WillyKat
Diamond Member
During a traumatic experience, parts of our brain, the parts that record ordinary memories, get turned off. Or at least almost off. The parts that handle fear, fight / flight, etc.- these are dialed up to the max. That's really oversimplified, but explains why our memories are fragmented or "stored" as body sensations. They just aren't the same as memories of something neutral or nice, like a visit to grandma's or something.
In other words, what you are dealing with is very common among trauma survivors.
Therapy and telling others your story, like on this forum, helps you to verbally say what the events were, get feedback, and ultimately bring your experience back though your senses in a safe way. That's important, because as it all gets cycled it enters your brain and is stored just like normal memories. That's a huge part of the healing process.
I read once somewhere that people remember details of their trauma when they are strong enough to handle it. Meh, I'm not so sure that's true. There are large holes in my memory and I hear the same from many other survivors. I think it's reasonable to assume that I just won't remember a lot of details.
Hope that helps.
In other words, what you are dealing with is very common among trauma survivors.
Therapy and telling others your story, like on this forum, helps you to verbally say what the events were, get feedback, and ultimately bring your experience back though your senses in a safe way. That's important, because as it all gets cycled it enters your brain and is stored just like normal memories. That's a huge part of the healing process.
I read once somewhere that people remember details of their trauma when they are strong enough to handle it. Meh, I'm not so sure that's true. There are large holes in my memory and I hear the same from many other survivors. I think it's reasonable to assume that I just won't remember a lot of details.
Hope that helps.
