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Memory

B

As I've aged (I am now over 60) my older memories have become much more intense and I'm remembering things I'd previously forgotten.

In fact, I feel haunted by my past and often can't stop thinking about it, especially my childhood.

I've read in the past about memory in autism being different and I'm unsure whether it's to do with this or whether this is a usual thing as people age.

I've talked to people older than me and they often talk about the past but I don't know whether this is because of mental decline, and short term memory failing.

Does anyone else experience what I have described above.

Any ideas what it might be related to?

Thanks.

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  • B said:
    In fact, I feel haunted by my past and often can't stop thinking about it, especially my childhood.

    I would recommend getting a licensed psychotherapist who knows about autism - this sort of thing is something they are trained to do.

    I suspect there are traumas from this time which are being stirred up by recent situations and because the original trauma was never processed by your adult brain then it remains there like a festering sore, causing issues even now.

    The process is called "unpacking" and will help you explore the trauma, understand it, forgive yourself for it and begin the healing process which allows you to also change the defence mechanisms that you probably built up around it.

    B said:
    I've read in the past about memory in autism being different

    This is quite a complex subject - a good start if this article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism_and_memory

    I don't think memory itself is the issue but rather what is triggering it.

    All this is just my opinion of course.

  • in reply to Iain
    Iain said:
    I suspect there are traumas from this time which are being stirred up by recent situations and because the original trauma was never processed by your adult brain then it remains there like a festering sore, causing issues even now.

    Thank you for your reply.

    It's not trauma related in a single sense but I didn't have the happiest childhood. 

    It is broader than this and the things I am thinking about aren't all 'bad'.

    I believe there is something else at work.

    I would be especially interested to find anyone else experiencing similar. 

  • in reply to B
    B said:
    It's not trauma related in a single sense but I didn't have the happiest childhood. 

    Complex PTSD seems possible here. There is a good article that discussed the overlap with autism:

    https://mindblownpsychology.com/understanding-the-overlap-between-complex-ptsd-autism-and-adhd/

  • in reply to Iain
    Iain said:
    What is it about them that is haunting you?

    Their intensity and presence and the fact that I am now remembering them after decades.

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