5 Signs You Might Have Repressed Memories

Significant events in life tend to linger in your memory. Some might spark happiness when you recall them, and others might involve unpleasant emotions. You might make a conscious effort to avoid thinking about these memories. Repressed memories, on the other hand, are those you unconsciously forget. These memories generally involve some kind of trauma or a deeply distressing event.

A concept popularized by Sigmund Freud, repression of memories is a self-preservation tool— It helps to put those painful experiences and events out of conscious thought. By suppressing these distressing recollections linked with childhood abuse or sexual assault, we can find coping mechanisms that limit their impact on our lives. Today, Grey Matters of Carmel explores the five common signs you might have repressed memories.

Why Can Memories Be Repressed

Although some can go on with their lives after experiencing traumatic events without lasting negative effects, others encounter difficulty dealing with traumatic memories and encounter severe traumatic stress reactions. In fact, those who have memories of childhood abuse or other negative events may have psychological trauma and develop a psychiatric disorder called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. When trauma is too intense to be retained in conscious memory, repression of memory occurs.

Research has identified repression as the automatic and unconscious blockage of memories of trauma from autobiographical events or those that have occurred during childhood or early years of life. The term “repression” became controversial, bringing forth debates called “memory wars” regarding the existence of repressed memories.
Through this, the term dissociative amnesia was adopted, referring to the inability to recall information on a specific period of time, specific aspect of an event, or complete loss of identity. It is associated with childhood trauma involving autobiographical events and autobiographical experiences. These stressful events include memories of abuse, childhood sexual abuse, and other emotional childhood events.

Traumatic Experiences

There are various myths about trauma, but scientific evidence from psychological science proves that it may impact your mental, social, and physical health, among other aspects of your life. These negative events, like childhood sexual abuse and childhood sexual assault, may cause psychological trauma and childhood trauma.

According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, the following events can lead to trauma:

• • Medical trauma
  • Sexual trauma
  • Family trauma
  • Refugee trauma
  • Traumatic grief
  • Terrorism and violence
  • Intimate partner violence
  • Disaster Trauma
  • Childhood Neglect

How To Know You Have Repressed Memories

According to Elizabeth Loftus, an American psychologist best known for her work on human memory, the quality of memories differs from event to event as well as person to person. Scientific evidence proves that those who have experienced trauma may be able to recall specifics from the event, but only in a distorted way. These repressed memories often affect a person’s mood, personality, and even reactions.

But how can you tell if you have repressed memories? Here are a few signs:

Lost and False Memories

At an early age, children may begin to store memories that are later recalled when they become older. However, those who have encountered trauma and emotional childhood events like childhood sexual abuse may have traumatic amnesia that is associated with Dissociative Amnesia. When this happens, certain memories or the entire event, for instance, memories of childhood sexual abuse, may be lost. This leads to the inability to remember autobiographical memories.

Meanwhile, there will be times when people who encounter traumatic experiences misremember stressful experienced events leading to false events and false childhood memories. This means that real memories from childhood are somehow mixed with false claims. People tend to have False Memory Syndrome by vividly remembering a moment from an entire event without it really happening in the first place. This False Memory Syndrome is caused by traumas from autobiographical experiences of abuse which are fictitious events that the person believes.

Intense Reaction to Specific People

Sometimes, people tend to remind you of memories of events. There are times when you feel unsafe around someone as they suddenly remind you of a specific traumatic experience from the past or repressed childhood trauma.

Unease in Certain Places or Situations

Returning to locations that are scenes of trauma might be a trigger. Meanwhile, being in a place similar to a situation or physical space where you have a traumatic memory might be uncomfortable. For instance, places like dark hallways might provoke psychological trauma.

Constant Emotional Shifts

A part of the brain called the amygdala is the center of emotions and emotional behavior. When a certain situation reminds you of a traumatic event, this part of the brain becomes hyperactive, causing a lot of side effects. For instance, it increases irritation. Meanwhile, trauma survivors also encounter overwhelming emotions that are difficult to identify.

Often Feeling Anxious

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, being anxious over everyday life occurrences is normal. Sometimes, anxiety alerts us to certain situations. However, a situation that causes anxiety may also trigger a repressive reaction. For instance, a traumatic event from the past may lead to anxiety disorder. Thus, it is essential to seek therapeutic interventions to uncover things from the past.

When to Seek Professional Help

As stated by the American Psychological Association, trauma and memory are complex subjects that experts are still trying to comprehend fully due to a lack of research and evidence. In fact, experts are still trying to find links and connections between the two.

However, if you encounter constant shifts in moods, unexplainable reactions to certain people, places, or situations, and are overwhelmed with traumatic flashbacks, consider seeking therapeutic interventions from licensed professionals to avoid problematic claims.

Start Your Healing Journey Today

Grey Matters of Carmel is dedicated to accompanying you in navigating life’s twists and turns. Neurofeedback training is a non-invasive, holistic approach to your mental health treatment and healing. But, in order to find out what’s happening inside, we need to look at how your brain is functioning. We do this by using the quantifiable data collected through your qEEG brain map. From there, we provide a detailed and customized brain training program that is unique to you and your brain.

The result? A happier, healthier brain and a happier, healthier YOU.

So, contact us for a consultation and start your healing journey today.

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