Not being able to remember a happy/exciting event in your life.

[MemoryPain1963]

I just wondered whether this has happened to anyone else? I've realised over the last few months that I have very little recollection of some major/exciting events in my life. I have heard of people 'wiping out' bad memories from their mind as a way of coping with events or experiences that they'd rather forget. But mine aren't bad memories! For example, I can barely remember any details of my wedding day 34 years ago. I have vague recollections such as my brother driving me to the church,and of the reception afterwards,but the bit in the middle is mostly a blank.

Another example,37 years ago (when I was 18) I went to several rock concerts,with my best friend,to see a band that we idolised during our teens. A few weeks sgo ,my friend mentioned some small incident that had happened at one of these gigs,and to my consternation I could not remember it at all,and it gradually dawned on me that I have no real,solid memories of these gigs. I can remember us getting the train to London,wearing my new leather jacket,and arriving at the venue and being gob smacked at the vast number of speakers stacked up around the auditorium and thinking OMG it's going to be SO loud. But apart from that,again it's a blur. But I can remember being on a high afterwards, so it was in no way a traumatic event! Is this a common occurrence? I'm hoping someone will come along and give some reassurance that its not just me this has happened to!

I’m just the same. Have very few memories in general. Always been the same. Luckily I have siblings that remind me of certain holidays etc that I can’t even vaguely remember. Find it a little annoying that I only have vague memories of my children being small.
I’m a happy, reasonably bright person who has held down a stressful job, so it doesn’t affect me day to day.

Thanks City. Looks like it's not just me then!

Watching thread with interest...

I’m the same. I think it’s really strange when you Don’t know about something and people ask “didn’t you learn that at school?” I can remember virtually nothing I was taught at school.

I think it’s juat having a poor memory though

I have a pretty good long term memory, in that I can remember days out from 20+ years ago with my Dad, and playing with my siblings. I remember most of school, primary through to high school. But I can’t singularly point out a happy or exciting event. My wedding was only 6 years ago and I don’t remember the happiness or excitement from that, only the negative bits, odd as I’m very happy with my husband.

glintandglide I'm the same here too. I can remember very little of what I learnt at school!

My sister emailed me a photo of when I was in high school & met the prime minister. It would have been a massive deal and a big honour for me & I have no recollection whatsoever of it happening.

I'm sure there's more, but I can't remember them

I cant remember what I did for either my 18th or 21st birthdays. I must have done something as my family doesnt ignore birthdays.

I'm the same. My memory is awful.

I heard a radio show on memory recently and it explained from a long time ago what you're really remembering is your memory of your memory.

So think about the good times often, remember the 5 senses - what could you smell, hear etc.

I can’t remember my wedding day either! I wasn’t even that drunk!

I always seem to remember bad things rather than exciting things. I don't know why??

I’m pretty sure it was on MN - I recently read about a women who has no memory of events. Even looking at photos doesn’t remind her of the occasion. She has no recollection of her children being born!

Somehow she manages with day to day family life, work etc but has no real memories of past events.

I remember very little in detail. I have extremely few childhood memories, just fleeting snatches of them. I don’t really remember my wedding day in detail or any big events. I barely remember giving birth! I literally rely on my husband who has a ridiculously good memory. Or maybe it’s normal, who knows!

Thinkingofausername. I have heard contradictory information about rememembering or forgetting good/bad things. I've heard of people only remembering bad things and not good things,but also vice versa,in that they totally erase any bad memories. I'm confused now!

I was talking to an old school friend recently and she vividly remembers things that happened in primary that I have no recollection of whatsoever. I only have very vague memories of my childhood, but the memories look like the photographs in the photo albums.

My father died suddenly in my early teens and I've always put it down to the trauma of that, but maybe my memory would have been crap anyway.

Same here and it bothers me no end. I tell you one thing I CAN remember.....every song I loath. And it will play endlessly in my mind.

I remember giving birth both times as they were both quite traumatic, but other memories of the children's childhood's are gone. My mother will ask me if I remember when DS1 did this, that or the other, but there's often no memory of it at all.

I can remember almost every bad or sad thing that happened to me in some detail but of happy and fun events - I can't remember a thing. I have to rely on DW for these and for stuff before we met I've no recollection and as parents and family are dead, it's presumably lost forever.

I have an extremely vivid memory for childhood - I can remember things my parents have no recollection of whatsoever; places I went to, things people said, how I felt about things. This is a mixed blessing, because I remember a lot of the bad as well as the good.

But it's much more of an effort to remember things that happened in the last few years. If it's something where I was very focussed on a task, such as performing in a concert, I then often forget it straight away - as if I'm glad to unburden my mind. I could list many things I did in 1987, but couldn't begin to tell you things I was doing in 2017 without looking them up; I suppose it's because I know I can look them up, so I don't need to keep them in my head, so when they happened is more of a blur.

When teaching maths, I'm always stressing the importance of writing things down: if you write it, your brain can then let go of it, because it's quite an effort to remember something for a short period of time.