PTSD: Ever have trouple accurately recalling details of new trigger events?

MSgt Steven Holt, NRP, CCEMT-P
This is normal, people make unintentional mistakes while attempting to provide information.
We don't have a perfect memory and trama/past trama will impact how we recall current and past events including inserting past event recollection into the current event and visa versa. We are human and investigators understand that personal recall is prone to inaccuracy even while seemingly credible in court and preferred by juries.
I have been surprised to find in my counseling and researching of events that I recalled some aspects inaccurately.

I have had it happen. The doctor said my brain was mixing the events up because of the flashback.

Yeah, I was behind a couple vehicles that collided into each other. I pulled over and stopped traffic with emergency cones I carry, and then went to help. Although not EMS I've had the Combat Lifesavers course and I just happened to have a Surgical bag with me. I set two fractures with splints, and a few bandages. When the Police finally arrived my rendetion of the events was not the same as two other witnesses. After I was thanked by the EMS personnel that finally arrived, the Police took my statement, and I headed on down the road.

I know I relayed the event correctly, and I, to this day cannot believe I was so wrong.

I had one situation where this was a concern. After Discharge, I went to work with my Airport Crash Fire rescue Dept. We have Camera's mounted in the Cab of the trucks to record everything the driver sees. We had to respond off the Airport with a Truck one day for a Private Aircraft Crash, enroute we had to cross Rail Road Tracks, Just after we crossed you could hear the sound of a Train Horn. When we got back to the Station after the response there were two RailRoad Marshals waiting. They wanted to know why we crossed when the lights on a marked crossing were flashing and made a train make an Emergency Stop. I told them there were no flashing lights, They showed me reports less than a week old where the lights had been checked. I walked out to the truch pulled the tape, popped it in and let them see. NO LIGHTS, No Bells, then the vibration of the truck crossing the tracks and then the Train horn after we were clear of the tracks. The railroad marshals smiles, and said they would have the signals checked again and left. to this day I have a camera mounted in my car. Sometimes our memory can be confused but not always. Remember we have been trained to be Observant and that we do not loose. If anything with PTSD it becomes even more acute! I know mine has.

Yes... MSgt Steven Holt, NRP, CCEMT-P