One of the symptoms of depression that I have mentioned to my doctor over the years was a dramatic reduction in the effectiveness of my memory. The doctor tried to reassure me that this was neither a symptom of depression or a side-effect of my medication but overtime I have learnt that there is a definite relationship between my memory and my depression and so I decided to look into this a bit more.

Who can be effected by depression related memory loss?
Most of the research in this area that I found had been carried out on the over 50's and seemed mixed with studies on Alzheimers and Huntingtons. Based on my own experience of depression and reading blogs and other web sites it would seem that anybody with depression could suffer from memory loss and that age isn't really a factor.

What causes the memory loss?
I couldn't find any information that showed any physical changes in the brain that might impair memory so it seems that our memory effectiveness is reduced by the symptoms of depression. It seems quite logical that the following symptoms might effect your memory:-

• Inability to concentrate
• Disturbed sleep
• Reduced confidence
• Lack of enjoyment

What can I do to improve my memory?

• Vitamins and supplements
  The promise of improved memory by taking vitamins and potions in my experience (and I've tried a few) had little effect on me and for those where it does work I wonder if it may be placebo related rather than real.
• Memory tests and techniques
  There are plenty of web sites that provide memory tests and improvement techniques and I have given many of these a try. The effectiveness of these techniques are likely to be reduced the more serious you depression is. Not only do the symptoms of depression effect your memory but will also impact on your ability to learn.
  

I recommend that you concentrate on improving your depression and try not to focus on one aspect of it's effects. Exercise, CBT and counselling are things that you should consider but your first step should always be to get medical assistance from your doctor.