Can't remember faces or voices

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Hello,

From my knowledge i dont have Autism or Aspergers, however i do have quite bad paranoia and anxiety and agree with far too many things on this forum for my own good. Anyway, one problem i noticed i have is the fact i cant remember faces, primarily in movies. I find it very hard to follow the storyline because i can never remember who is who and what they are doing. The movie "The Social Network" really really confused me, because in my mind they all looked the same and i couldnt even work out who the main character was sometimes.

Also if im on skype or Teamspeak and someone joins the conversation and starts speaking, i won't have a clue who they are. I have to literally ask. Its only when they have a very distinctive voice that i know who they are.

I don't have either of these problems in real life situations.

Anyone have similar problems?

Yes, I have issues in day to day life. The opposite from you ...With movies I am ok. If my mother cuts her hair I don't know her til she speaks to me forat least a minute. I work in a Hotel and some nights it gets so hard and after asking the same people what room they are in several times, people begin to look at you like you have a screw loose lol...

Voices I have issues with too... especially over the phone! I get a huge surge of anxiety every time the phone rings at work... Hate it.

I have the same problem (though I have an easier time with films and have the problem quite badly in real life), it's quite common in people on the spectrum, but you can have it if you're not.

It's called Prosopagnosia, or Face Blindness (although I think it can extend to other identification markers, I have problems with voices, too)

It can be quite mild, or severe, and does get incredibly embarrassing at times.
I've often found that some people take offense to me not being able to recognise them, although most are accepting and remind me who they are if I tell them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosopagnosia

My ability to tell people apart is limited to their hair and general build. If two people have the same hair style, I get REALLY confused. There are people I know simple as: "that person who looks like that other person that I think they look like which probably means he is this guy other guy" (and I still get it wrong). Even in dreams, I can never see faces.

Ironically though, I can tell Asians apart (Koreans from Chinese, Chinese from Japanese, etc.)

Also whenever i try to imagine someone or describe them. I can NEVER pick out much detail on their face, hair is about my limit. The face is just like a blur and i cant focus on it.

I think recognising faces is just like the way that people say all the members of other races look the same.... Just in reality, everyone looks the same, even your own race. The only reason people don't usually say it about their own race is cuz they've seen so damn many of their own race...

The places where people look different are these very small things, subtle things like shape of jaw, shape of eyes, things that people who can tell the difference take for granted. They do differ between races but yeah, even among your own race it takes effort and wanting to be able to tell the difference before you get it. The differences between people are so small! People do actually all look really similar! I think it's like u just get a feel for it is the best way of putting it. I used to have some major problems as a kid telling certain people apart. Just, as time went by, it got easier because it bugged me and it was something on my mind.

Honestly, i think just wanting to tell the difference between people will make the difference. Just wanting it will make you think about it and just wanting it, even if it's not something that will come about overnight, it will actually solve your problem for you eventually.