How do you deal with emotional conflict when you can’t remember what the person said?

Toootally relate. I've been a lot better about not holding grudges, or removing people from my life who cause a lot of drama/reason to hold grudges in the first place. Sometimes I'm not sure if its my trauma, or ADHD, or the person is just a manipulative asshole (or all three!).

Always good to write these things down, the date, and your feelings about the situation... because then you can revisit later and reevaluate things. Maybe you misinterpreted or were upset in the moment... or, maybe they were really being a jerk and you have every reason to be upset.

Here are three examples from my life that might help someone...

  1. When I was a kid, I would passionately remember every unfair thing my stepmother would do, or mean thing she would say, just so I'd never forget how big of a B she was. Now, decades later, I can barely remember most of those specific scenarios, just a couple huge ones. We haven't talked in years so specifics don't matter either way, but I KNOW she's a toxic person. Quantity alone proves it.

  2. Another example as a kid: my friends mom called me and screamed at me for something, and I cried and cried. I don't remember what I did wrong, if anything. I do still talk to her, but it bothers me that I can't remember the details. I'll never forget how bad I felt, but that was the only time... so I give her the benefit of the doubt.

  3. Adult example and huge red flag: my abusive ex and I would have conversations where he made me feel terrible, confused me, and I'd get lost in the argument. It was likely a combination of my ADHD or trauma memory, and him using "word salad" and intentionally confusing me/gaslighting me. I'd frequently forget my point or what I was mad about, even though there were 1000 things to be mad about at any given time. If this happens to you with a specific person on a regular basis, it's possible they're abusing you - or they're a toxic person and not worth your energy.

/r/ADHD Thread