Memory and Mental Health | Psychology Today United Kingdom

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class="reference__title section-title">Memory and Mental Health</h1> <p class="reference__review-info fine-print"> <a href="/gb/docs/editorial-process" class="reference__review-info-link"> <span class="reference__review-info-icon"></span> <span class="reference__review-info-text">Reviewed by Psychology Today Staff</span> </a> </p> </div> </div> <div> <div class="reference__body"> <div class="field-name-body"> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Memories can be immensely powerful, and for people struggling with mental health conditions, that power can be a burden. Memory keeps a record of what has made someone uneasy or upset, what undercut a person’s sense of self-worth, what brought extraordinary shock or pain. Also, perhaps, the unhealthy habits that have provided temporary relief. Because memory has an important role in pathological thinking and behavior, however, what scientists and clinicians have learned about memory can also be key to helping people recover from mental illness.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> </div> </div> <div class="table-of-contents border-top"> <h4 class="table-of-contents--title">On This Page</h4> <ul> <li class="table-of-contents--item"> <a href="#memory-and-common-mental-disorders"> Memory and Common Mental Disorders </a> </li> <li class="table-of-contents--item"> <a href="#trauma-and-memory"> Trauma and Memory </a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="reference__sections"> <div> <div> <div class="section section--separator"> <div id="memory-and-common-mental-disorders" class="section-anchor skip-inline-link-filter"></div> <div class="h2 section-title"> Memory and Common Mental Disorders </div> <div class="section__body"> <article> </article> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Widespread mental health conditions such as depression, substance use disorders, and anxiety disorders have complex causes that differ substantially. Yet it is clear that each is characterized, in some ways, by how memory works in the people who suffer from them. And the experience of psychological stress—something known to every human, but which surfaces intensely in a range of disorders—is well established as a force affecting how we remember.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> </div> <div class="faqs"> <div class="faq faq--1"> <div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"> <div class="faq--title d-flex"> <div itemprop="name" class="h3 faq--question"> Can stress impair memory? </div> <div class="faq--control-container"> <button class="faq--control"> <div class="faq--control-icon"> <svg width="13px" height="8px" viewBox="0 0 13 8" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">  <desc>Created with Sketch.</desc> <defs></defs> <g id="-small" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <g id="Tests---Listing-Page---SM" transform="translate(-490.000000, -597.000000)" fill="#2C2D30"> <g id="Left-col" transform="translate(74.000000, 162.000000)"> <g id="Table" transform="translate(0.000000, 426.000000)"> <polygon id="navigatedown" points="422.310547 16.3125 428.621094 10.0019531 427.62793 9 422.310547 14.3173828 416.993164 9 416 10.0019531"></polygon> </g> </g> </g> </g> </svg> </div> </button> </div> </div> <div itemscope="" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer" class="faq--answer"> <div itemprop="text"> <p>Stressful situations (such as when someone narrowly avoids a threat) can result in strong future memories about the experience. But <em>during </em>a stressful event, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/high-octane-brain/201901/5-proven-tips-quickly-boost-your-memory">remembering information can be more challenging than usual</a>. Over time, chronic stress and elevated levels of stress hormones like cortisol <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/neuroscience-in-everyday-life/201812/is-stress-bad-or-good-memory">may have a detrimental effect on the ability to remember</a>. Taking <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/high-octane-brain/201801/3-tips-reduce-stress-better-brain-health">steps to reduce stress</a> is one way people can seek to preserve memory ability.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="faq faq--2"> <div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"> <div class="faq--title d-flex"> <div itemprop="name" class="h3 faq--question"> Can depression make you forgetful? </div> <div class="faq--control-container"> <button class="faq--control"> <div class="faq--control-icon"> <svg width="13px" height="8px" viewBox="0 0 13 8" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">  <desc>Created with Sketch.</desc> <defs></defs> <g id="-small" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <g id="Tests---Listing-Page---SM" transform="translate(-490.000000, -597.000000)" fill="#2C2D30"> <g id="Left-col" transform="translate(74.000000, 162.000000)"> <g id="Table" transform="translate(0.000000, 426.000000)"> <polygon id="navigatedown" points="422.310547 16.3125 428.621094 10.0019531 427.62793 9 422.310547 14.3173828 416.993164 9 416 10.0019531"></polygon> </g> </g> </g> </g> </svg> </div> </button> </div> </div> <div itemscope="" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer" class="faq--answer"> <div itemprop="text"> <p>Depression is associated with <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/demystifying-psychiatry/201606/cognitive-impairment-in-depression">multiple kinds of cognitive impairment</a>, including forgetfulness— though memory difficulties often resolve after a depressive episode is successfully treated, according to the DSM-5. A depressed person may also show <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/mental-mishaps/201503/can-you-break-the-mood-memory-cycle">other memory differences</a>, including relatively weak memory for positive events, stronger memory for negative ones, and relatively general (rather than specific) recollections about personal experience. <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/long-fuse-big-bang/201912/3-secrets-preventing-and-treating-depression">Depression has been linked</a> with reduced volume in the hippocampus, a part of the brain that is important for memory.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="faq faq--3 collapsed"> <div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"> <div class="faq--title d-flex"> <div itemprop="name" class="h3 faq--question"> Does memory contribute to depression? </div> <div class="faq--control-container"> <button class="faq--control"> <div class="faq--control-icon"> <svg width="13px" height="8px" viewBox="0 0 13 8" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">  <desc>Created with Sketch.</desc> <defs></defs> <g id="-small" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <g id="Tests---Listing-Page---SM" transform="translate(-490.000000, -597.000000)" fill="#2C2D30"> <g id="Left-col" transform="translate(74.000000, 162.000000)"> <g id="Table" transform="translate(0.000000, 426.000000)"> <polygon id="navigatedown" points="422.310547 16.3125 428.621094 10.0019531 427.62793 9 422.310547 14.3173828 416.993164 9 416 10.0019531"></polygon> </g> </g> </g> </g> </svg> </div> </button> </div> </div> <div itemscope="" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer" class="faq--answer"> <div itemprop="text"> <p>Differences in how depressed individuals frame their experiences, past and present, may worsen other symptoms of depression. If someone who has depression is <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/balanced/201909/negative-memory-bias-and-depression">biased to recall negative memories</a>, the increased rumination about negative experiences <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/mental-mishaps/201503/can-you-break-the-mood-memory-cycle">may in turn contribute to depressed mood.</a> </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="faq faq--4 collapsed"> <div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"> <div class="faq--title d-flex"> <div itemprop="name" class="h3 faq--question"> How is memory involved in addiction? </div> <div class="faq--control-container"> <button class="faq--control"> <div class="faq--control-icon"> <svg width="13px" height="8px" viewBox="0 0 13 8" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">  <desc>Created with Sketch.</desc> <defs></defs> <g id="-small" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <g id="Tests---Listing-Page---SM" transform="translate(-490.000000, -597.000000)" fill="#2C2D30"> <g id="Left-col" transform="translate(74.000000, 162.000000)"> <g id="Table" transform="translate(0.000000, 426.000000)"> <polygon id="navigatedown" points="422.310547 16.3125 428.621094 10.0019531 427.62793 9 422.310547 14.3173828 416.993164 9 416 10.0019531"></polygon> </g> </g> </g> </g> </svg> </div> </button> </div> </div> <div itemscope="" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer" class="faq--answer"> <div itemprop="text"> <p>Memory plays a central role in addiction: The <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/some-assembly-required/201504/addiction-systems-perspective">formation of an addictive habit</a> and <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/all-about-addiction/201002/craving-when-the-brain-remembers-drug-use">the cravings that perpetuate it</a> rely on connections in memory between particular situations, behaviors, and feelings that typically surround them, including the anticipated high of drug use, for instance. These associations remain in memory after drug use ceases, and so <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-addiction-connection/201603/people-places-and-things-trigger-drug-use">exposure to cues linked drug use</a> can pose a risk of relapse.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="faq faq--5 collapsed"> <div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"> <div class="faq--title d-flex"> <div itemprop="name" class="h3 faq--question"> Does using addictive drugs harm memory? </div> <div class="faq--control-container"> <button class="faq--control"> <div class="faq--control-icon"> <svg width="13px" height="8px" viewBox="0 0 13 8" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">  <desc>Created with Sketch.</desc> <defs></defs> <g id="-small" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <g id="Tests---Listing-Page---SM" transform="translate(-490.000000, -597.000000)" fill="#2C2D30"> <g id="Left-col" transform="translate(74.000000, 162.000000)"> <g id="Table" transform="translate(0.000000, 426.000000)"> <polygon id="navigatedown" points="422.310547 16.3125 428.621094 10.0019531 427.62793 9 422.310547 14.3173828 416.993164 9 416 10.0019531"></polygon> </g> </g> </g> </g> </svg> </div> </button> </div> </div> <div itemscope="" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer" class="faq--answer"> <div itemprop="text"> <p>Intoxication from a range of addictive substances, including alcohol, opioids, and sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic drugs can impair memory in the short term. <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/happiness-is-state-mind/201907/what-happens-my-brain-during-blackout">Blackouts are a form of temporary amnesia</a> caused by heavy drinking. In the long term, severe substance misuse, including alcoholism, can lead to more lasting impairment in memory ability. In some cases, chronic alcohol misuse leads to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, which involves potential severe memory loss and inability to form new memories.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="faq faq--6 collapsed"> <div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"> <div class="faq--title d-flex"> <div itemprop="name" class="h3 faq--question"> How is memory involved in anxiety? </div> <div class="faq--control-container"> <button class="faq--control"> <div class="faq--control-icon"> <svg width="13px" height="8px" viewBox="0 0 13 8" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">  <desc>Created with Sketch.</desc> <defs></defs> <g id="-small" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <g id="Tests---Listing-Page---SM" transform="translate(-490.000000, -597.000000)" fill="#2C2D30"> <g id="Left-col" transform="translate(74.000000, 162.000000)"> <g id="Table" transform="translate(0.000000, 426.000000)"> <polygon id="navigatedown" points="422.310547 16.3125 428.621094 10.0019531 427.62793 9 422.310547 14.3173828 416.993164 9 416 10.0019531"></polygon> </g> </g> </g> </g> </svg> </div> </button> </div> </div> <div itemscope="" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer" class="faq--answer"> <div itemprop="text"> <p>Anxiety disorders rely on associations formed in memory, including those between a stimulus—whether it is a social situation, an intrusive thought, a certain kind of animal, or something else—and the reflexive responses someone typically has to it. Accordingly, some forms of treatment for conditions such as generalized anxiety disorder or social anxiety disorder aim to change the nature of these learned associations. <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/i-got-mind-tell-you/201508/psychotherapy-learning-experience">Exposure therapy is, in essence, a learning experience</a>: By allowing people with anxiety to encounter threatening stimuli in a psychologically safe way, it is designed to create new memories and by doing so, alleviate the anxious response.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="faq faq--7 collapsed faq--last"> <div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"> <div class="faq--title d-flex"> <div itemprop="name" class="h3 faq--question"> Can chronic anxiety impair memory? </div> <div class="faq--control-container"> <button class="faq--control"> <div class="faq--control-icon"> <svg width="13px" height="8px" viewBox="0 0 13 8" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">  <desc>Created with Sketch.</desc> <defs></defs> <g id="-small" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <g id="Tests---Listing-Page---SM" transform="translate(-490.000000, -597.000000)" fill="#2C2D30"> <g id="Left-col" transform="translate(74.000000, 162.000000)"> <g id="Table" transform="translate(0.000000, 426.000000)"> <polygon id="navigatedown" points="422.310547 16.3125 428.621094 10.0019531 427.62793 9 422.310547 14.3173828 416.993164 9 416 10.0019531"></polygon> </g> </g> </g> </g> </svg> </div> </button> </div> </div> <div itemscope="" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer" class="faq--answer"> <div itemprop="text"> <p><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/anxiety-fear-and-hate/201902/how-anxiety-impacts-the-way-we-perceive-and-think">High levels of anxiety may have a detrimental impact</a> on certain kinds of memory, particularly working memory, research suggests. This may be partly due to increased difficulty with disengaging from threatening distractions. However, the evidence on whether people with high anxiety have worse long-term memory is mixed.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div> <div class="section section--separator"> <div id="trauma-and-memory" class="section-anchor skip-inline-link-filter"></div> <div class="h2 section-title"> Trauma and Memory </div> <div class="section__body"> <article> </article> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Memory extends the reach of traumatic experiences—shocks to the system such as acts of violence or abuse or a life-threatening accident—allowing them, in many cases, to continue to disrupt the lives of those who had them long after they occur. Post-traumatic stress disorder is marked, in part, by upsetting and uncontrolled memories, which trauma-focused therapies are used to help defuse.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> </div> <div class="faqs"> <div class="faq faq--1"> <div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"> <div class="faq--title d-flex"> <div itemprop="name" class="h3 faq--question"> How does trauma affect memory? </div> <div class="faq--control-container"> <button class="faq--control"> <div class="faq--control-icon"> <svg width="13px" height="8px" viewBox="0 0 13 8" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">  <desc>Created with Sketch.</desc> <defs></defs> <g id="-small" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <g id="Tests---Listing-Page---SM" transform="translate(-490.000000, -597.000000)" fill="#2C2D30"> <g id="Left-col" transform="translate(74.000000, 162.000000)"> <g id="Table" transform="translate(0.000000, 426.000000)"> <polygon id="navigatedown" points="422.310547 16.3125 428.621094 10.0019531 427.62793 9 422.310547 14.3173828 416.993164 9 416 10.0019531"></polygon> </g> </g> </g> </g> </svg> </div> </button> </div> </div> <div itemscope="" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer" class="faq--answer"> <div itemprop="text"> <p>After someone suffers a traumatic experience, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/think-act-be/201609/21-common-reactions-trauma">common reactions</a> include mentally replaying the memory of the experience. Recurring, involuntary, and intrusive distressing memories are one symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder. Sometimes, when the memory of a trauma is cued by an experience in the present, the individual may feel as though the traumatic experience is happening again—a reaction commonly called a flashback. Given that these forms of re-experiencing can be highly distressing, it is also common for someone who has lived through trauma to try to avoid thinking about the experience and to avoid cues that may trigger the memory of the experience. </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="faq faq--2"> <div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"> <div class="faq--title d-flex"> <div itemprop="name" class="h3 faq--question"> What triggers traumatic memories? </div> <div class="faq--control-container"> <button class="faq--control"> <div class="faq--control-icon"> <svg width="13px" height="8px" viewBox="0 0 13 8" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">  <desc>Created with Sketch.</desc> <defs></defs> <g id="-small" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <g id="Tests---Listing-Page---SM" transform="translate(-490.000000, -597.000000)" fill="#2C2D30"> <g id="Left-col" transform="translate(74.000000, 162.000000)"> <g id="Table" transform="translate(0.000000, 426.000000)"> <polygon id="navigatedown" points="422.310547 16.3125 428.621094 10.0019531 427.62793 9 422.310547 14.3173828 416.993164 9 416 10.0019531"></polygon> </g> </g> </g> </g> </svg> </div> </button> </div> </div> <div itemscope="" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer" class="faq--answer"> <div itemprop="text"> <p>A variety of things can remind someone of a traumatic experience and potentially cause <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/think-act-be/201609/21-common-reactions-trauma">distress or other forms of re-experiencing.</a> These cues may include places, people, or other things related to the traumatic event(s), such as a location close to where the event occurred, a person who looks like the one who caused the trauma, or a situation that resembles, in some way, that in which the traumatic experience occurred. They may also include internal physiological states associated with the experience.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="faq faq--3 collapsed"> <div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"> <div class="faq--title d-flex"> <div itemprop="name" class="h3 faq--question"> How do you deal with a trauma memory? </div> <div class="faq--control-container"> <button class="faq--control"> <div class="faq--control-icon"> <svg width="13px" height="8px" viewBox="0 0 13 8" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">  <desc>Created with Sketch.</desc> <defs></defs> <g id="-small" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <g id="Tests---Listing-Page---SM" transform="translate(-490.000000, -597.000000)" fill="#2C2D30"> <g id="Left-col" transform="translate(74.000000, 162.000000)"> <g id="Table" transform="translate(0.000000, 426.000000)"> <polygon id="navigatedown" points="422.310547 16.3125 428.621094 10.0019531 427.62793 9 422.310547 14.3173828 416.993164 9 416 10.0019531"></polygon> </g> </g> </g> </g> </svg> </div> </button> </div> </div> <div itemscope="" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer" class="faq--answer"> <div itemprop="text"> <p>There are a range of therapeutic approaches to recovering from trauma, which involve, in part, processing traumatic memories and reducing their negative impact. Among these are evidence-supported types of therapy such as <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/advancing-psychiatry/201812/is-it-safe-face-your-trauma">prolonged exposure (PE) therapy</a>, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/think-act-be/201903/the-healing-power-telling-your-trauma-story">cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)</a>, and <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-refugee-experience/202007/strange-cure-emdr-and-the-healing-trauma">eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR)</a>. Effective treatment helps individuals who have experienced trauma safely face the experience and can decrease the power of traumatic memories.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="faq faq--4 collapsed"> <div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"> <div class="faq--title d-flex"> <div itemprop="name" class="h3 faq--question"> Can you forget details of a traumatic experience? </div> <div class="faq--control-container"> <button class="faq--control"> <div class="faq--control-icon"> <svg width="13px" height="8px" viewBox="0 0 13 8" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">  <desc>Created with Sketch.</desc> <defs></defs> <g id="-small" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <g id="Tests---Listing-Page---SM" transform="translate(-490.000000, -597.000000)" fill="#2C2D30"> <g id="Left-col" transform="translate(74.000000, 162.000000)"> <g id="Table" transform="translate(0.000000, 426.000000)"> <polygon id="navigatedown" points="422.310547 16.3125 428.621094 10.0019531 427.62793 9 422.310547 14.3173828 416.993164 9 416 10.0019531"></polygon> </g> </g> </g> </g> </svg> </div> </button> </div> </div> <div itemscope="" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer" class="faq--answer"> <div itemprop="text"> <p>Yes.  Some parts of the experience, including those a person who experienced the trauma was most focused on in the moment and the emotional impact of the trauma, are often preserved clearly in long-term memory. But more peripheral information, such as details about the situation that are not personally salient at the time, or about the broader period of time in which an event happened, may not be remembered—and <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/sexual-assault-and-the-brain/201809/why-incomplete-sexual-assault-memories-can-be-very-reliable">incomplete memories of trauma can still be reliable.</a> In some cases, even central details may not be saved in memory <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/sexual-assault-and-the-brain/201810/why-christine-blasey-ford-can-t-remember-how-she-got-home">due to the impact of intense stress.</a> Aspects of a traumatic experience that are initially remembered may also be forgotten over time, or not thought of for a period of time and remembered later. </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="faq faq--5 collapsed"> <div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"> <div class="faq--title d-flex"> <div itemprop="name" class="h3 faq--question"> Can traumatic memories be repressed? </div> <div class="faq--control-container"> <button class="faq--control"> <div class="faq--control-icon"> <svg width="13px" height="8px" viewBox="0 0 13 8" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">  <desc>Created with Sketch.</desc> <defs></defs> <g id="-small" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <g id="Tests---Listing-Page---SM" transform="translate(-490.000000, -597.000000)" fill="#2C2D30"> <g id="Left-col" transform="translate(74.000000, 162.000000)"> <g id="Table" transform="translate(0.000000, 426.000000)"> <polygon id="navigatedown" points="422.310547 16.3125 428.621094 10.0019531 427.62793 9 422.310547 14.3173828 416.993164 9 416 10.0019531"></polygon> </g> </g> </g> </g> </svg> </div> </button> </div> </div> <div itemscope="" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer" class="faq--answer"> <div itemprop="text"> <p>After a traumatic experience, a person may try to avoid memories of it, a behavior sometimes called suppression. In therapy, someone who has avoided details of a traumatic memory may be encouraged to recall them in a careful, guided way as part of treatment. However, the idea that the memory of a traumatic experience can be automatically, unconsciously repressed because of the impact of the trauma—made inaccessible to the person who had the experience, but recoverable through special therapeutic interventions—is more controversial and <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/women-who-stray/201910/forget-me-not-the-persistent-myth-repressed-memories">has been challenged</a> by scientists who study memory.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="faq faq--6 collapsed faq--last"> <div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"> <div class="faq--title d-flex"> <div itemprop="name" class="h3 faq--question"> Can traumatic memories be blocked with medication? </div> <div class="faq--control-container"> <button class="faq--control"> <div class="faq--control-icon"> <svg width="13px" height="8px" viewBox="0 0 13 8" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">  <desc>Created with Sketch.</desc> <defs></defs> <g id="-small" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <g id="Tests---Listing-Page---SM" transform="translate(-490.000000, -597.000000)" fill="#2C2D30"> <g id="Left-col" transform="translate(74.000000, 162.000000)"> <g id="Table" transform="translate(0.000000, 426.000000)"> <polygon id="navigatedown" points="422.310547 16.3125 428.621094 10.0019531 427.62793 9 422.310547 14.3173828 416.993164 9 416 10.0019531"></polygon> </g> </g> </g> </g> </svg> </div> </button> </div> </div> <div itemscope="" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer" class="faq--answer"> <div itemprop="text"> <p>Scientists have investigated the possibility of <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/memory-medic/201009/traumatic-memories-part-ii-post-traumatic-stress-treatment">using certain drugs, including the beta-blocker propranolol, to treat post-traumatic stress disorder.</a> In such interventions, the drug is administered to individuals either shortly after they have experienced a traumatic episode—with the aim of blocking initial memory consolidation—or prior to reactivating memories of the trauma, which is thought to influence the reconsolidation of the memories. Some researchers have reported significant reductions in symptoms of PTSD following these treatments, though there is a need for further research on their effectiveness.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="center--next_page_link d-flex"> <a href="/gb/basics/memory/personal-memories-and-nostalgia" title="Personal Memories and Nostalgia">Next: Personal Memories and Nostalgia</a> <div class="center--next_page_arrow"></div> </div> <div class="views-element-container"><div class="js-view-dom-id-fd435d3935d580343f117c36c27a23d11688d426571291d0fbc7642be93b3b32"> <section class="basics--essential-reads"> <div class="h2 page-section-header">Essential Reads</div> <div class="teaser--card-inset-details--row"> <article class="teaser--card-inset-details blog_entry--teaser--card-inset-details" data-nid="5026979"> <div class="card-inset-details__image"> <a href="/gb/blog/homeless-mind/202411/countering-cognitive-immobility"><img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/assets/styles/manual_crop_3_2_600x400/public/teaser_image/blog_entry/2024-11/anita-jankovic-m5oFzzrcKwc-unsplash.jpg?itok=hynmiHzM" width="600" height="400" alt="" title="Anita Jankovic / Unsplash" /> </a> </div> <div class="card-inset-details__body"> <div class="card-inset-details__title"> <a href="/gb/blog/homeless-mind/202411/countering-cognitive-immobility" title="Countering Cognitive Immobility"> Countering Cognitive Immobility </a> </div> <div class="card-inset-details__teaser-text"> Feeling stuck in the past can weigh on our minds, holding us back from the present. 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Here's why and how to create鈥攐r continue鈥攆amily rituals. </p> </div> </div> <p class="teaser-lg__summary teaser-lg__teaser--mobile"> Science shows traditions have a lasting impact鈥攁nd not just a sentimental one. Here's why and how to create鈥攐r continue鈥攆amily rituals. </p> </article> </div> <div class="teaser-listing-item"> <article class="teaser teaser-lg blog-entry--teaser" data-nid="5027168"> <div class="teaser-lg--main"> <div class="teaser-lg__image"> <a href="/gb/blog/what-is-a-human/202411/why-we-tell-stories"><img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/assets/styles/manual_crop_1_1_288x288/public/teaser_image/blog_entry/2024-11/pexels-centre-for-ageing-better-55954677-17153148.jpg?itok=xyM8Dvz1" width="288" height="288" alt="" title="Centre for Ageing Better/Pexels" /> </a> </div> <div class="teaser-lg__details"> <div class="h2 teaser-lg__title"> <a href="/gb/blog/what-is-a-human/202411/why-we-tell-stories" rel="bookmark">Why We Tell Stories </a> </div> <p class="teaser-lg__summary teaser-lg__teaser--desktop"> Storytelling is a universal human activity. We tell stories in order to communicate knowledge and fantasies, but also to resolve conflicts. The brain is apt at remembering stories. </p> </div> </div> <p class="teaser-lg__summary teaser-lg__teaser--mobile"> Storytelling is a universal human activity. We tell stories in order to communicate knowledge and fantasies, but also to resolve conflicts. The brain is apt at remembering stories. </p> </article> </div> <div class="teaser-listing-item"> <article class="teaser teaser-lg blog-entry--teaser" data-nid="5026621"> <div class="teaser-lg--main"> <div class="teaser-lg__image"> <a href="/gb/blog/the-elusive-brain/202411/twenty-first-century-grief"><img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/assets/styles/manual_crop_1_1_288x288/public/teaser_image/blog_entry/2024-11/Asher%20image.jpg?itok=FSHeK1Hu" width="288" height="288" alt="" title="Courtesy of Asher Young" /> </a> </div> <div class="teaser-lg__details"> <div class="h2 teaser-lg__title"> <a href="/gb/blog/the-elusive-brain/202411/twenty-first-century-grief" rel="bookmark">Twenty-First-Century Grief</a> </div> <p class="teaser-lg__summary teaser-lg__teaser--desktop"> Asher stages an ephemeral reunion with those we've lost, whose three-dimensional image is surrounded and sometimes subsumed by darting light and color. </p> </div> </div> <p class="teaser-lg__summary teaser-lg__teaser--mobile"> Asher stages an ephemeral reunion with those we've lost, whose three-dimensional image is surrounded and sometimes subsumed by darting light and color. </p> </article> </div> <div class="teaser-listing-item"> <article class="teaser teaser-lg blog-entry--teaser" data-nid="5026847"> <div class="teaser-lg--main"> <div class="teaser-lg__image"> <a href="/gb/blog/how-writing-works/202411/does-the-generation-effect-in-advertising-still-work"><img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/assets/styles/manual_crop_1_1_288x288/public/teaser_image/blog_entry/2024-11/pexels-satoshi-2070033.jpg?itok=8Rk6AGvy" width="288" height="288" alt="" title="Satoshi Hiroyama/Pexels" /> </a> </div> <div class="teaser-lg__details"> <div class="h2 teaser-lg__title"> <a href="/gb/blog/how-writing-works/202411/does-the-generation-effect-in-advertising-still-work" rel="bookmark">Does the 'Generation Effect' in Advertising Still Work? </a> </div> <p class="teaser-lg__summary teaser-lg__teaser--desktop"> Marketeers use generation effects to bolster the memorability of ads. But what if its effects are laboratory illusions? And do generation effects work in multicultural societies? </p> </div> </div> <p class="teaser-lg__summary teaser-lg__teaser--mobile"> Marketeers use generation effects to bolster the memorability of ads. But what if its effects are laboratory illusions? And do generation effects work in multicultural societies? </p> </article> </div> <div class="teaser-listing-item"> <article class="teaser teaser-lg blog-entry--teaser" data-nid="5026833"> <div class="teaser-lg--main"> <div class="teaser-lg__image"> <a href="/gb/blog/life-gets-better/202411/avoiding-trauma-keeps-it-alive"><img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/assets/styles/manual_crop_1_1_288x288/public/teaser_image/blog_entry/2024-11/many%20colors.jpg?itok=t8EXNtCy" width="288" height="288" alt="" title="Wendy Lustbader" /> </a> </div> <div class="teaser-lg__details"> <div class="h2 teaser-lg__title"> <a href="/gb/blog/life-gets-better/202411/avoiding-trauma-keeps-it-alive" rel="bookmark">Avoiding Trauma Keeps It Alive</a> </div> <p class="teaser-lg__summary teaser-lg__teaser--desktop"> Breaking out of isolation and talking about what happened with a trusted friend or therapist greatly reduces the burden of what is remembered. </p> </div> </div> <p class="teaser-lg__summary teaser-lg__teaser--mobile"> Breaking out of isolation and talking about what happened with a trusted friend or therapist greatly reduces the burden of what is remembered. </p> </article> </div> <div class="teaser-listing-item"> <article class="teaser teaser-lg blog-entry--teaser" data-nid="5026667"> <div class="teaser-lg--main"> <div class="teaser-lg__image"> <a href="/gb/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/202411/why-decorating-early-for-christmas-may-make-you"><img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/assets/styles/manual_crop_1_1_288x288/public/teaser_image/blog_entry/2024-11/shutterstock_2382272081.jpg?itok=-_aMq3yQ" width="288" height="288" alt="" title="Bbernard / Shutterstock" /> </a> </div> <div class="teaser-lg__details"> <div class="h2 teaser-lg__title"> <a href="/gb/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/202411/why-decorating-early-for-christmas-may-make-you" rel="bookmark">Why Decorating Early for Christmas May Make You Happier</a> </div> <p class="teaser-lg__summary teaser-lg__teaser--desktop"> You might feel social pressure to wait until Thanksgiving before you start decorating for Christmas. But decorating early can have some surprising benefits for your mental health. </p> </div> </div> <p class="teaser-lg__summary teaser-lg__teaser--mobile"> You might feel social pressure to wait until Thanksgiving before you start decorating for Christmas. But decorating early can have some surprising benefits for your mental health. </p> </article> </div> <div class="teaser-listing-item"> <article class="teaser teaser-lg blog-entry--teaser" data-nid="5026629"> <div class="teaser-lg--main"> <div class="teaser-lg__image"> <a href="/gb/blog/time-travelling-with-apollo/202411/shaping-the-episodes-of-our-memory"><img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/assets/styles/manual_crop_1_1_288x288/public/teaser_image/blog_entry/2024-11/Memories.jpg?itok=K9asAGGy" width="288" height="288" alt="" title="Michal Jarmoluk / Pixabay" /> </a> </div> <div class="teaser-lg__details"> <div class="h2 teaser-lg__title"> <a href="/gb/blog/time-travelling-with-apollo/202411/shaping-the-episodes-of-our-memory" rel="bookmark">Shaping the "Episodes" of Our Memory</a> </div> <p class="teaser-lg__summary teaser-lg__teaser--desktop"> Emotional ups and downs may account for the episodic nature of our memory. </p> </div> </div> <p class="teaser-lg__summary teaser-lg__teaser--mobile"> Emotional ups and downs may account for the episodic nature of our memory. </p> </article> </div> <div class="teaser-listing-item"> <article class="teaser teaser-lg blog-entry--teaser" data-nid="5026519"> <div class="teaser-lg--main"> <div class="teaser-lg__image"> <a href="/gb/blog/homeless-mind/202410/cognitive-immobility"><img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/assets/styles/manual_crop_1_1_288x288/public/teaser_image/blog_entry/2024-10/edwin-andrade-5CpS8deLsDY-unsplash.jpg?itok=CMs8ygxP" width="288" height="288" alt="" title="Photo by Edwin Andrade on Unsplash" /> </a> </div> <div class="teaser-lg__details"> <div class="h2 teaser-lg__title"> <a href="/gb/blog/homeless-mind/202410/cognitive-immobility" rel="bookmark">The Challenge of Cognitive Immobility</a> </div> <p class="teaser-lg__summary teaser-lg__teaser--desktop"> If you have relocated, you may have left something behind such as a relationship, a home, a feeling of safety, or sense of belonging. As a result, you may be mentally entrapped. </p> </div> </div> <p class="teaser-lg__summary teaser-lg__teaser--mobile"> If you have relocated, you may have left something behind such as a relationship, a home, a feeling of safety, or sense of belonging. 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