[tigerlady]

has anyone ever gone to a therapy session and not remember a thing that was said?..there are times i go, i remember hearing his calming voice but i dont remember a word..its irritating..i feel like i just wasted a whole session..please tell me im not loosing my mind..

[explosion101]

Your not losing your mind. I know exactly what that feels like. Its really irritating. it feels like i have gotten nowhere because i cant remember what he says.

[phoenix7]

no you're not losing your mind - it happens to me - and it is so frustrating - I think sometimes thats just the way it goes - other times i remember some of my session.....

[skeksi]

This has happened to me often. I think it happens more when I am feeling anxious or unsafe. It's like my brain is so occupied with the anxiety, it can't retain anything else. I write down a few notes as soon as I leave the therapy office now, so that I can remind myself of the gist of our conversation.

One thing that has really helped me, though, is backing off focusing too much on any one session. A lot of times if I can just hold on to the feeling I had in session of being heard, and cared for, then I can come back to that during the week, no matter what we talked about.

Tigerlady, you're not wasting those sessions. They are sinking into your brain. It's a hard, long process overcoming PTSD.

[my3sns]

Yeah , i agree with the others. It happens to me a lot of times and i try to just hold on to the calming nature of her voice , as well as the soft touch of her hands ( as she will often times try to keep me grounded , by holding my hands). I dont think its a wasted session either... i think that on some level the stuff being said does get in , but also think it helps build the trust necessary for therapy.... Since i trust my T very much , it just reinforces that trust.

[skymonk]

I've also experienced this w/my pdoc-but I do know that I've gotten a lot off of my chest because I feel calmer even though I can't remember exactly what was said. The short term memory stuff carries over into my everyday life-I forget words for things&have to start describing what I mean&then it either suddenly comes to me or someone says it&I say "That's the word I couldn't remember!" I also forget what it is that I need to be doing or getting before going to an appt. or an errand-VERY frustrating! I'm on Geodon now&those things seem to become less frequent the longer I'm on it at the dosage I'm on. It's not you-it's the PTSD&the PTSD is a real stinker.

[chalmette70043]

Here's another one. Have that problem alot. It happens right in the middle of therapy often too. My t knows the problem i have with it and came up an idea today. It kinda beats to battles in one. I havent been able to use my video camera by looking through the viewfinder since i recorded something 3 1/2 years ago. But just the other day i hooked it up to ac/dc and used the lcd and hit record. So starting next week she wants me to bring the video camera and set it up that same exact way and record our sessions. Don't know how this will work out cause i hate hearing my voice on media. But hoping for the best.

[skymonk]

Chalmette that is such a good idea! I've been thinking about tape recording my sessions so I can remember what was said-I think you have to have the pdoc's OK to do it since you're taping them too. Think I'll ask my pdoc about this when I see him on Friday. Glad I'm not the only one in this stinky boat!

[ncguynva]

I have not been diagnosed with PTSD, but my ex wife has been. She often told me that she cannot remember things when she has been put on the spot or when anxious or nervous. She would have "blonde moments" as she called them before we found out PTSD caused it. I feel bad beacause I kinda made fun of her(jokingly nothing serious) and she went with it. Since I discovered her condition, I haven't mentioned it since.

[TIFFANY1968]

i am a first timer here. i read your post. truth is my shrink explained to me memory loss is sometimes associated with ptsd. i suffer from both short andlong term memory. on an unrelated subject, emdr therapy has worked wonders for me and reduced the dope they try to feed you. good luck and know you possess within yourself the inner strentgh to fight this. tiffany

[ihateit]

Wow, I didn't know this was a part of PTSD either...my wife, also PTSD, has short term memory. We can talk, and I'll ask her what we just talked about, and she won't be able to recall everything. I too would tease her about being blonde...won't anymore. Very interesting!

[ff271]

Sometimes the same thing has happened to me with therapy,and at times it has happened in everyday life,sad thing is it was somethings that were important.

Originally Posted by tigerlady

has anyone ever gone to a therapy session and not remember a thing that was said?..there are times i go, i remember hearing his calming voice but i dont remember a word..its irritating..i feel like i just wasted a whole session..please tell me im not loosing my mind..

[Sannah]

Is this dissociation do you all think?

[GGGB]

I think it is because sometimes the things my therepist is saying to me is really just pissing me off so I stop listening. I feel like he is trying to downplay what I am really feeling and is not listening to me. You are not losing your mind. I do feel that way also at times. I want to just ask him are you listening to me. Do you understand what I am telling you.

Originally Posted by tigerlady

has anyone ever gone to a therapy session and not remember a thing that was said?..there are times i go, i remember hearing his calming voice but i dont remember a word..its irritating..i feel like i just wasted a whole session..please tell me im not loosing my mind..

[sunnye]

I'm doing hypnotherapy with my psychologist and I can't remember the details. I have to look at colors and choose what color makes me feel most calm. When faced with a stressful situation or if I feel really depressed I'm supposed to remember how that color made me feel, but I can't. Actually, I'm too anxious in the session trying to come up with a answer after she has asked how I feel when looking at "my" color.

[Samanthaq]

Wow, memory problems and PTSD? Oh, yeah, like totally. Short term memory was shot, I'd get up to go to the bathroom and forget where I was going before I got there. I'd start talking about something, and forget what point I was trying to make, and I could go through the list. Worse, some of the things I'm trying to forget, ON PURPOSE, because I wish they'd go away and leave me alone, are some of the things that lead me to this point in my life. So, yes, blond moments galore.

I was going to say something else here too, and now I forget. I only wish I was making this up. I had to go out and get atomic clocks (the kind that set themselves) that show not just time but day and date too.

The good news is I've been dealing with this now for about five years, and in that time I've made progress. My short term memory is markedly better than it was this time five years ago. Therapy has been a huge help. It's important in therapy to establish boundaries, to learn when to say enough, to give yourself chance to come up for air, or to put off dealing with topics you're not yet ready for, no-one else can do this for you. It's hard work, but it pays off too.

[phoenix7]

Originally Posted by Sannah

Is this dissociation do you all think?

interesting thought which I hadnt even considered...... I wonder if it is

[susie2009]

Don't feel too bad, I have that happen to me all the time. Sometimes I am glad to not remember what I said in therapy. Worse is when I don't remember what I said in group, or how to spell something simple. It makes life a little harry sometimes. For example I don't remember which posts I respond to, and sometimes I don't remember what I said.