Does anyone else not remember their childhood??

[cheekycee]

I really don't remember my childhood. I hardly have any memories. I have like 5 that I can think of. I did experience a bit of childhood trauma that I remember briefly (being introduced to sexual things extremely early by other children) could this be why

I'm interested in this too as I'm the same. I have some memories but no good, happy ones.

Did you experience any others? Besides the SA I do also remember my mother being really abusive emotionally to my brother. Again I know she was and I have 1 or 2 memories but honestly don't recall much.

Any trauma *

It's never a good sign if you can't remember your childhood.

On the other hand, I had a shit childhood and remember it vividly so i'm not sure that's any better.

You must have some good memories though? Do you remember your first day at school? first communion? a christmas when you really believed in santa?

I've always wondered about this! I have no memories until about 8 onwards. Nothing before then!

I wish I didn't. Every day from the age of 5-15 was an utter nightmare.

I don't recall the first day of school, I don't recall ever believing in santa etc... nothing.

That’s really sad. I’m sorry for you: that you don’t remember and that you had horrible experiences as a child.
I remember my childhood very well, and earlier this evening went for a ‘walk’ on Street View round where my granny lived and where my old school was!

Is there anyone you could ask to fill in some (pleasant) details to jog your memory?

not the same but I can’t remember a seven year relationship where we lived together..

There isn't really anyone I could ask I'll be honest... also I'm scared to ask in case they know about the SA and it brings it all up

Really!? Could that be trauma? I'm sorry to hear that!

Then I hope you’ve had happy times and made good memories since then

It's either a trauma response, or because it didn't make an impression on you. Both very sad and probably would be good to explore in therapy

I only have a handful of memories before I leave for university at 18. Ironically, I spend an awful lot of time thinking about my shit childhood for someone who can’t remember much of it.

It might be a trauma response or it might not. I'm late diagnosed adhd and used to get distressed at having basically no memories unless i was looking at photos.

Turns out my brain only has two modes where time is concerned - "now" and "not now".

I do think I have undiagnosed ADHD so I do wonder if that's why?
My parents did hit us growing up but never left a mark or anything. But I only remember that from 8 onwards. Of course it likely happened before then too.

My husband doesn't remember much at all....and he didn't have a great childhood.My friend doesn't either and neither did she.
I remember LOADS....I luckily had a really good childhood.

Same. I don’t remember much of a long term serious relationship I had. We lived in 4 different town over the relationship. I remember the houses and flats we lived in but I don’t remember much about him or spending time together. Nothing bad happened, he was a lovely bloke.

Me. I hardly remember a thing and what I do know I think it's because other people have told me, not my own memory as such. Don't remember being at primary or secondary schools or family holidays. Weirdly I do remember people though.

I've had EMDR therapy for a different reason and did bring this up. The therapist said if you go through trauma the brain can block out the smaller memories to focus on the trauma itself. I don't know if this is the case as I've never been able to remember.

I'm so sorry OP you experienced such abuse 😥

Yes, I do recall a great deal of my childhood. My first memory was getting to our front door and mum frantically trying to unlock the door so I could use the bathroom. I had regular knickers on, and ended up pooing in them at the front door! I distinctly recall the poo dangling in my floral underwear and me walking like a cowboy to the toilet!😬I assume I was 2 or 3?

The next memory is a sleeper train with my mum when I was 3 and the fold down bunks and sink. At 4 I had a grommet operation on my ear and recall the black mask in theatre, being cannulated in the back of my left hand, and waking up on the children's ward and the single TV on the wall. I remember teachers names since age 4, school room layouts, games we played, holidays etc. I had always assumed it was normal to recall ones childhood till I met DH.

DH's parent divorced when he was 3. His mum re-married when he was 5. He has almost no memory of his childhood at all, and I do think its a traumatic response. He finds it odd that I recall so much, whereas I feel its incredibly sad that there is a reason he cannot. 🙁

I can’t , my childhood was very traumatic . Nothing nice to remember . Mentally ill mum and poor dad who struggled looking after her and us kids, loved him so much but to see him struggling to cope was unbearable. All I remember is being intensely frightened, sad and anxious .

what is your first memory then OP? If you think about that then you might be able to position it in your memory and either remember forwards from that point or even remember back.

But first you have to find your first memory.

Weirdly another poster has mentioned ADHD my sister is autistic and she can't remember a thing before about 11-12 and even then only vague thoughts and from photos.

She said she's either thinking about things right now or thinking about what she needs to do next in great detail but when she gets to go back it's empty.

She said Even months ago are vague.

We grew up together in a good family no major trauma etc so we just assumed it different brains different processing, as I can recall way back to being about 18 months onwards in vivid detail.

A friend remembers almost nothing of our university days. We haven't seen much of each other since but kept in touch, but they have no recollection of our shared experiences. They were very ill a few years back (5/6 years after graduation) and it seems to stem from that.

I had lots of trauma in childhood and remember very little of anything apart from the events around that. Whenever I look at pictures from my childhood I feel immediately tense and anxious.