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12 Answers
Last Updated: 12/10/2018 at 9:52pm
1 Tip to Feel Better
Moderated by

Jui Shankar, Ph.D



Top Rated Answers
March 10th, 2015 12:45am
That is very common among traumatic experiences and it can often be very confusing for many. Try talking to someone that you trust to try and figure out how you are feeling about a certain situation. There also may be a chance that you suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) so if your disorder is causing a disturbance to your daily life it may be a good idea to look into talking to a professional counselor who is able to help you work through your problems. It is okay to be afraid in this situation just know that there is nothing wrong with reaching out or getting help, when you need it or want it.
May 2nd, 2015 10:28am
That's totally normal! Psychologically speaking, you have a natural defense mechanism called 'Repression' that's kicking in. It develops when we're young, and when we experience anxiety, we push this memory into our unconscious, and it can't be recalled without serious thinking and/or therapy. This repression mechanism will last for life, as a form of protection, and although some memories may not re-callable they can still effect your behavior. For example: If a child was to almost drown as infant, the child may repress this memory into their unconscious and it can't be recalled, however, they may actually have a general phobia of swimming pools, large bodies of water, or water in general, and can have a pretty good idea that something has happened, once they start to think where the phobia was developed from Sorry for the huge paragraphs, but yes that's a totally normal thing which everyone does :)
May 20th, 2015 6:46am
Normal? Absolutely normal! This is a proof of what a strong and a brave heart you are, and how you can overcome and keep in tact,no matter what life throws upon you. It's a very positive quality, you have moved forward, please congratulate yourself over it :) Have a great day x
March 9th, 2015 12:10pm
It is quite normal for people who have experienced traumatic event to block memories associated with the event due to your brain not being able to handle it.
April 7th, 2015 6:44pm
Yes, this can happen. It's a way for your mind to help you keep those thoughts at bay until you're ready to deal with them.
April 23rd, 2015 4:15am
I'm not doctor, but I think it happens. Not sure about normal, but it does happen. Your mind is blocking them out because they're too painful, emotional, essentially too much for your mind to handle.
May 15th, 2015 4:00am
Yes. The human mind has an excellent defensive line - if it feels that a memory will be too much to handle at any given time, it will not allow the memory to resurface until the brain feels it is able to cope with the recollection.
July 21st, 2015 2:08am
Yes!! Very normal. While we don't always feel like it, our minds can actually do an amazing job protecting us. When trauma occurs, we often go into fight, flight, or freeze mode. While in those modes, our stress level is extremely high and we become very focused on one thing. Typically, staying safe--whether that means fighting off an attacker (fight), running away (flight), or staying still to stay safe (freeze). When our stress is that high, our mind sometimes creates a natural amnesia to protect it from what happened. It's possible that you may remember it in the future and it's possible that you won't.
July 19th, 2016 8:17pm
Sometimes, as a coping mechanism, our minds will block out painful memories or traumatic experiences. It doesn't happen to everyone, and some people are able to bring the memories back when they are more ready to deal with and heal from the trauma.
May 28th, 2018 11:09pm
Yes, of course. It's perfectly normal. It could be your mind saving you from the possible emotional pain you could have by reliving that memory. It's perfectly normal! It could even help you.
June 18th, 2018 12:18pm
Yes it is. People tend to block traumatic experiences in a way to help them keep on going in the regular life
December 10th, 2018 9:52pm
Sometimes we develop a defense-mechanism that does not allow us to remember details of something that has been traumatic. It's said that in the case of truly traumatic experiences, it's necessary to prevent the intrusive memories of those traumas from dominating your day-to-day life but just an expert can check whether there is something unconscious that may disturb and impact someone's life even if it seems that details of the trauma are not remembered. For that it may be important to ask therapist's opinion: some studies also have shown that people suffering from PTSD can have difficulty forming everyday memories. Every situation/case should be seen carefully to detect any possible above mentioned issue.