When good memory is a bane

Memory takes a lot of poetic licence. It omits some details; others are exaggerated... — Tennesee Williams. In the case of Rebecca Sharrock, this holds no water. The eldest of five siblings, Rebecca is one of the estimated 80 people globally to suffer from Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM) or Hyperthymesia Syndrome, a condition in which an individual can remember every single detail of their life. But Rebecca didn't always know this. It was only in 2011, when she saw a segment on Hyperthymesia Syndrome on the television show 60 Minutes that she realised that her kind of memory was exceptionally rare. By this time, Brisbane-based Rebecca had already had a rough childhood, having to deal with an abusive father, anxiety issues due to obsessive compulsive disorder as well as being on the autism spectrum.

Rebecca's parents separated when she was just three. That's when her mother, Janet, first noticed her anxiety issues. The psychiatrist believed that her anxiety was a result of witnessing Janet's abuse. "Sadly when Rebecca was five, she and her younger sister told me that they too were being abused by their biological father during the legal visits they had with him," says Janet, and adds that ever since Rebecca was a child, there were signs of autism. This was confirmed only when Rebecca turned 15.

"I had very low self-esteem owing to the multiple issues of autism, anxiety and my memory," says Rebecca. The 27-year-old motivational speaker says that watching the Hyperthymesia Syndrome segment on 60 Minutes transformed her life as it gave her a name for the condition she was experiencing — being able to remember and recall the tiniest detail of her life. "It was comforting to know that this was a condition," she says, adding that it not only alleviated her depression, but allowed her to focus on the positive aspects of life. "I've wanted to be a writer and speaker since I was 15."

Potter party tricks

Being on the autistic spectrum means Rebecca is quick to grasp logical, rational concepts, and is slow to deal with social situations. At school, this meant fewer friends and an increased reliance on her mother, who is an emotional anchor. One of Rebecca's handful of friends, Elanah Morrison recalls how they were both just 11 when they first met. "We were both library monitors at the school, and bonded over Harry Potter," says Morrison. "Rebecca's obsession with cities, population and weather were one of those quirks we loved to play with. And her ability to recite Harry Potter books made for the best party trick!"

Janet points out that Rebecca's life is like walking on a tightrope. "Her memories can be triggered by something as routine as how the breeze feels on her face... there is no closure because she vividly remembers the negative experiences," says the 53-year-old Janet, who runs an automotive painting business with her second husband Brent. "This means I have to be very mindful of each and everything that I say to Becky because it will remain with her forever. And this can be very frustrating because sometimes I have to hold back from speaking my mind."

To be able to cope with her environment, Rebecca meditates daily and has been working with a psychologist to learn grounding techniques — exercises that help her to bring her mind to the present day. "These exercises demand a lot of concentration, and become exhausting," says Rebecca, who is a subject in two scientific studies; one by the University of Queensland (UQ) in conjunction with the Queensland Brain Institute, and another by researchers at the University of California Irvine (UCI) in the United States — the one to discover and name the condition. Both the universities are trying to find out how and why Rebecca's memory is different. "They hope to learn how they can apply that knowledge to help others with memory problems," says Janet.