Blocking out memories can be a way of coping with the trauma Memory loss from childhood trauma can affect your life in many ways Your memory loss may even make you believe that you were never a victim of childhood trauma Physical, emotional, and psychological trauma can all play a factor with memory loss

The amount of resources that the brain allocates to working memory is not fixed but could be the result of balancing resource cost against cognitive performance If this is confirmed, it may be possible to improve working memory by offering rewards, or by increasing the perceived importance of a task

Many people with ADD/ADHD have difficulty with working memory They may have difficulty with recall, focusing, organization, and distinguishing between important and unimportant cues They may distract easily, become forgetful, or have difficulty getting started on tasks

Childhood or infantile amnesia, the loss of memories from the first several years of life, is normal, so if you don’t remember much from early childhood, you’re most likely in the majority

People who experience traumatic events are at higher risk for developing bipolar disorder Childhood factors such as sexual or physical abuse, neglect, the death of a parent, or other traumatic events can increase the risk of bipolar disorder later in life

When the researchers looked further, they found that only emotional abuse was associated with bipolar disorder Regression analysis showed that children who were emotionally abused were more than twice as likely to develop bipolar disorder (odds ratio [OR], 214; 95% confidence interval [CI], 151 – 302)

Repressed memories can come back to you in various ways, including having a trigger, nightmares, flashbacks, body memories and somatic/conversion symptoms Your memories may come through in re-enactment behaviors You may find yourself repeating behaviors that relate to your traumas

According to McLaughlin, if the brain registers an overwhelming trauma, then it can essentially block that memory in a process called dissociation — or detachment from reality “The brain will attempt to protect itself,” she added In the midst of trauma, the brain may wander off and work to avoid the memory

Physically revisiting the location of a past experience can trigger vivid memories When you go back to a place attached to an unknown pain or distress, you should try to think of how this place made you feel before it became a repressed memory This may induce some fear, sadness, or anxiety related to it

Suffering from severe fear, anxiety, or depression Unable to form close, satisfying relationships Experiencing terrifying memories, nightmares, or flashbacks Avoiding more and more anything that reminds you of the trauma

Memories of traumatic events can be hard to shake, and now scientists say they understand why Studies on laboratory rats have revealed, for the first time, the brain mechanism that translates unpleasant experiences into long-lasting memories The findings support a 65-year-old hypothesis called Hebbian plasticity