# Anyone have SDAM (Severely Deficient Autobiographical Memory)? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 16, 2026, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-sdam-severely-deficient-autobiographical-memory/1030936 "2026-06-16T15:07:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lushka1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/97f17d/32.png) [@Lushka1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lushka1953)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-sdam-severely-deficient-autobiographical-memory/1030936/1 "2026-06-16T15:07:59Z")
Anyone here have SDAM? I’ve recently stumbled across this and finally understand my significant memory lapses. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-sdam-severely-deficient-autobiographical-memory/1030936/2 "2026-06-16T15:12:57Z")
**Moderating:** I moved your new thread from #Factual Questions to #In My Humble Opinion as you’re not asking for Factual answers but looks more like opinions and anecdotes. Also, when starting a thread, please make the OPs a little more robust. At least explaining what SDAM would have been a help. * * * * * * Note to all: SDAM is probably Severely Deficient Autobiographical Memory ---
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-sdam-severely-deficient-autobiographical-memory/1030936/3 "2026-06-16T15:19:53Z")
No but I have GMARH ---
**Author:** ![Lushka1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/97f17d/32.png) [@Lushka1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lushka1953)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-sdam-severely-deficient-autobiographical-memory/1030936/4 "2026-06-16T15:26:38Z")
Thanks, What\_Exit. I’m new to this and appreciate the feedback for my learning curb. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-sdam-severely-deficient-autobiographical-memory/1030936/5 "2026-06-16T15:27:27Z")
It is mentioned briefly here: [Autobiographical memory - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autobiographical_memory#Individual_differences) With a bit more depth here: [Maybe You Have SDAM? | Aphantasia Network](https://aphantasia.com/article/stories/maybe-you-have-sdam) ---
**Author:** ![Lushka1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/97f17d/32.png) [@Lushka1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lushka1953)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-sdam-severely-deficient-autobiographical-memory/1030936/6 "2026-06-16T15:27:28Z")
You are correct regarding the full name of the disorder. ---
**Author:** ![Lushka1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/97f17d/32.png) [@Lushka1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lushka1953)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-sdam-severely-deficient-autobiographical-memory/1030936/7 "2026-06-16T15:35:51Z")
What is this? ---
**Author:** ![Lushka1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/97f17d/32.png) [@Lushka1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lushka1953)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-sdam-severely-deficient-autobiographical-memory/1030936/8 "2026-06-16T15:37:30Z")
Thanks. I’ve been researching the syndrome. I’m curious as to the effects on one’s life and coping mechanisms. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-sdam-severely-deficient-autobiographical-memory/1030936/9 "2026-06-16T17:51:06Z")
Warning for @colinfred After discussion with another Mod, I’m issuing you a warning for this. You got a warning for something similar last year where your first post was a thread shit. In this case, you appear to have done the following: Bad joke, thread shit and ignoring the note 1 post before on spelling out uncommon acronyms. Very unwelcoming to a new poster. It comes off as making fun of the OP. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2026, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-sdam-severely-deficient-autobiographical-memory/1030936/10 "2026-06-16T18:31:19Z")
Huh. I might have it. My wife and I go out to eat perhaps 4 times a month. Usually breakfast or late lunch. “Let’s go to that place we went last week” is meaningless to me. I just don’t pigeon hole those events. Or bigger ones. We went to Hawaii. We went, uh, about 6 or 7 years ago I suppose. It was before COVID so that gives me a timeline. Sort of. I think, that some of it is due to my very poor hearing. I have hearing aids, but just can’t wear them all the time (noisy restaurants, mowing grass, crowded parties). So I depend on context/expresions a great deal. Luckily, I don’t miss the bar sceen or big parties. No thank you. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2026, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-sdam-severely-deficient-autobiographical-memory/1030936/11 "2026-06-17T16:55:11Z")
Compared to my siblings(we all over 50 at this point) my memories of our childhood together are fairly poor. I have problems with anxiety my entire life and have had PTSD since early childhood. I have been told this could be responsible for my poor memory–I remember the trauma to the exclusion of everything else and being in a heightened state of anxiety all the tie can prevent memories from forming.. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2026, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-sdam-severely-deficient-autobiographical-memory/1030936/12 "2026-06-18T16:45:45Z")
I have moderate, maybe severe, aphantasia but I’ve never heard of this, nor am I sure they’re connected despite the writer of @Czarcasm’s link. Could be, though, I’ll have to do more research since SDAM does describe me. And my wife, oddly enough. Neither of us can remember more than flashes or pieces of our childhoods. When something does occur to me, it’s not visual, more like a description of what had happened than the happening itself.