Rebecca Sharrock has a rare ability to remember almost every moment of her life. While this may seem like a gift, she says it comes with challenges.
She was diagnosed in 2013 with Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM), also known as hyperthymesia. This condition allows people to recall nearly every detail of their lives. Rebecca always had this ability, but she didn’t realize it was unusual until her diagnosis.
Her memory is so sharp that she remembers moments from when she was a newborn. In a 2017 interview with BBC News, she said, “When I was about a week old, I remember being wrapped in a pink cotton blanket.” She also said she could always tell when her mother was holding her.
For most of her life, she thought everyone remembered things the same way she did. That changed on January 23, 2011, when she saw a news story about people with HSAM. She recalled, “When the reporters said, ‘This is amazing,’ I asked my parents, ‘Why are they calling this amazing? Isn’t it normal?’”
Her parents explained that her memory was not typical. Doctors confirmed their suspicions two years later. By 2019, Rebecca was the only known Australian with HSAM.
While some might think her memory is a special ability, she says it can be overwhelming. Painful memories bring back emotions as if they are happening in the present.
“If I remember something from when I was three, my emotional response is like a three-year-old, even though I’m an adult,” she explained.
She also shared that some people believe she is just dwelling on negative experiences, but she says it’s not a choice.
“It’s awful to be a medical exception,” she said. “Very few people understand, and there aren’t many treatments for it.”
Despite everything, this is simply how her brain works. “Remembering this way just seems normal to me.”