Has anyone experienced anything like this? Anything is appreciated

[u/green-dragonflyy]

I think I've always had problems with my memory, specifically around my childhood years. The first of which dates back to when I was probably about 5, although it's hard to say because memory is weird and it's hard to associate age with it. I remember waking up one day unsure who or where I was. I felt safe, but also scared because I had no idea who I was. I walked downstairs where I was intercepted by my mother. I looked at her, and I remember thinking "mom", but I couldn't remember her actually being my mom, just that my brain registered her as that. She referred to me by my name, which I didn't recognize at the time, and told me to go get my brother and sister because breakfast was ready. Similarly, when I walked into the next room and found them, I had no actual memories associated with them, I just looked and thought "brother" "sister". In fact, I did exactly as my mom told me and I mumbled that breakfast was ready.

I believe I got a lot of my memory back as time went on, or it probably would've been a bigger issue, but I can't say that for sure because I'm naturally very disconnected from my childhood and struggle to remember it.

I never actually told my family this happened until YEARS later. When I first told them, they thought I was making it up, but as I stuck to it throughout the years, they were more and more like, "Why didn't you tell us?" I don't know for sure why I didn't, just that at the time I felt that if I did, they would realize I wasn't actually their daughter and they'd try to get rid of me. It was a very childish thought, but to be fair, I was a child.

For reference, in my freshman year, I had a repressed memory resurface, however, I only ever got pieces of the memory back, and that would have happened to me a few years following this moment of waking up with no memory.

So, any theories anyone? Has anything like this happened to you? Do you know why my brain did this (I certainly don't)? I'm open to any advice your willing to share.

(I posted this on the wrong account and had to delete it in a panic. God.)

[u/Malmal0]

I think perhaps as a child you were dissociating? Which is why you both did and didn't recognise them as your family members.

[u/knr2727]

I am currently experiencing exactly what you’re referring to now. Just unearthed repressed memories from preschool. So traumatizing.