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Is I Possible To Have Been Sa As A Child And Completely Not Know?

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Michiru

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Hello, I have been searching for some answers and was led here, I've looked through some of the forum posts on the topic; however, I think it's time to ask my own questions. I am new to this forum, so please forgive me if this thread is in the wrong location.

My question is could it be possible to have either entirely blocked out a memory, or slept through an incident of being molested as a child? Would you feel something strange, or sort of creeped out in your own skin, or could you still feel normal? Would you sort of know in your mind deep down, or could you have no inclination to it at all?

I'm 22 years old, and I am in my first committed, stable relationship. When things get physical with my partner though, I only experience pain. This pain is mainly on penitration, and never subsides, but only gets more intense. The pain is often unbearable, and I sometimes begin to cry and cannot continue.

I have brought this up to my doctor, and aside from a lack-luster suggestion for what it may be, I was told to get an ultrasound. The results for that, a Pap, and blood tests show that there is nothing physically wrong with me. And yet the pain purists.

The problem has cut into my relationship, and I often try to avoid physical encounters just to stave off the inevitable pain. And then I watched a documentary about a woman who was feeling the same way. In the documentary the woman said it boiled down the the fact that she was sexually abused as a child.

I've had the question linger in my mind before, but have always brushed it off, I assumed I would have some sort of feeling to let me know. After watching the documentary the question rose again.

When I was a child I developed insomnia very suddenly, and lived with it throughout my teen years. I was diagnosed depressive, and suffered from cutting and Trichotillomania. I remember being very unforgiving to myself, and uncaring about myself or my body.
 
Welcome to the forum. I hope you find some answers here.

I was sexually abused as a child, and had amnesia. I am now remembering horrid things. I am 53. I also had pain on penetration all my life, but the pain would subside. I also cut as a teenager, had insomnia and depression. I would feel uneasy around my father-he drifted out of our lives when I was around 12. Also when I was around my older brother. They are both dead now. I still have insomnia. I am in therapy now so I hope to become well again.
 
(continued)
The reason I sometimes do question the idea is because growing up my closest friends were molested as children by a man who lived in the home. This home was considered by me to be my second home. I was swimming and sleeping over constantly. The time frame for this would be about age 6-12, when I found out about my friends I remember feeling sick and thinking and questioning, trying to think back or remember if anything had possibly happened to me as well. When my mom asked me I told her no, but I was questioning myself, thinking I don't know, how would I know? I let the issue go, and never looked back.

As far as memories go, I have none that would suggest an incident might have occurred. I can't really remember the man who went away. But I still feel scared at night, I feel creeped out and unsure, like someone is always in the room watching me, or will come through my window every second. Even at 22 I find the need to tell myself nothing happened last night and so nothing will happen tonight. I don't know if it's normal to feel like that, I don't know if I should question if something might have happened to me. I don't know if maybe I'm just being paranoid, or if I should seek professional help.

That's really all for now. I really am very sorry that my post is so long.
~Michi
 
I hope you can find solace in your life as well. Having been around family and friends who have been sexually assaulted, and now questioning it myself, it really don't change your life. Nothing really ever gets back to 'normal'.
 
Yes, but it does explain my behavior, and that gives me hope for the future. I've always felt I was just different than other people but now I know I can be part of the human race.
 
I'm sorry, *it really DOES change your life.

That is inspiring. I like your strength to want to still move forward with your life.
 
Hi Michiru, and welcome to the forum. I'm sorry for the reasons that have led you here, but there are a wealth of wise and supportive people here who will be willing to share your journey with you and offer advice and support where possible.

I'm afraid that nobody can really answer the question you pose, though I deeply empathise with your need to ask it, and to try to seek an answer to what must be a very distressing problem to face. At the end of the day, whether or not you ever have a clear factual certainty about your past isn't something that can be resolved here, or in any quick way at all. And trying to approach your current struggles from that perspective is probably not the most productive way forward for you.

Put simply, if your current issues and challenges are negatively impacting on your quality of life to an extent that is causing you distress, limitation or general unhappiness, then they are worth addressing, and seeking a therapist to work with you on these issues may well be the best way forward at this stage.

Finding a therapist you feel comfortable with and explaining your situation much as you have explained it here may well be the first critical step to improving your quality of life, and whether or not that involves exploration of your past and management of your current symptoms or both, will be the journey ahead of you.

I'm sorry that this is far from an easy or quick solution, but it sounds as though you are facing many challenges right now, and regardless of their origin, you deserve some relief and some strategies to help you to improve your overall quality of life and relationships.

Wishing you all the best on your journey forward.

Maddog
 
Oh, I am so sorry to hear of this pain happening to you, and can relate to the anxiety and intimacy issues. I used to get a stabbing (really terrible pain) that would come as a result of my repressing my trauma. It is entirely possible with counseling you can use EMDR and processing to rid yourself of this reaction if it is somatic.

To answer your question can someone block it all out? That has totally been answered, and the answer is, I'm sad to say, "Yes." It is common for that to happen. Having symptoms is not conclusive enough. I believe even witnessing someone else being abused could traumatize a child and cause similar symptoms.

Some of the memories never even get "recorded" so that there is "nothing to block out" as such. Other times, they are shattered and stored all over the brain and body, and emerge like shards of pain that erupt, come out, get processed, and the pain they caused is diminished greatly.

I agree with what Maddog said and cannot improve upon that message other than to say, "yes," it's entirely possible to have amnesia.
That doesn't prove much for people as individuals.

You are welcome here and will find many good people who will be able to support you. I have found much comfort right when I needed it most here. I hope you will take full advantage of this site and also receive the same support. :)

Muse
 
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