SelfhelpMagazine

by Leonard Holmes, Ph.D.

Is really true that people forget horrible things that happen to them? And what about false memories? Are some memories really false?

Most people remember the bad things that happen to them, but sometimes extreme trauma is forgotten. Scientists are studying this, and we are beginning to understand how this occurs. For a more complete explanation of some of the issues, try some of the links in our Trauma Department Resources.

Memory is not like a tape recorder. The brain processes information and stores it in different ways. Most of us have had some mildly traumatic experiences, and these experiences sometimes seem to be "burned-in" with a high degree of detail. Scientists are studying the relationship between two parts of the brain, the amygdala and the hippocampus to understand why this is.

What seems to be true is that moderate trauma can enhance long-term memory, while extreme trauma can disrupt long term storage and leave memories stored as emotions or sensations rather than as memories. More information is available in the book "Traumatic Stress: The Effects of Overwhelming Experience on Mind, Body, and Society" by van der Kolk, McFarlane, and Weisaeth.

Studies have documented that people who live through extreme trauma sometimes forget the trauma. The memory of the trauma can return later in life, usually beginning in the form of sensations or emotions, sometimes involving "flashbacks" where the person feels like they are re-living the memory. This material gradually becomes more integrated until it resembles other memories.

Are these recovered memories necessarily true? There is much debate about this. Some therapists who work with trauma survivors believe that the memories are true because they are accompanied by such extreme emotions. Other therapists have reported that some of their patients have recovered memories which could not have been true (a memory of being decapitated, for example).

Some groups have claimed that therapists are "implanting memories" in vulnerable patients by suggesting that they are victims of abuse when no abuse occurred. Some therapists do seem to have persuaded patients that their symptoms were due to abuse when they did not know this to be true. This was never considered good therapeutic practice, and most therapists are careful not to suggest a cause for a symptom unless the patient reports the cause.

I do work with some patients who have recovered memories of child abuse. My stance regarding the truth of their memories is "I don't know." In most cases I believe something happened to them, because their symptoms are consistent with their memories.

We work with the material from the past when it gets in the way in the present. The memories are real for the patient, and that is what is most important in therapy. I do not encourage them to confront parents or other abusers, because this is seldom helpful and often hurtful.

This is a difficult area, and more will be written and argued in the next few years. I do believe that there is middle ground, and that careful therapy can help heal the wounds of trauma.

About the Author:

Leonard Holmes, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist with the Behavioral Medicine Institute in Newport News, Virginia and is Coordinator of the Behavioral Physiology Laboratory at the VA Medical Center in Hampton. He has an on-line practice of psychology.