Nonsense. Your memories comprise much of who you are. Losing them is like losing parts of yourself, and it's extremely disconcerting.<p>I'm only 29, but I've had a few points of memory loss (amongst other mental issues). You've done things, significant things even, but have zero recollection. I've had to go to my email and IM archives to verify events and convince myself that yes, they happened. It's shocking when you find out days or whole weeks have happened, yet they are just erased from your mind. Imagine if a family member asked you about your trip to X, a place you'd never gone, yet everyone acted as if you had. You'd laugh and think it a joke, until you realised it wasn't a joke - then how'd you feel?<p>Coupled with dementia and other symptoms of Alzheimer's (or another loss of mental function), it's no wonder some would want to kill themselves. Why would you want to live in a disjointed dream, perhaps with a constant sense that something is terribly wrong, but not understanding what's happening? Why would you want to destroy others' memories of you, by leaving them with years of "not you"?<p>I probably have 2 or 3 decades before things are really bad (perhaps a lot more with advances in medicine and technology), but if I ever get too bad, I'm going out on the highest note possible. If not for me, for my family.