I remember becoming self aware at age 3 right down to what I was doing at that time and I remember an OCD memory from that same year and I remember a couple of trips to the local mall with my family, a brief memory from a camping trip, a few trips to the toy department of a discount store and my dad building tiny HO scale toy cars for me and my brother as well as my fourth birthday but, nothing else but, about maybe 10 memories afterward but, I have no memory of my fifth birthday or the sixth birthday either.
My dad left us at what I thought was age 5 for me but, now I wonder if it was actually when I was four and I do have two disturbing memories of abuse from when I was 4 and in the memories I see the actions taking place externally as though I'm someone who is near by and watching it unfold. I do have some memories of being five and a few more traumatic memories of that year and more normal memories at age 6 but, there is a lot missing between ages 3 and 6 and I don't understand why.
Is this normal for very young children who experience sexual abuse or any other kinds of trauma?