Movies usually only depict the most extreme cases of memory loss. (Interesting: Dory character from Finding Nemo has been praised by medical professionals for accurately portraying neurological amnesia.)

But in the real world, there’s a wide spectrum of conditions and cases, and they’re often misunderstood. Reddit user NoviceoftheWorld is a 19-year-old woman who has been diagnosed with mitochondrial disease, a rare metabolic disorder that interferes with energy production. Memory loss is one of the symptoms.

She can retain about six months of memories, but no more than that. The redditor shares what life is like for her in a recent Reddit AMA. “I may know what I did, or that I was there, but I can’t ‘replay’ the events in my mind,” she explains.

She also discusses her daily coping mechanisms, her thoughts on trust and her outlook on life. Here are some of the most fascinating moments from the conversation.

On what’s happening in her body that is causing the memory loss

On the memories that do stick

On the day-to-day challenges of living with memory loss

On her system of painstaking documentation, and other coping mechanisms

On what she remembers from movies she’s watched

On developing trust issues due to her condition

On forming personal connections in spite of it all

On whether she will remember doing this Reddit AMA

On what’s really worth remembering in life

On how her condition can be seen as a gift rather than a disability

On retaining her sense of humor

See the full discussion in the original Reddit thread.