Rep pressed Memories: What is It?

Ever watched a movie, and in that movie there is this scene where suddenly the character has a flashback of something they “blocked out” when they were younger? Something that character had forgotten and suddenly remembered?  Normally, it’s something horrifying they “block out” right? Like maybe witnessing someone getting killed, physically abused, or being sexually abused. This is often called Repressed Memory, or as scientist put it; Traumatic Amnesia.     

Traumatic Amnesia is as the name states, when something too traumatic happens to a person and there mind conciously forgets it or represses that memory. Since at the time… the person can’t handle it. Repressed Memory happens conciously and some psychologist state it can happen unconciously but that’s a little to controversial so let’s just stick to conciously.      Some signs of Repressed Memory can be very unique or specific to that memory. For example; If a child is beaten by his father who just happens to be an alchoholic. The child may “forget” the memories, but for some “unknown” reason, despise alchohol. Other signs can be certain mental disorders like; eating disorders, deppression, sexual dysfunction, insomnia, and relationship problems. There are other signs, but lets just stick to these.   

   With Repressed Memory, some people try to go through therapy that helps them remember these memories. This can sometimes create false memories which is why when remembering a repressed memory that is true, “it just happens”. People can’t force themselves to remember the memory(not even through therapy), they just do. Repressed memory is thought to be a form of defense from the brain, to “protect” the abused from having such a traumatic memory as they grow up.      

If you have Traumatic Amnesia or Repressed Memories, it’s best to go to a pyschologist to help you so you can over come them and such. What ever you do though, DON’T reblock the memory, because if you remember it again…the memory will come back twice as painful!