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Woman Can Recall Every Day of Her Life — But Says It’s More of a Burden Than a Gift

Imagine having the ability to vividly recall almost every moment of your life — from your earliest baby steps to the most trivial events of any ordinary day.

For Rebecca Sharrock and Emily Nash, this extraordinary gift is their reality. Both women live with a rare neurological condition called Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM), or Hyperthymesia, which grants them near-perfect recall of their personal histories. But beneath the impressive façade of this ability lies a hidden emotional burden: relentless flashbacks of painful memories and a constant mental flood that few can truly comprehend.

Emily remembers being chased by her parents around the house as she was learning to walk, a memory so clear it feels like it’s happening anew. “I think I learned to walk and run all in the same day,” she shared.

Rebecca, who has experienced this heightened memory since childhood, wasn’t officially diagnosed until over ten years ago. Since then, she’s gained deeper insight into just how rare—and exhausting—her condition is.

In an interview, Rebecca revealed she can recall roughly 95% of her life in intricate detail. “The downside is that these memories often invade my mind without warning, both day and night,” she explained. “When I remember something from when I was three years old, I don’t just recall it—I feel it again, with the emotions I had as a child, even though I’m an adult now.”

Far from a blessing, Rebecca describes HSAM more as a “curse.” “When traumatic memories come back, the pain and emotional weight return with them. People might assume I’m choosing to hold onto negative feelings, but it’s not something I can control,” she told The Guardian in a previous interview.

She reflected, “Being a rare medical anomaly makes life isolating. Few truly understand what this is like, and treatments are scarce. For me, this way of experiencing memory is simply my reality.”

While Rebecca Sharrock’s incredible memory often impresses others, it also brings daily struggles that remain largely unseen. The ability to relive past experiences so vividly—especially the painful ones—is a constant emotional challenge. For Rebecca and those with HSAM, the mind becomes an unyielding archive, offering no refuge from the past. Through sharing her story, she hopes to raise awareness about the complex psychological landscape behind what many might mistake for a superhuman gift.

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