Woman who’s part of 0.00001% of world that remembers every moment of her life explains what extremely rare condition is like
A woman who's part of a very small group that remember every single moment of their lives has revealed what it's like to live with the extremely rare condition.
We've all had embarrassing moments we'd like to forget, and luckily after a number of years, that typically tends to happen - but not for Rebecca Sharrock and Emily Nash.
It some 12 years ago since Rebecca was diagnosed with something called ‘Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory’ (HSAM).
Also known as Hyperthymesia, MedicalNewsToday defines the unique syndrome as 'an ability that allows people to remember nearly every event of their life with great precision'.
Advert
Emily and Rebecca spoke to 60 Minutes Australia about their condition, with Emily telling the outlet: "My brain is almost organised like a calendar, and each date specifically resembles a movie where I can replay, rewind and fast-forward.
"The more I go forward into a specific day, the more details I can pull up from that day."
Emily claims to vividly remember learning to walk as an infant, and even recalls being chased around the house by her parents while doing so.
"I remember my parents started chasing me around the house, because I was just so excited to learn how to walk and it became a run," she told the programme.
"I think I even learned those two things the same day."
Rebecca has had the rare condition her entire life, but it wasn't until her official diagnosis over 12 years ago that she learnt why she was able to recall her past so vividly.
Remarkably, Rebecca even remembers everything from when she was a baby, up until to the point now she is a fully-grown adult.
Speaking to 60 News Australia, the Aussie was asked if she remembers every minute of her life, to which she replied: "That's pretty much the case, I'd said I remember about 95 percent of the time at least."
She added: "The negative side about having this memory condition is that I do get many distractions from random flashbacks that I don't ask to come in my mind - all day and all night."
Rebecca went on to say it's a 'curse' to have the condition.
The Aussie went on to explain the downsides are remembering sad or stressful memories brings back all the feelings she felt at the time.
She explained: "If I’m remembering an incident that happened when I was three, my emotional response to the situation is like a three-year-old, even though my mind and conscience are like an adult."
Echoing similar sentiments to The Guardian in 2022, Rebecca shared: "If I’m remembering something negative, my emotions of that experience will come back.
"Sometimes people will say that I’m just deliberately not letting go, and I’m just like dwelling on the negatives in my life."
Rebecca concluded: "It’s awful to be a medical exception because very few people understand what you’re going through and there just aren’t many treatments designed for it.
"Remembering this way just seems so normal to me."
Callum Jones