Why does my memory stop at a sudden point?

[Patrick]

One night when I was 12 or 13 my parents were having a very loud fight. My dad was drunk and they were screaming at each other. This was common when I was growing up, sadly. So I was standing at the top of the staircase and yelling for them to please stop. My dad stormed out of the house and my mom came up to my room and hugged me as I cried.

And I don't remember anything after that. I don't remember talking to her or going back to bed. Why would this be?

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Re: Why dose my memory stop at a sudden point?

There could be any number of reasons for this, Patrick. If you were falling asleep when the fight started or if youb were awakened by the fight, you may have been in a drowsy state so the memories weren't properly processed. Or it may be that a strong emotional reaction to the fight between your parents and the vividness of your memory of that event made anything that happened later trivial or inconsequential.

I don't think there's anything abnormal or unusual about what you describe.