Why can I not remember my childhood?

Question

I have literally few good memories of my parents. They were addicted to drugs in my youth, and for the most part my only memories are horrible. A great deal of my childhood is gone in my mind. I cannot recall living at home alone with my step-father for the 6 months that my mother was imprisoned. I can't remember birthdays, most of my schooling, living at home with my parents. Why??? Where did it all go??? I feel like I have less of an identity because I don't remember my life.....

Answer 1

Why dont you consider this as the gods gift - that you cant remember some of the past. It is helping you to forget the bad past - bad childhood.

Now onwards, you try to give more importance to every simple good thing of your life. Think about them when you are alone, share with others - like good friends. You will be able to remember them in future.

Why do you want to remember all the bad past.. let them go out of you - your memories. Fill in the new and good experiences in their place. You will feel good. Better always.

Cheers

Answer 2

It is possible that you suppressed your childhood memories. People tend to subconsciously suppress unpleasant memories, and since your childhood memories were horrible, you must have suppressed them. That's why you can't remember them.

A part of my childhood memories disappeared the same way too. I can't remember much from my most miserable childhood years because I suppressed those memories, I wanted those bad things to go away.

It is kind of weird not remembering parts of your own life, and it must be especially weird when you hardly remember anything from your childhood at all. But it doesn't give you less of an identity. You are you, and your life made you the person you are today. Maybe it's better to forget some things than to live with horrible, painful memories.

Answer 3

Stress has an overwhelming attraction to self-induced amnesia. During or after scenarios where you encounter long periods of stress or highly-tense stimuli, one can cause amnesia to block parts of the experiences off. This trigger is encountered because in memories we feel emotions; pain, loss, grief, and anger can all be recalled in memories and since the body might not want to go through it again, it blocks you from remembering it.

Another possibility is simply that you've grown into a state of adulthood. Later in life it is normal to lose early memories of youth because the mind cannot simply deal with all of the information. This process can be brought on by the natural maturation of the brain or by certain chemical changes. (Drugs, Changes of lifestyle, ect.)

Answer 4

traumatic childhood is really a bad thing for ur personality.all traumatic events - the subconcious tries to supress it.cos it gives pain. the mind obviously will supress it deep.
whenever similar incidents come the unconcious thoughts try to pop upand give u headache or anxiety. u ll need to bring them out and chanalise ut emotions and changing your perception towords those thoughts.
you were at the mercy of your caretakers as a child and things were not in your hands ,but now that u are in your own control u need to forgive them cos they were in problems that time and did what they thought was best to their knowledge.and dont worry if u dont remember your childhood jus be in the present and enjoy your life now.good luck

Answer 5

Well, I only know 2 reasons (may be there are more)
1: tragic events or experience, so stress one out that they have forget (like what the other above 'answers' had said.
2: (that's me), I can only remember a certain quantity, means my brain only hold certain quantity of memorize.

I really suggest you to see a counsellor.
take care

Answer 6

Maybe because you don't want to think abt it and you have blocked the bad memories

I can't remember some things of my childhood as well

Answer 7

It's probably better that you don't remember. When exposed to extremely traumatic times, the mind immediately forces itself to try as hard as it can to forget. You probably had a rough childhood.

Answer 8

Why remember the past when the future is what makes or break you...? It's okay. People rarely remembers their beautiful childhood.... So you're not the only one...

Answer 9

don't worry,be positive,and now enjoy meditation,what u want at the moment can easily be gained thru deep meditation,it will enhance ur memory,intellect and wisdom,u will be able to watch all the informations stored on ur mind's computer.for more information visit our site
www.vishvas.org
if u need chating i am available on yahoo answers

Answer 10

Chalk it up to a form of self-preservation. Your mind is trying to protect you from the horrors of your past. Unfortunately they usually resurface sooner or later.