[SeekingFeelings]

I remember virtually nothing of my childhood. My guess is that there was neglect but not abuse and that I'm overly empathic.

I found this thread on another forum to be very interesting.

www . outofthefog.net/forum/index.php?topic=54914.0

(I added space around the first dot in the url to be able to post this.)

But, it's a forum for folks with personality disorders so I'm not drawn to engaging in that conversation there.

Please share your stories of having poor memories of growing up. And, I'm also interested to know if therapy and processing emotions have led to recovering of memories.

Thanks!

[Skeezyks]

Well... I'm an older person. So that's part of my problem I suppose. But I don't think I've ever, as an adult, had much of any memories of my childhood prior to the age of about 8. There are a few. And a couple of them I can be reasonably sure actually happened because my parents weren't present.

I was an only child. And my parents liked to tell me stories about things that happened when I was still very young. So, in many cases, with regard to the few memories I do have, I can't be sure if I actually remember them or if I remember them because my parents told me about them years later. Most of what I believe I do remember is traumatic or at least confusing. Although I was an outwardly pretty normal acting kid, I became a master of hiding my twisted nature at an early age.

One thing I have learned though, as a result of reading about research that has been done regarding how our brains work, is that memories are much less reliable than we would typically like to imagine. I don't see a therapist.

[carrie_ann]

i barely remember anything under 18 years old. i've never found any therapy that helps with recovery of memories either.

[TishaBuv]

What are some of your earliest memories?

I have many, vivid memories of my childhood. I even recall what I was thinking at the time.

But it's not unusual to have few memories. You were very young.

I too had a difficult childhood. Memories have always been difficult to keep - even those in my young adulthood. It pains me that I don't remember a great deal of my own children's childhood. I was being emotionally battered during all that time and I think that is the cause. The periods it was at its worst are the same periods my memory is poorest or altogether non-existent.

The memories I do keep are emotional. I have never remembered the facts, certainly don't see a running film. I just remember that at such-in-such a time period I was scared or sad or whatever. I have a hazy memory in about grade three which is the earliest I have. I don't recall the reason why, but my recollection is pure fear that I would have to go home and my mother would be very angry and maybe hurt me for it. My next memory is of aged 13 and again seems to be about the fear of my mother's reaction.

[Sunflower123]

I don't remember much of my childhood...just bits and pieces even of the neglect and abuse. One thing I've learned is that people are past, present or future thinkers. I am a future thinker always looking forward and planning ahead. By contrast my mom has always been a past thinker and remembers in vivid detail events that happened 50-60 years ago.

It bothers me that I don't remember more of my past unless someone reminds me or of my daughter's childhood. Best wishes.

[Misssy2]

my Dr. told me that this is because I am "hyperfocused". I asked what that meant..he said the way my brain works..is it focuses on one thing at a time and it is so "hyper" focused on that one thing that everything else going around me...does not hit my radar.

I have forgotten many of my memories and even driving by my sons school one year...I couldn't even pull ONE memory of him attending that school.

He gave me an example as i was in his office...I was focused on staying on one drug..when I entered the office he said that was MY topic that I wanted to focus on and he asked me to recall what he had said in the last 10 minutes...and I couldn't. Hyperfocus...steals my memories.

[MickeyCheeky]

I don't remember that many things either, but I think it's normal. It's impossible to remember everything. Unless you meant that you really don't remember anything at all, in that case there may be more to it.

[lilacsnow]

I have several memories from when I was young which have given me some clues to what was happening. To me they didn't seem that bad for a long time until I started to process the emotions behind them.

One was my mother laughing about me because she thought I had been cruel to my great grandmother - I didn't realise I had been, and she didn't take time to explain what I ought to have done - age about 4. Another was telling me as an adult over and again that it was really funny that I ruined my dad's books by drawing in them. Another aged about 3/4 - I was lying on a bed without any covers with a bucket next to the bed because I had been sick and had had diahrroea and she was warning me not to have an 'accident' again and she then went out of the room - we were staying at a friends because she had just left my dad. Maybe to many people these don't seem bad at all, but there were more memories I don't feel I can share.

I'm totally tired of the minimising and denial now because over the years its meant I didn't get proper support.

[IcryWhoAmI]

Me, I barely remember a thing from I was young, apart from some of the bad memories, but like other people, I literally remember nothing before the age of 8 or something.

I can think of maybe a dozen memories from my childhood at the very most and all but one or maybe two of them are bad.

I prefer to not think about the past and focus on the future although sometimes it's difficult when things don't go the way I want.

[rdgrad15]

Originally Posted by SeekingFeelings

I remember virtually nothing of my childhood. My guess is that there was neglect but not abuse and that I'm overly empathic.

I found this thread on another forum to be very interesting.

www . outofthefog.net/forum/index.php?topic=54914.0

(I added space around the first dot in the url to be able to post this.)

But, it's a forum for folks with personality disorders so I'm not drawn to engaging in that conversation there.

Please share your stories of having poor memories of growing up. And, I'm also interested to know if therapy and processing emotions have led to recovering of memories.

Thanks!

I am the same. I don't have good memories. I have breif vaque memories of plaing with childhood friends but even those memories were towards the end of my childhood years. Honestly the strongest childhood memories have go only as far back as 12 years old and that is basically teenage years. The reason I remember is because my elementary/middle school moved to a new building in the Fall of 2002 and I only had 4 years left being in a school I absolutely hated since I started there in 1995. Otherwise, I barely remember anything before then. Just small general memories like playing outside during summer vacations. And I barely had friends which may be why I have a poor memory.

I am lucky to have a superpower - it is called denial. Seriously I have managed to wipe a lot of memories from my childhood.

Sadly, the bad memories outweigh the good by tons.

I refuse to believe that as a truth in my life.

[Krow]

My childhood was rather bland above all else. Perhaps more than anything, I resent those who attempted to script my future for me. Until I graduated high school, it was monotonous path towards a lifestyle that I desired to utmost avoid. Everything which I was taught, to which I was exposed, was in order to prepare me for such a life. I suppose it never crossed their minds whether or not I myself would even be content with it.