me. I never understood why I could remember birthdays, phone numbers, and other "trivia", but couldn't for the life of me remember a name, or an appointment I had to attend!:p

lol...most my life i have forgotten names,and yes it does get embarrassing!!!

I do try an put something about that person with an image to the name but on so many occassions ive also forgotten what theyve said,i used to think i was sooo dumb,lol, now i just accept the fact its part of me

i can never remember the name of a band,or artist to a song...going to the Music shop is a nightmare:eyebrow:OMG! I can't remember lyrics and titles, even though I have played the songs probably thousands of times.

I"m pretty bad with names. One day, I was in class with my fellow high school seniors about 2 years ago and I had know all of them for 3 years or more. And Some reason, for about a good 20 minutes I forgot everyones name. Embarassing. But, yeah, wierd.

im good with names and faces but other things i cant rember

After meeting someone for the first time.
I will remember there face for the rest of my life.
But I wont remember what there name was.
I remember places in great detail but not the names of them.This is the same with me. I am always forgetting peoples names or not even remembering them in the first place. It's taken me two weeks to learn the names of the people I'm working with and I just started remembering my new roommates name after a month of him living here. I guess names just aren't that important to my brain to be worth remembering.

I forget names. That is.. I fail to remember them in the first place. It has always been a frustrating problem for me. I eventually learm names, but I have to put some effort into it.

Me :D

That's me to a tee. If I remember to remember then my memory is usually good to excellent. Trouble is I usually forget :D

Thank God I'm not alone with this problem. I'm really struggling with remember names. I just started on a new job and I was really afraid about what my new colleagues would think... I managed to remember the names by having their MSN visible so I could see their names there :p
My wife is often asking me if I have alzheimer... I hope not...

Same problem here, I'll remember the faces, but not the names, Takes me forever to remember names :-/

I'm horrible at remembering names!!:confused:

*I never forget a face
*I may be able to tell you what they were wearing
*I always remember quirky things

**The weirdest of all; I almost always remember their pets names. :rolleyes:

My friends had always picked on at me about never remembering peoples names, but i never thought much of it! Until i stepped back and thought about it, then realised crap i do not.

I have been attending college for a year and i just about remember to call my closer friends the right name! i say i was talking to friend named A i would call him X, Y, Z and then have to pause and remember to call him A and I’ve known them for TWO years now!

Its really bad and i feel my brain sometimes just struggling to remember them, sometimes they notice but i think they have gotten so use to me by now and don't.

i can only remember 2 people in my sociology class of 30 now of my head and I’ve known them for a year.

Sometimes I have really bad "ADD Moments" and totally forget somebody's name. I knew it minutes before and know it again after. It drives me crazy of course the pressure of not knowing makes it even worse and I know I'm not going to recall it.

What's even funnier is when I'm at a conference of some other event and totally forget that people have names tags on...lol

Yes, I am horrible at remembering peoples names. I can remember faces, I know that i know them but just can't pull out a name. Sometimes I can't remember a person's name i've known for years. I have to think about it for a while.

Oh, yeah. I totally relate - and it's made worse by social anxiety, because I'm too embarassed to ADMIT I've forgotten. I've continued to see and speak with acquaintances for months without knowing their name - waiting for someone else to say it or something. Sheesh. I think what disturbs me the most is that I have forgotten the names of people I went to school with, or worked at past jobs with and saw every day. It seems as though if I don't use information on a regular basis it gets deleted - or at least archived in some obscure location.

Forgetting Names

I am wondering if this is as common and as severe in others as in me?

I can't remember names of most of:

- the people I went to school with;

- my teachers;

- the people I have worked with in the past;

- old and some current neighbours;

- even some former close friends/girl friends.



I don't know if it's an ADD thing or not, but I can't remember many of these things either! I thought I was having some bad form of Alzheimer's Disease or something too(x-x;;;

http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_symptoms_of_alzheimers.asp

But after reading this, I don't think so anymore. :o

I also really suck at remembering names.
It has gotten me into tonnes of **** at hostel Initiation wher you have to remember 90 Seniors names while they screeming and "interigating" me. worst part is you have to look down, so you cant see their faces. have to recall names by voices or shoes. It get easy when you start matching shoes with names until they swop shoes with eachother to mess us around.
It sux when everone else in my year can remember everones names except me, I sort of got extra attention.
Hostle was hte only way I could solve most of my social anxiety.
When I was a senior I could still not remember the first years names even though there was no pressure on me.

I would say that forgetting names could be an attribute of having ADHD. When we meet a person, as ADHD'ers, we may have a million things going through our minds (that may distract us more than others).

It is easier said than done, but I would recommend that when you meet someone, try and associate their name with an image or exaggeration that will help you to remember their name. It helps me but still a challenge for me when having to process immediately.

Aha!

I don't think my ability to remeber names could be any worse.

I forget them all. I forget my sisters, mothers, brothers, girlfriends, housemates. Pet names don't stand a chance.

I will forget very famous peoples names, Gordon Brown etc. Funny when you say to someone, "ehh you know who i mean, err.. he's scottish and, maybe a bit pudgy, oh yeah hes the prime minister".

In general my memory is awful, I do the forgetting what I had for breakfast.

They do lots of physcology studies at my Uni, and you get paid for doing them. So i signed up to one that was an investigation in to bad memory. Oh dear was I bad.

I will also forget names of objects (common nouns), ie. spoon.

What do you think of starting a thread "Who remembers what they had for breakfast yesterday?" :)

Oops - off topic. Sry

Remembering names is hopeless. I forget names of people I've known for years and see regularly. This is where a good spouse comes in handy. I describe the person and she refreshes my memory, then I mentally obsess over not remembering and lose my train of thought.

If someone tells me their name and proceeds to have a conversation with me I don't remember their name...

But if I talk to them for a while and then near the end of the conversation get their name..I have a 75% chance of remembering it. I always thought that was odd..

If I don't like you, I remember your name for life! haha

I've always had this problem.. in fact, I forget most everything, except things that really interest me. Been this way since I was a child.

I worked in a retail environment for several years and I dredded people coming in as I would most frequently not be able to remember their names. Or I would forget prices of things, etc.

I have not been professionally diagnosed with ADD yet, my thearpest just diagnosed me as probably having it and is looking for an expert in that field, so I can't comment too much, but I have a very high IQ of 135 and can problem solve and am very creative.. I'm an artist and tend to think visually. I just have a hard time with common things like this, including spelling, etc.; it's very embarrasing and I feel bad about the name forgetting as I don't want to hurt peoples feelings.. like I don't care about them, etc., that's not it at all. It's almost like time doesn't have much relevance.. I don't know. :confused:

I forget names all the time, even people I know quite well and see regularly. It is very embarrassing. I hate having to introduce people to each other!

I don't remember my teacher's names from school, my next door neighbor's names growing up, my classmate's names, former coworkers names, including bosses!

Somebody will find out where I went to school or grew up or lived for a while and if they were there too, they want to compare notes on who we might both know and I am useless. I will say, "Oh, right, that name sounds familiar" and I really have no idea!

I generally remember names very well... after I learn them.

A lot of you mentioned not being able to remember a name a few seconds after hearing it... I have the same issue. Sometimes I wonder if people actually ever gave me their name in the first place. What's especially hard is over the phone.. when I cover the receptionist's lunch break, I really struggle with it..

"Good afternoon, *company name*, this is Becca, how may I help you?"
"Hi, my name is Joe, I'm calling from ABC company, could I speak with Mary?"

What's going on in my head during this? Not totally sure, but I think it's something like:

Phone is ringing, ok, pick up phone, there's a guy, name is Joe, ABC company.. wants to talk to Mary.. wait, what company was that again? Oh, ABC.. who did he want to talk to? Mary? What's her last name again..? Smith, okay, Smith smith smith, gotta find that in the directory.. What's her extension? 123.. okay, where's the transfer button.. transfer button, what was the extension again? Smith.. okay, 123... wait, who's on the line again? Um, okay, just tell her it's someone from um.. what company was it again? Okay, fine, hopefully I'll get her voicemail!

So I don't really wonder why I forget names.. I think the process is similar in person, just too much going on internally or even externally to remember the very brief moment in time where they tell you their name, if you catch it at all through all the static. From all I've read, this probably has a lot to do with working memory.. if it truly is a fixed thing, then it's only going to hold so much information at once. This would make introductions especially difficult, since the name is one of the first things they'll mention, then everything else they say probably knocks that out of the "cache" so quickly, we don't have a prayer of remembering it.

I think it's fairly common amongst the general population to be introduced to someone and forget their name within 5 seconds.

The problem I have is that I forget names of people I work with daily, including my boss. Usually I can recall their first name, but I have almost zero recall of last names. It's very embarassing for your boss of 2 years to stand next to you and ask you to send him a document by email. You start typing in the "To" field and have no idea what to type.

I usually cover by going to my inbox, pretending to look for something else, and scanning the emails until I recognize their last name.

My 3 kids have taken music lessons for 5 years. I write a check out monthly to the teachers. Every single month, without fail, I cannot for the life of me remember any of the teacher's names. I have to ask the kids every month.

I forget my best friend's last name all the time. Sometimes I forget my cat's name (she's 10). This is crazy!

Once, I was thinking to myself about my DH, and for a few seconds, I could not recall HIS name. I kept thinking G...G...G... and his name didn't come to me. G was the last letter of his first name, but for a second, I thought it was the first letter, and I just couldn't come up with his name. I had to pull myself out of auto mode and of course then I remembered it right away.

When I was in school, I would read an entire novel, and when I was done, I couldn't tell you one character's name. The plots usually went over my head too, which is why I haven't read a book for entertainment in 15 years.

I would think this is early alzheimers, but I have had this strange issue for 25 years. I was in gifted and mensa and for fun in high school memorized pi to 300 digits. I also have vivid recall of everything from my childhood, starting at age 2, so obviously my memory works.

It's mainly names, particularly last names, that I have zero recall for. Surely, this has to be due to ADD?

I just ask as many times as needed. Ofcourse if they are a dynamic person, I remember their name.

I have this problem too, but it is even close friends. I sometimes get a bit embarrassed and have to stop talking to them so I can think and remember it. It usually comes to me after a few minutes. I seem to forget words a lot too, but nowhere nearly as often as names. I forget someone's name every single day.

I'm in the same boat...I have trouble enough trying to recall peoples names from the past and used to attribute it to the "Use it or lose it" theory and chalk it up to that. Then after thinking about it I realized it was even people that I interact with day in and day out..relatives, co-workers and so on. I agree too about forgetting words..there are times that I spend a bit of time searching for a word..pretty frustrating. I'm not exactly in the Mensa league but my IQ is fairly high, still like has been mentioned by others I've worried about early signs of alzheimers. Once I started to read all the posts on this subject I realize I'm not exactly alone having this type of issue. Names has always been a big issue for me..

I forget my own name half the time! I am bad with names. I always call people by the wrong name, even when I have known them for a long time. Urgh, wish there were a cure for it.

I just don't address people by their names and wait for eye contact in order to speak.

WhiskeyJoe, that's exactly how I cope at work !

Everything here sounds so familiar - I have struggled for years with trying to remember people's names ive just been introduced to, and anyone I used to know. Sadly though I dont remember faces either - once I started a job and had an induction with a member of staff in the morning. In the afternoon, I met this person again and introduced myself because I thought I hadnt met her before. There was a moment of utter panic when I realised what had happened - I think she must have thought I was just completely wierd.

I forget peoples names that I just meet. I remember none of my teachers. I remember none of the people on my last job. It takes me forever to remember names. So you're not alone. I believe some of it has to do with ADD.:rolleyes:





Forgetting Names

I am wondering if this is as common and as severe in others as in me?

I can't remember names of most of:

- the people I went to school with;

- my teachers;

- the people I have worked with in the past;

- old and some current neighbours;

- even some former close friends/girl friends.

There are some exceptions to the above, people that I can remember but many people I should know are lost forever.

I am wondering if this is an ADD thing or if I have a form of Alzheimer's Disease or other problem. I haven’t asked a doctor about this but thought I would ask here as I am examining everything in my life now.

As best as I can remember, I have been like this all my life.

Your comments will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Vic