I've not been properly diagnosed with ptsd, but I do have many of the symptoms that didn't start til after our fire 6 months ago. Something new has happened to me twice now lately in that I've noticed people have talked to me and it's like I didn't even hear it. The other day I was visiting my parents and my son was beside me talking about something, and a few minutes later my mom asked what he said. I couldn't tell her. It was like I didn't hear a thing he said - almost like it hadn't happened. I didn't know what to say. And last night my husband was telling me something about taking his lunch to work today or other, and when I went to the kitchen a few minutes later I asked him what the bag was for on the table. He had just told me. I hadn't heard a thing he had said though I was sitting there listening. It was like I had just zoned out or something.

Also, since I'm still learning about all this, I was wondering what the difference is between a flashback and a memory. I remember everything about my experience so clearly. Everything that happened right before, even days before. I remember so many things so clearly, and I seem to go over everything in my head a lot. I replay it often. I suppose these are memories. But something sometimes will trigger a memory all of a sudden that will make me feel very sad or make me cry. Like my new cat was sitting on top of the couch, and I suddenly saw in my head my cat James that had done that right before the fire. Saw it in my head perfectly almost like being there again. Shortly before the fire he had hopped up there to sit with me. He's one of 2 that have been missing since the fire - the others died. And I just felt my stomach drop. Things like this happen to me occasionally. Would that be a flashback?? Or just a random pop-up memory??