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how trauma can affect your memory[a thread]Memory loss is a frustrating and scary experience caused by a traumatic event. It may be a temporary way to help you cope with the trauma,and it may be permanent due to a severe brain injury or disturbing psychological trauma.
A traumatic incident can cause a great deal of stress in both the short term and the long term. That stress response can have an impact on different areas of the brain, such as the hippocampus, amygdala and prefrontal cortex.
Not coincidentally, these are areas of the brain that are strongly associated with memory function. The prefrontal cortex helps process working memory, the information that we need to remember on an everyday basis. The hippocampus is also a major memory center in the brain...
The left hippocampus focuses on memorizing facts and recognition, the right is associated with spatial memory.The amygdala is believed to help with the formation of long-term memory.Trauma-based m loss can occur when the trauma creates stress that negatively affects the brain.
A traumatic event can be so intense that it can spark posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This psychiatric condition has long been associated with war-related experiences, but it can also be triggered by various events including accidents, attacks and natural disasters.
There are three different kinds of PTSD: acute (symptoms end in three months or less), chronic (symptoms continue for more than three months) and delayed-onset (where symptoms don’t present themselves until well after the traumatic event has occurred).
In addition to memory loss,people with PTSD may experience angry outbursts,irrational behavior, detachment from friends and family and feelings of guilt or shame,among other symptoms. PTSD memory loss can add to the stress someone experiences and may intensify certain symptoms.
Physical trauma can greatly affect your memory, especially if brain damage occurs as a result of the injury.Physical trauma such as a head injury or stroke can damage the brain and impair a persons ability to process information and store information,the main functions of memory.
Severe injuries and physical trauma can also produce ptsd which can cause temporary memory loss to help a person cope with the traumatic event that caused the injury. In the case of physical trauma,the length of m loss depends on the severity of the injury.
Emotional or psychological trauma can also affect your memory. Memory loss is a natural survival skill and defense mechanism humans develop to protect themselves from psychological damage.
Emotionally traumatic events can lead to dissociative amnesia, which helps a person cope by allowing them to temporarily forget details of the event. With this type of memory loss a person will often suppress memories of a traumatic event until they are ready to handle them.
This situation-specific memory loss helps block out the traumatic event, but another type of dissociative amnesia, called global amnesia, can cause a person to forget who they are for a brief period of time; they can also experience confusion or depression...
Dissociative amnesia can range from mild to severe, and it can lead to dysfunction in relationships and the daily activities associated with normal life.
Emotional or psychological trauma can also lead to posttraumatic stress disorder, which can manifest itself in different ways including flashbacks of the event and intrusive, unwanted thoughts about the trauma.
Repressed memories and PTSD are also common. Without treatment, these repressed memories may resurface at any time with a trigger event and if they are revisited over and over, the brain continues to experience the trauma anew each time.
Recovering from a traumatic experience can take days, weeks or even months. Memory loss can come back suddenly, but the underlying traumatic cause must be addressed for authentic healing. Everyone heals at their own pace.
Some of the symptoms:
*have trouble functioning at home or work.
*suffer from severe fear,anxiety or depression.
*are experiencing terrifying memories,nightmares or flashbacks.
*are emotionally numb and disconnected from others.
*are avoiding things that remind you of the trauma
*have trouble functioning at home or work.
*suffer from severe fear,anxiety or depression.
*are experiencing terrifying memories,nightmares or flashbacks.
*are emotionally numb and disconnected from others.
*are avoiding things that remind you of the trauma
Trauma is different for everyone.But two of the more common reactions are feeling very strong emotions or feeling little. You might have overwhelming negative emotions or not be able to stop crying.On the other hand,you might feel numb and unable to experience pleasure or pain.
After trauma has sunk in, you might even feel guilty or ashamed. You may feel bad about surviving if others didn’t, or you might think you didn’t react the way you think you should’ve. That’s normal, but if those feelings linger for more than a few weeks,you should look for help.
Few people “bounce back” right after trauma. It takes time.Its important not to make any major decisions right after a trauma. Making choices about career, relationships, financial situation can cause more stress and uncertainty during what may be a stressful and uncertain time.
