why do i not remember painful things or course of events

What happens if you don’t remember something?

Your lapses may well have very treatable causes. Severe stress, depression, a vitamin B-12 deficiency, insufficient sleep, some prescription drugs and infections can all play a role. Even if those factors don't apply to you, your memory isn't completely at the mercy of time.

Why can’t we remember our traumatic experiences?

I remember how it feels. The pain. The loneliness. The depression. The misunderstandings. The fear. The confusion. The insecurities. And the fear of not having enough money to pay the bills and buy necessities. Of course, I also remember the happiness.

Is it easier to remember things that happened in the past?

Aug 18, 2015 · Some stressful experiences — such as chronic childhood abuse — are so overwhelming and traumatic, the memories hide like a shadow in the brain. At first, hidden memories that can’t be consciously accessed may protect the individual from the emotional pain of recalling the event.

Why can’t I remember my childhood memories?

Jul 31, 2017 · For example, events that do not invoke any particular emotion (passing strangers in the street) do not create significant memories. But if …

What does it mean when you can't remember a traumatic event?

Dissociative amnesia occurs when a person blocks out certain events, often associated with stress or trauma, leaving the person unable to remember important personal information.Nov 23, 2020

How do you tell if you have repressed trauma?

8 Signs of Repressed Childhood Trauma in AdultsStrong Unexplained Reactions to Specific People. ... Lack of Ease in Certain Places. ... Extreme Emotional Shifts. ... Attachment Issues. ... Anxiety. ... Childish Reactions. ... Consistent Exhaustion. ... Unable to Cope in Normal Stressful Situations.Aug 16, 2021

How do you tell if you have repressed memories?

Experts Explain Signs Of Repressed Childhood MemoriesYou Have Strong Reactions To Certain People. ... Specific Places Or Situations Freak You Out. ... It's Difficult To Control Your Emotions. ... You Struggle With Fears Of Abandonment. ... Friends Say You're "Acting Like A Child" ... You Often Feel Emotionally Exhausted. ... You Often Feel Anxious.More items...•Apr 20, 2017

Why can't I remember past events?

Your lapses may well have very treatable causes. Severe stress, depression, a vitamin B12 deficiency, too little or too much sleep, some prescription drugs and infections can all play a role. Even if those factors don't explain your memory lapses, you don't need to simply resign yourself to memory loss as you age.

What does childhood trauma look like in adults?

What does childhood trauma look like in adults? Childhood trauma in adults can impact experiences and relationships with others due to experienced feelings of shame, and guilt. Childhood trauma also results in feeling disconnected, and being unable to relate to others.Nov 20, 2018

Why do I not remember my childhood?

In most cases, not being able to remember your childhood very clearly is completely normal. It's just the way human brains work. On the whole, childhood amnesia isn't anything to worry about, and it's possible to coax back some of those memories by using sights and smells to trigger them.Jun 27, 2021

What is Cptsd?

Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (complex PTSD, sometimes abbreviated to c-PTSD or CPTSD) is a condition where you experience some symptoms of PTSD along with some additional symptoms, such as: difficulty controlling your emotions. feeling very angry or distrustful towards the world.

What is trauma?

Trauma is an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape or natural disaster. Immediately after the event, shock and denial are typical. Longer term reactions include unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships and even physical symptoms like headaches or nausea.

What are the symptoms of complex PTSD?

Symptoms of complex PTSDfeelings of shame or guilt.difficulty controlling your emotions.periods of losing attention and concentration (dissociation)physical symptoms, such as headaches, dizziness, chest pains and stomach aches.cutting yourself off from friends and family.relationship difficulties.More items...

Why do I feel like I can't retain information?

When the body experiences too frequent stress responses and the body becomes overly stressed, the brain can experience problems with rationalizing, remembering, and recalling information. The learning impairment symptom is an example of this.May 19, 2021

What types of memory disorders is there?

Types of memory disorders include:Alzheimer's disease. ... Vascular dementia . ... Dementia with Lewy bodies. ... Frontotemporal dementia . ... Mild cognitive impairment. ... Mixed dementia.Jul 16, 2019

Does anxiety cause memory loss?

Stress, anxiety or depression can cause forgetfulness, confusion, difficulty concentrating and other problems that disrupt daily activities.

Why do I have a hard time remembering things?

If you have a hard time remembering things, your diet might be the one to blame. Your diet can keep your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar elevated all the time, which will eventually lead to blocked blood vessels in and around your brain.

Why is my memory sharper in my 20s?

It happens mainly because you start losing brain cells with age. Your brain cells also need certain chemicals to work properly but the levels of those chemicals will also come down with age. That is probably the reason why your memory is sharper in your 20s than at 55 or 75. 4. You Pay Little Attention to Things.

How to improve memory?

Is There Anything You Can Do? 1 Reduce environmental and food toxins: These toxins can cause chronic neurological disturbances and affect your memory in a bad way. Be careful when using cosmetics and cleaning products because they may contain chemicals like formaldehyde and acetaldehyde that affect your memory. 2 Improve your diet: Include foods rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids to boost your memory. Some of the best options include apples, coffee, blackberries, organic chocolate, turmeric, wild-caught fish, butter, extra virgin oil, and coconut oil. Limit your intake of processed foods and eat more of whole foods. 3 Live an active life: You should be as active as possible and exercise regularly to give your brain the power to form new memories and connect emotions to navigation, memories, and spatial relations. 4 Take supplements whenever necessary: You should opt for supplements when your diet does not provide you with all-important nutrients. You may want to opt for supplement that contains a variety of ingredients designed to improve your memory. Some of these ingredients are Ginkgo biloba (a medicinal herb), huperzine, and vinpocetine.

What are the causes of nutritional deficiencies?

Factors like low stomach acid, poor soil quality, malabsorption, and low probiotic count can cause nutritional deficiencies in people who are eating a relatively healthy diet.

How does sleep deprivation affect memory?

Chronic sleep deprivation makes it difficult for you to process info and consolidate new memories. There will be a 32% of reduction in daytime alertness for every 1.5 hours of missed sleep each night. Some people feel tired in the day for not getting enough sleep and resort to energy drinks, which makes matters even worse. It may offer temporary relief but long-term effects can be quite serious.

Where is Candida found?

Candida is actually a type of yeast found in your genital region and intestines. The yeast is actually beneficial for your health unless it grows out of control – it happens due to excessive antibiotic use, poor diet, mercury toxicity, birth control pills, and excessive alcohol consumption. It can enter your bloodstream and cause a number of different symptoms including forgetfulness. Other symptoms include flatulence, abdominal discomfort, chronic yeast infections, learning impairment, brain fog, chronic fatigue syndrome, and frequent colds and flu.

How to keep your memory sharp?

Here are the steps to take to keep your memory sharp. Reduce environmental and food toxins: These toxins can cause chronic neurological disturbances and affect your memory in a bad way.

What part of the brain is responsible for recalling events?

Later, you correctly recall the gist of her news but think she told you during a phone conversation. Research points to the importance of the hippocampus — a region of the brain crucial in the formation of memories about events, including the particular time and place they occurred.

How to prevent memory loss?

Studies have shown that people who exercise, stay mentally active, socialize regularly and eat a healthy diet can minimize memory loss. Still worried? Here are six types of normal memory lapses that are not a cause for worry.

How does aging affect the brain?

Aging changes the strengths of the connections between neurons in the brain. New information can bump out other items from short-term memory unless it is repeated again and again. Muddled multitasking. At some point the number of things you can do effectively at one time diminishes.

Where are memories stored?

Memories are usually stored in distributed brain networks including the cortex , and can thus be readily accessed to consciously remember an event. But when the mice were in a different brain state induced by gaboxadol, the stressful event primarily activated subcortical memory regions of the brain. The drug rerouted the processing ...

What is state dependent learning?

A process known as state-dependent learning is believed to contribute to the formation of memories that are inaccessible to normal consciousness. Thus, memories formed in a particular mood, arousal or drug-induced state can best be retrieved when the brain is back in that state.

What drug stimulates extra-synaptic GABA receptors?

In the experiment, scientists infused the hippocampus of mice with gaboxadol, a drug that stimulates extra-synaptic GABA receptors. “It’s like we got them a little inebriated, just enough to change their brain state,” Radulovic said.

What are the two types of glutamate receptors?

There are two kinds of GABA receptors. One kind, synaptic GABA receptors, works in tandem with glutamate receptors to balance the excitation of the brain in response to external events such as stress. The other population, extra-synaptic GABA receptors, are independent agents. They ignore the peppy glutamate.

Why do memories hurt?

Why memories hurt. When an experience is recorded as a memory , it goes through the emotional and cognitive filters, assumptions and interpretations of the person. This is one of the reasons why different people can have quite different recollections of the same event. As records, memories are not a great problem even if they do not accurately ...

What makes a memory so powerful?

It is the emotional charge of a memory that makes it so potent. For example, events that do not invoke any particular emotion (passing strangers in the street) do not create significant memories. But if an event involves harm, pain, distress, anger or other strong feelings, the memory and the feelings associated with it will be stored as one.

How to change your memory?

Work with the body. In this technique you are not addressing the memory and its emotional charge directly. You work indirectly through the body. The memory will remain but your body’s reaction to the memory can be changed. Recall the memory. Feel the place in your body where that memory affects you the most.

How to get rid of memory?

Feel the place in your body where that memory affects you the most. Focus on that part, let it soften and gently breathe into it until the tension or discomfort recedes. When that part feels better, again tune into the memory and find another place where the memory affects your body. Repeat as many times as needed.

Can memories be fixed?

Memories are not fixed. Memories are like video and audio recordings that can be modified, enhanced, played louder or softer, rearranged, edited, with special effects added, reissued in new versions. The facts of an event cannot be changed but the emotional charge of a painful memory can be ‘edited’ by facing the emotions associated with it ...

Can't remember your life?

Psychologist’s Reply. Issues with memory are pretty complicated. For example, while you mention that you can’t remember your life — this is impossible. In truth, you are remembering your daily routine, where you live, your language (both written and speaking), ability to type and use the computer, etc. In this manner of thinking, your memory is ...

How to improve memory?

As you explore this issue, I would suggest: 1 First review your emotional status and symptoms. Take a few of the depression and anxiety screening tests on this website. 2 Consider a consultation with a mental health professional — one with a background in neuropsychology if possible. 3 Consider your medical status, as changes in medications and various medical conditions can influence the neurochemical system that increases or decreases your ability to recall memory. 4 If you have problems with isolated yet nonpersonal memory problems, such as losing your ability to understand how the remote control works — then see a neurologist. 5 Research the Internet for suggestions on improving memory. 6 Remember that memories are stored in different locations and through all senses. Auditory memories are very powerful, so listening to songs from years ago can bring up a variety of memories. Smells are also useful. For my high school years, I could buy a bottle of “English Leather” aftershave for a brief olfactory (sense of smell) flashback. Experiment with using different senses to improve your memories of the past.

How The Brain Hides Traumatic Memories

Scientists agree that our brains hide traumatic experiences from our conscious minds in, the short term, in order to protect us. But in the long term this protective measure, to keep certain memories suppressed, can weigh heavily on our emotional and mental well being.

How To Retrieve Traumatic Memories

So if our brain, as I’ve simply described it, has a bin for our traumatic memories then wouldn’t make sense that if we could access that bin that we’d also be able to access those memories?

What Does This Mean For You?

The good news, thanks to Dr. Radulovic’s research, is all about knowing that we can recover and work through our traumatic memories and piece together those bits from our life that are missing.

How to keep memories fresh?

Discussing experiences you’ve had and other important events can often help keep them fresh in your mind. Talking about the things you do remember with loved ones and asking them questions may help add more substance to those tiny glimpses of memory.

How does cognitive development affect memory?

Normal cognitive development affects memory storage and retrieval. Plenty of cognitive growth takes place in early childhood. This development includes the ability to remember instructions and events for longer stretches of time.

Does lifelong learning help with memory?

Lifelong learning can help strengthen your brain, improving memory and other cognitive functions. While brain training won’t necessarily help you recall childhood memories, it won’t hurt, and it can also improve your chances of retaining the memories you still have.

Do you lose memories when you reach adulthood?

Whether you lived through a turbulent childhood or enjoyed one that was perfectly pleasant, there’s a good chance you’ll lose most of your early memories by the time you reach adulthood — and that’s absolutely normal. Even if you experienced something traumatic in the first few years of life, you may forget it entirely in the normal course of development.

Is it normal to remember very little?

It’s not at all unusual to remember very little from the first several years of life. Childhood amnesia is part of the normal course of development. Experts aren’t entirely certain what causes it, but memory researchers have come up with a few different theories.