What Are the Different Causes of Long-Term Memory Loss?

Long-term memory loss can be caused by dozens of conditions, all of which affect the brain in a negative way. Excessive alcohol consumption, trauma to the head and dementia are some possible causes. In addition, depression and certain medications also can be at fault. Every case of long-term memory loss is different, but it is very rare for a person to lose all of his or her memory and never recover it. In most cases, people forget specific things, such as a group of related skills, words or events that happened when the condition was at its worst.

Alcohol abuse is a common cause of long-term memory loss, but it usually affects events that occurred after the person became drunk. For example, a person might never be able to remember events that happened in the hours soon after he or she began drinking. Alcohol inhibits a person's ability to create new memories, so alcoholics can be very forgetful. As long as a person did not get alcohol poisoning, he or she could wake up fine the next day and be perfectly capable of creating and storing new memories again.

The severity of amnesia seen on television dramas is virtually unknown in the real world. Even people who do not know who they are usually remember some things, such as how to operate machinery that they have operated for years and events that happened during their childhood. Still, people who suffer from amnesia brought on by head trauma might never recover some memories.

Long-term memory loss is a symptom of dementia, although this symptom alone is not enough to make such a diagnosis. Dementia has dozens of potential causes, most of which are illnesses for which elderly people are at risk of developing. This condition is basically a label for a variety of illnesses that cause memory loss, difficulty thinking and other symptoms that make daily life harder.

Depression makes it more difficult for a person to have long-term memories. A depressed man might forget where he put his keys just moments ago or how to drive someplace where he went the day before. People who have this problem usually have other symptoms, such as general fatigue, the inability to concentrate and a loss of interest in activities and other people.

Some medications can interrupt the brain’s proper functioning, leading to long-term memory loss. This is one of the easiest causes to diagnose and should be the first thing to check if a person has long-term memory loss but no other probable causes. Looking at the common side effects of any medication being taken or simply asking a healthcare professional could lead to the answer.