I'm stuck in the past. What psychological condition is this?

Question

I do an overwhelmingly large amount of reminiscing about times in my past and I'm only 22 years old. I'll smell the air on a spring day and get stuck thinking about family vacations 10 years ago. I'll be transported back (mentally) to different times over my life from age 3 to 21. In my mind, I remember the things that happened and how I felt back then with great clarity - and I miss those times greatly.

I have a very strong attachment to the past. What psychological condition is this called?

Sometimes I think about really enjoyable events like vacations. Other times, I'll think about more common place activities that people don't remember.

I've been told that my memory of these events that seem insignificant to other people is really great. It's because I attach some sort of emotional feeling aspect to everything.

I would spend time over at a friends house when I was in elementary school. His parents would take us places like out to eat or to water parks, etc. I somehow attached an emotional feeling to all these events and now that lets me remember every single car my friend's parents ever owned. I spoke with them about it a while ago and they can't even remember their own cars.

An interesting point is that looking back on the events seems MORE pleasurable compared to the events themselves at the time of the event. It's like I'm adding something to them.

Answer 1

Nostalgic obsession.

You should spend more time dreaming about the future. Transform the family vacation to Florida into a daydream about your future sailing trip around the Virgin Islands.

In the Buddhist sense, you are clinging to something you desire that you can never have again- causing you inevitable misery. The future orientation is better, because you have some power to control it.

Best of all is to learn to exist in the present. As we get older we lose the ability to enjoy life, always obsessing about recreation of past experiences and worrying about the future that has not come.

Answer 2

There are many different reasons for this nostalgia or obsession. Some people may have PTSD or may be prone to this or depression because of their ability to have such great recall that it's almost as if they can be there when times were better. Sometimes the times looking back seem better because when you are experiencing these events you don't know how great you are having it right then. One resource I looked up mentioned something about schizophrenia.
As long as it's not (severely) interferring with your daily tasks, I would not worry too much about it, but if it a source of distress, then talk with a professional about it.
I attach emotional events to clothing and music for example, and sometimes smells and pictures, and triggering words and other triggering events, etc.. I personally think it has nothing to do with age. If a person who has been through any kind of trauma is focusing on the good times so well that (s)he can almost taste it, it can get quite distracting. Flashbacking to the bad events, however, is even more distracting and can provoke anxiety or a sense of dread. I have done both the good and the bad memories. It's almost like sometimes you get triggered so much so that you feel (almost) like you are reliving that or those particular events.
My suggestion, enjoy being able to remember the good times as better than what you thought they were, unless these get in the way of your career or studies, then it's time to refocus your mental energy (and possibly physical and spiritual depending on how stimulated you get off these memories), or take a breather and break away and make new and even better memories. Life goes by too quickly to waste it on some memories that are keeping you from living today and doing what needs to get done, but allow yourself some time to have fun reminiscing about possible significant emotional events (SEE) that can bring you pleasure, kind of like actually allowing yourself to eat that chocolate ice cream once in a while.

Answer 3

I have the exact same problem. I'm always looking back to the past, because the past was so much better than my present day life. I was happy, carefree, didn't have to worry about stress, friend drama, school work, money, the state of the world, politics, whatever.
I do have depression however, and my therapist believes it stemmed from that. He believes my depression became an issue after suffering rejection by a friend, and because my life has become miserable I constantly dwell on the past and the good times I believe I'll never have again.
If you're unsatisfied with your current day life, it's obvious that you'd look back to the past and miss those times. I don't think it's necesarily a problem. =/ Then again, if this absolutely takes over your life, you may have a condition.

Answer 4

A quick Dr Phil answer would be avoidance behavior. Get off your duff and create new memories to recall in your future. One of the great thinkers once said their are no greater pleasures than the pleasures of the mind. One other quick observation, you are using all these terms that send a negative msg. to your sub-conscience i.e. overwhelming, stuck, ect. don't. Once again as your grow older you will be grateful for all those pleasant memories, they are what allows you to project possitive on the future when things are not going well. Hope this helps.

Answer 5

I am the same way. I've lived my whole life looking through the rear view mirror. I just kind of had to accept it as my lot in life. I don't know what you can do to to try and appreciate the now more but if you figure it, let me know. I think knowing you do this is part of the solution, take lots of pictures, surround yourself with them and do your best to figure out what you learned from that time and what the best things were that you want to carry forward with you.

Answer 6

Although I am not an expert, I don't think there is any term for this condition other than nostalgia. I feel the same way sometimes but its often more related to worrysome events than pleasant ones.

Answer 7

I met someone that seemed to be stuck in the past. He was quite boring and uninteresting. He seemed stuck in his own ways and did not like change. You're young, don't let this happen to you when you become middle aged.

Answer 8

Groundhog Day Syndrome.

Answer 9

its becuse you are in a transitional state from "young" to "adult" and have to reorganize yourself and your goals, the only material you have is what you experienced so far.
Is this true you soon move on and can forget it all.

Answer 10

Well if you are transported back, then you'll be able to relive them whenever you want, right?