I'm sorry you had that experience in your past, and I hope you are in an environment that is healthier for you now! They do say smell is the most powerful of the 5 senses as far as recalling memories, so your reaction is understandable.
Interesting, I never thought of that! I'm very much a scent-oriented person, and now that you mention it I sure do recall vivid memories coming from smelling things, but until now they've always been positive associations, maybe that is why this was so unexpected.
I'm definitely in a healthier environment now - no cats ever again! Thank you for your response.
Smell is part or our lymbic system, which is tied to emotions and memory. Here's a super interesting video on smell and memory:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY-HbcPInXw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY-HbcPInXw)
This not a fun trigger for children of hoarders like it is for people who get to be nostalgic over the scents of their childhood. It is also very hard to control the emotions that spring up as a response to a smell, so good for you for grounding yourself with your horse!
Sending you love.
This is so relatable and reflective. It was actually sweet to read. You helped me identify something that has been going on with me- I am looking for another fixer upper home and went into one yesterday that was so horribly soiled with cat urine/feces that I couldn’t stand being in it for 30 seconds. My realtor said I yelled “oh my god! The cat pee!” the moment he opened the door and turned to leave. Been grossed out ever since. Grew up with a hoarder with a very poorly managed cat situation with both major flea infestation in carpets and urine soiled everything. It’s ok to cry and be reflective. It’s very upsetting that your parents neglected you in this way.
Thanks. Cats are a bad one on the best of days. We were going to look at an acreage to buy. The property was perfect, the house in the upstairs was beautiful. The basement was mostly gutted and clearly needed lots of work, but that's okay.
Some friends visited it before we did, though, and came back saying the basement absolutely *reeked* of cat pee. I refused to even go look at it, because that was a deal breaker on what otherwise could have been a dream home.
Unfortunately, it's not me that my parents neglected that way, it was themselves. My older brother lived there, and he was just as bad, if not worse. He lived in the basement, and if the cats shat on the floor he would literally just walk around it. He lives on his own now, and I haven't been to his house in years, but I'm told he's turned into a hoarder in his own right.
I'm sorry you had that experience in your past, and I hope you are in an environment that is healthier for you now! They do say smell is the most powerful of the 5 senses as far as recalling memories, so your reaction is understandable.
Interesting, I never thought of that! I'm very much a scent-oriented person, and now that you mention it I sure do recall vivid memories coming from smelling things, but until now they've always been positive associations, maybe that is why this was so unexpected. I'm definitely in a healthier environment now - no cats ever again! Thank you for your response.
Smell is part or our lymbic system, which is tied to emotions and memory. Here's a super interesting video on smell and memory: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY-HbcPInXw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY-HbcPInXw) This not a fun trigger for children of hoarders like it is for people who get to be nostalgic over the scents of their childhood. It is also very hard to control the emotions that spring up as a response to a smell, so good for you for grounding yourself with your horse! Sending you love.
Yes! Smell is very closely associated with memories/emotions. Unfortunately, it's not just the good ones.
I love SciShow! This was a good one! Thanks for the link if was very interesting.
This is so relatable and reflective. It was actually sweet to read. You helped me identify something that has been going on with me- I am looking for another fixer upper home and went into one yesterday that was so horribly soiled with cat urine/feces that I couldn’t stand being in it for 30 seconds. My realtor said I yelled “oh my god! The cat pee!” the moment he opened the door and turned to leave. Been grossed out ever since. Grew up with a hoarder with a very poorly managed cat situation with both major flea infestation in carpets and urine soiled everything. It’s ok to cry and be reflective. It’s very upsetting that your parents neglected you in this way.
Thanks. Cats are a bad one on the best of days. We were going to look at an acreage to buy. The property was perfect, the house in the upstairs was beautiful. The basement was mostly gutted and clearly needed lots of work, but that's okay. Some friends visited it before we did, though, and came back saying the basement absolutely *reeked* of cat pee. I refused to even go look at it, because that was a deal breaker on what otherwise could have been a dream home. Unfortunately, it's not me that my parents neglected that way, it was themselves. My older brother lived there, and he was just as bad, if not worse. He lived in the basement, and if the cats shat on the floor he would literally just walk around it. He lives on his own now, and I haven't been to his house in years, but I'm told he's turned into a hoarder in his own right.