Memory is part of a very complex process that begins with attention and continues through storing and retrieving what has been learned. No one's memory is perfect. We occasionally may forget where we left our car at the mall or where we laid that book we were reading. In and by itself, these memory lapses do not not mean we have a memory disorder. Memory and How it Serves Us
WORKING MEMORY stores information that's useful for a very brief time, then discarded. Examples are remembering a road sign while driving or recalling the phone number we just looked up. This kind of memory is easily effected by stress.EPISODIC MEMORY helps us recall personal events in our life, like who was at last year's Christmas party or when our automobile was serviced.AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL MEMORY allows us to recall mile stones in our personal life, such as date we married, the year we graduated from high school or when our children were born. PROCEDURAL MEMORY helps us remember how to do things, like operating household appliances, starting the lawn mower, or sending email over the internet. Except in the advanced stages of Dementia, this kind of memory is most resistant to change and decline. Short and Long Term Memory
SHORT TERM MEMORY helps us remember events that happened in the immediate past. It allows us to remember an up coming appointment or what we are planning to prepare for dinner. This kind of memory is at high risk for failing and often is the first signs of a memory disorder. LONG TERM MEMORY is most resistant to change over time and allows us to recall events that may have happened decades ago. Only in the advanced stages of Dementia does Long Term Memory fade. 
