Does Anyone Have Smell Memories?

Grama-Herc · #1 19-04-2007, 10:48 AM

As most of you know I have ZERO memories of most of my life, but there is 1 very powerful memeory of a smell. Several times over the years I have had this smell come out of no where, for no reason, but I smelled it all the same. It also brought with it a vision of sitting in the front seat of a car, in the dark. There was one of those old round bobbing compasses. I was extremely small. My sense is 3 or 4 ( why that age ???). I sense am sitting next to a man, I think. But the big thing is the smell. It always bring the same imagine. OK guys, give me some odoer stories so I know I'm, should I say normal for us

kers · #2 19-04-2007, 12:24 PM

Yep, i get these. Sometimes it's specific, like "I smell cooking onions, which makes me think of when X happened." I also get smells that just make me think of someone involved in the trauma, but I can't describe why.

wildcritter44 · #3 20-04-2007, 05:58 AM

Hi! Yep, your normal.
My husband has PTSD results of being in the military. He has several smells that trigger him. Burning hair, blood, gun powder, several others I can't think of a this moment.
The first two are the most difficult for him.

Hope things get better for you..

Take Care

D

veiled · #4 20-04-2007, 05:18 PM

My brother was (or is still) an arsonist. I was around a lot of fires. I commonly get a scent of something burning when nothing is. I can notice now it is things like anger, cramps, anxiety attacks, and the like come during high stress. This scent is not an exception.

Marilyn_S · #5 21-04-2007, 03:58 AM

My sense of smell is very acute, so I never know if its a smell memory or a real smell. But there are smells that do very much trigger me. Growing up I lived in a very old house that had roaches. Every once in a while I'll smell that same sickening sweet yukky smell of roach poo. It is very triggering. Another smell that triggers me is honeysuckle. There was a bunch of it in the back yard of where I grew up from age 7 on. Even though it is a beautiful smell, it only makes my brain automatically go back to the violence of my father. I guess smell memories are a pretty common thing from what I have read and just from talking to folks. Hope that helps.

Ickle_nicki · #6 21-04-2007, 06:31 AM

i get smell memories, i can't stand my husband drinking and smoking, he has to shower before i go near him, the smell on his breath triggers me. The smell of autumn, if that even makes sense is a trigger to me too.
The smell of cigs is the worst, it takes me back and i hate it

reallydown · #7 21-04-2007, 12:56 PM

i didn't use to ...but lately everytime i go to bed...i can't really describe the smell though...it's odd

Grama-Herc · #8 21-04-2007, 04:02 PM

Hey Really----I know the feeling. I cannot put a name or scent or any kind of description to "my" trigger smell but when it hits me it is so strong and takes me drectly to that strange mystery place that I can't figure out or understand. Maybe some day. Just nice to know when you are not the only person in the world with these weird things happening to you Right? Herc

metis-siren · #9 23-04-2007, 11:22 AM

I've actually been able to learn quite a few of my more common smell memories very well. I haven't been able to quite get through all the trigger smell memories, but I'm working my way through them. Mine range from the smell of sweat in certain areas of the body to the smell of cherry scented candles.

But I'm learning to sit down with them, in safe places and work through them. If I take control of the situation, grant myself the space and time to work through them, set up my supports and let them know in advance that I'm going to do this, I find that I can sit there and smell it all the way through the box of tissue infront of me, and come out okay.

kers · #10 23-04-2007, 02:14 PM

Quote:

I cannot put a name or scent or any kind of description to "my" trigger smell but when it hits me it is so strong and takes me drectly to that strange mystery place that I can't figure out or understand.

This is the way it is for me, too, Herc. In my case, the smells make me think of a specific, harmful person--but generally I'm sure the smells are all in my head, so I don't know why they come. Once in a while I get the memories from real smells, but less often.