Expert: Michalene Peticca - 8/30/2011

Question
Dear Michalene, I am a 22 year old male and a student of Computer Science. I have had a thirst for acquiring more knowledge since my late teenage. I have always loved to contemplate about everything. I have recently been able to realize the two-fold purpose of a man's life( different from that of a woman).One of them is to acquire the maximum amount of knowledge, and this conclusion has even more intensified my pursuit for the same.
I always keep reading stuff related to any and everything which I come across. I feel a strong urge to keep my brain busy with some kind of information processing at all times. Also, I want to tell you that I have this intuition that I will develop AD when I grow old. I forget names, dates, tasks. I dont remember directions to places. I have lately realized that it is much better to be withdrawn socially, although I am a very popular person in my huge friend circle. I don't remember daily financial transactions. I recently searched on the Internet to validate my concerns and came across this article: http://neurocritic.blogspot.com/2007/05/overuse-theory-of-alzheimers-disease.htm
I request you to tell me what is going on with me. Thank you in advance!! :-)

Answer
Hello Haider,

Thank you for writing.  

While it may seem like you have Alzheimer's disease.....you 99.9% surely do NOT.

Your a young person that is taking on a LOT of information and sometimes it is just called "brain overload".   It is normal and it just means there is way too much information being presented to your brain faster than it can process.

Think of your brain as a machine.....if you were to type in information into that machine at a lightening fast pace....the machine could not keep up and most likely would miss portions of that information.

What i would suggest to you is:   BALANCE.     Set time where you just RELAX with friends or take a walk....do NOT have the TV on or the Internet.    Think about this.....100 years ago....humans did not have acess to all this.   And, even in my lifetime...it was Unheard of that i'd be talking with someone in India!  

Enjoy your youth, enjoy the world...it's not all in books and on the Internet.   You'll learn just as much from Watching and Listening to others (especially older folks).

Best of Luck in a more relaxful life......don't rush the Future...it will come....

Michalene Peticca, MA

:)