By: Divyanshi Singh
Introduction
Repressed memories are “memories of something so traumatic that our brain may have repressed it so that it wouldn’t come out again and, therefore, won’t bother us.” (Patrick Mcgrath, n.d). This phenomenon is also known as dissociative amnesia. Our brain may
block out unpleasant and distressing memories, without our conscious awareness. We don't simply forget these memories; we cannot access them at all. This concept was given by Sigmund Freud, the founder of the psychoanalysis school of psychology, who worked exclusively on the subconscious mind.
Suppression v/s Repression
There is a lot of confusion regarding the concepts of suppression and repression. Although both involve removing content from mental awareness, repression is done unconsciously while suppression is a conscious effort. Suppression allows people to set aside their emotions temporarily, which may resurface later when the person is ready to deal with them. However, repression buries these emotions for very extended periods, which impacts mental and psychological well-being in the long run.
Reasons for childhood repressed memories
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) that can result in repressed childhood memories are:
● Physical abuse
● Sexual trauma
● Emotional abuse
● Childhood emotional neglect
● Family history of mental illnesses
● Divorce or separation from a parent
● Family history of addiction or substance use
● Violence against one’s mother or caregiver
● Having a family member incarcerated
Signs of dissociative amnesia
Dissociative amnesia can be categorized into 3 categories-
● Localized – Unable to remember an event or period (most common type) ● Selective – Unable to remember a specific aspect of an event or some events within a period
● Generalized – Complete loss of identity and life history (rare) (David Spiegel, October 2024)
Repressed memories can also manifest in the following signs
1. False memories
2. Substance abuse and addiction
3. Low self-esteem
4. Unhealthy attachment styles
5. Avoidant behaviour
6. Dissociative episodes
7. Intense mood swings
8. Abandonment issues
9. Anxiety
10.Inability to cope with change
Treatment
The treatment of repressed memories, particularly those associated with traumatic experiences, typically involves specialized therapeutic approaches. Some therapists may try approaches such as hypnosis, guided imagery, and age regression therapy. Some other approaches include:
● brainspotting
● somatic transformation therapy
● primal therapy
● sensorimotor psychotherapy
● neurolinguistic programming
● internal family systems therapy
However, there are a lot of complications surrounding these techniques. Sometimes these can have unintended consequences in the form of false memories. (Crystal Raypole, December 2019)
REFERENCES
Grow Therapy. (n.d.). Effects of repression on mental health. Grow Therapy. https://growtherapy.com/blog/effects-of-repression-on-mental-health/#suppress-vs-repre ss
Brandi Jones. (September 2024). Signs of repressed childhood trauma in adults. Verywell Health.
Crystal Raypole. (December 2019). Repressed memories: How to recognize them and what to do about them. Healthline.
Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Dissociative amnesia. Cleveland Clinic.
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