The losing-time part of complex PTSD scares me more than I expected. I’ll be doing something normal, then suddenly realize a lot more time has passed than I thought. Sometimes I find messages I don’t remember sending or end up in another room with no idea why I went there.
Other times I’m technically present, but everything feels far away. Voices sound muffled, my hands don’t feel fully connected to me, and I’m watching myself get through the moment instead of actually being in it. It can happen after a stressful conversation, but sometimes there doesn’t seem to be an obvious trigger.
I’ve started writing down what happened before and after, mostly so I can spot patterns and reassure myself later. Grounding helps a little too, especially naming things I can see and feeling something cold in my hand. Still, it’s unsettling not trusting my memory or feeling like parts of the day disappeared. Does anyone else get both the blank spots and the distant, unreal feeling?
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The messages I don’t remember sending would scare me too. The distant feeling is hard enough, but finding evidence of something I did can make me question the whole day afterward.
Writing down what happened before and after sounds useful, especially since triggers aren’t always obvious in the moment. I’ve found it helps to record basic details like sleep, food, stress, and where I was, rather than trying to make sense of everything while I’m still foggy.
Do you notice the blank spots happening more when you’re exhausted or overwhelmed, or do they seem completely random?
@Sean_Mitchell, finding messages I couldn’t remember sending was one of the things that made me take the memory gaps seriously. The distant, muffled feeling can be just as unsettling, especially when there’s no obvious trigger to point to.
Your idea of writing down what happened before and after seems practical. I’ve found that simple notes about sleep, food, stress, and conversations are easier to keep up with than trying to reconstruct the whole day. A trusted person knowing what’s happening can help too, particularly if I’m not fully aware of a gap as it starts.