It is important to note that verbal abuse in the form of bullying or harassment may not affect one person to the same extent as another. Psychological abuse: Anyone that has been verbally abused or repeatedly bullied is at increased risk for nearly every mental illness.The physical abuse may be ongoing or an isolated event that leads to repression of memories of the attacks. Physical abuse often leaves psychological marks, but permanent psychological scars. Physical abuse: Those that are violently beaten or “hit” by others may block all memory of the event from consciousness.In any regard, the abuse experienced often exceeds a person’s psychological coping ability, and one of the only ways to cope involves pushing the memory out of conscious perception. Abuse can be ongoing such as that dished out by a parent or an isolated occurrence. When the trauma and/or stress becomes severe, it is thought that neurological adaptations (resulting in repression) take place to help ensure survival.Ībuse: Those that have experienced abuse whether it be physical, psychological, or sexual – are prone to repressed memories. The common theme associated with repression of memories is that of intense stress and/or trauma. It is thought that the cause of repressed memories is subject to significant individual variation. While repressed memories are more likely to occur among those without fully developed brains, they may occur in anyone that endures a traumatic experience. It is this surging of intense emotion that may overwhelm some individuals and ultimately interfere with their ability to recall a traumatic event. It provides us with superhuman strength, focus, and our body surges with adrenaline. The stimulation is designed to help keep us alive in the event of an emergency. The brain is overwhelmed with surges of intense emotions and stimulation via the sympathetic nervous system. When we experience a significant degree of stress or trauma, our sympathetic nervous system becomes hyperactivated and overwhelms our brain.
Repressed memories are memories that have been blocked from conscious perception as a result of significant stress or trauma.
The submerging of a memory beneath conscious perception is referred to as “repression” of a memory and is thought to serve as an innate psychological coping mechanism during times of overwhelming distress. The individual knows that they endured the traumatic event, but they are so emotionally overwhelmed and physiologically “fried” that memory of the traumatic event is submerged beneath conscious perception. In this case, there is a “gap” or lapse in memory surrounding the time of the trauma. Some individuals may forget significant details surrounding the traumatic event, while others may forget the entire experience. The interference of the stress response with memory consolidation is what often leads to repression of memories or repression of details regarding traumatic experiences. Emotions associated with the traumatic event are often overpowering, leading to intense sensations of: anger, depression, fear, guilt, hopelessness, or shame – all negative emotions.įor some individuals, these negative emotions seem to hit like a ton of bricks so hard that they interfere with our cognitive function and memory processing. The potency of the stress-response exceeds their innate ability to cope and other coping resources. In some cases, individuals may experience a traumatic event that triggers such a potent stress response via the sympathetic nervous system, that memory of the event becomes repressed.
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