Blackouts

[Jjh31]

Hi I'm new to the forum and new to ptsd as well. I just wanted to see if anyone else experiences blackouts and if so how long do they typically last? I can pretty much handle the other symptoms but blacking out scares me.

[MYoungAtHeart]

This is an excellent response about depersonalization or dissociation.
This can be a lifelong response to emotional issues after suffering trauma,
and therapy with a qualified group or therapist is always the best way to
determine if in fact this is what is going on with anyone who has had extreme trauma.

M

[ragdollannie]

Hi... I am also a newbie, this is my first post.  I think what you are likely discussing here might be what is known as "dissociation" or "depersonalization". I have been suffering from it as well... It is a normal response to trauma... when we become overwhelmed by an event that is too big for us to emotionally deal with, our brain splits it for us... the emotion is stored in the amygdala and the memory of the event is stored elsewhere.  It leaves us feeling numbed and disconnected from our emotions... unfortunately humans have a tendency to get 'stuck' in that mode.... which is what you seem to be explaining here.

[Jjh31]

Hi thanks for replying about the blackouts. Yes I was referring to losing time or zoning out. Do you experience this symptom? If so, how long do they last and has anyone told you what you look like? Please I have small children.

[drifter0213]

i forget a lot of what i do sometimes for five minutes at a time then i forget what im doing where i am going what i just did i have TBI traumatic brain injury from a car accident but the voices(schizophrenia) i hear i can't pay attention for very long :)

[Jjh31]

What are your blackouts like? Do you act normal? How long do they last?

[Jjh31]

Yes i am seeing a therapist. I just started a few weeks ago. Yes i was talking about concious blackouts, no passing out. I talked with my therapist about it and she told me not ro worry about, its our minds way of protecting us. Well i have to worry about it because i have small children. So basically i just want to hear of anyone elses experiences with this. Please.

[MYoungAtHeart]

There are many symptoms with PTSD, and I don't suffer from all of them, but am unsure of what you mean by blacking out.  Do you mean that you lose consciousness or that you get into a zone and when you come out of it, maybe minutes or hours have passed and you have no recollection of what you were thinking or doing during that time.

One of the most common blackout examples happens if you are driving during a trip or some distance on the highway and all of a sudden you are at your exit and you don't even remember the 10 miles prior to the exit.  This is also common to alot of people who don't have PTSD and I call it the Zone of the Road or RoadZone..

If your blackouts are occuring regularly and scare you that much, Please see a Medical Doctor and tell him/her what is going on.  
You don't say if you are seeing a therapist or attend a PTSD Recovery Group, but if you are, this is something that you certainly should bring up the next time you attend.

Good luck

M

[drifter0213]

THIS IS A GOOD question to ask your doctor I black out in the evenings