Psych350 Learning and Memory

Sharing from one of your classmates:

Recently in class a student asked why someone would want to uncover repressed memories of traumatic incidents. Speaking from first hand experience, as I have dealt with this personally, I can tell you why remembering was important for me.

Just because I did not have conscious memories of my early trauma does not  mean it was not affecting me. I suffered many of the textbook symptoms of my specific kind of abuse; depression, anxiety, low self esteem, PTSD, nightmares, anger, and a whole slew of other rotten emotions. Before I could effectively deal with my issue, I needed to know what the problem was so I could apply specific, effective coping methods. Also, talking about the problem and sharing my pain with supportive friends was especially helpful, something I could not have done if I had no knowledge of the issue.

I think also, it helps put things into perspective, kind of like, “Ok, incident “A” happened to me, which caused me to do behavior “B” but I shouldn’t feel too bad about that since it was a basic response to trauma “A.”

Plus, just knowing your history and having all the facts is important for someone’s sense of self. Before remembering, I knew something wasn’t right, something was missing, but I could not put my finger on it.

For me, the worst part was not having to acknowledge the situation, but all the anguish and confusion that took place before the memory was revealed to me. Even though it was dark and scary, it was actually a relief in a way to recover the memory, because I was able to begin healing and understanding myself which enabled me to grow and move on.

The body remembers everything, there is no real forgetting. Every sadness, every abuse, it’s always there, waiting to be called on and comforted. Admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery.

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