Can Trauma Cause Memory Loss? Brain Injury and PTSD
Is My Past Trauma Ruining My Memory?
Memory loss sneaks up on us & sometimes strikes swiftly on others. Regardless of how memory loss surfaces, when they do families can be crushed in its wake. The most devastating blow is when a traumatic event causes memory problems for us or our loved ones. The National Institute of Mental Health defines a traumatic event as a shocking, scary or dangerous experience that can affect someone emotionally and physically. Memory problems are thought to be tied to traumatic experiences of many types. In this post, we'll detail several types of traumatic events and how they impact memory loss, difficulty retaining new information, memory impairments and dissociative amnesia. We will also discuss the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and how memory loss due to trauma can affect your daily activities. Last, you will learn about the top evidence-based protocols & proven strategies to help you heal from your traumatic past. You are more than your tragedies. You will heal and thrive.
Help!
Trauma to the Body
Physical Trauma often occurs throughout our daily lives. Whether they occur instantly from a fall off your ladder, a car accident changing your life or a slip at the mailbox. Often, physical trauma is a result of physical violence. Head injury is also dangerously prevalent in violent relationships. According to the American Brain Foundation, One in four American women will experience severe violence from a domestic partner in their lifetime, often resulting in significant trauma to the head and neck. Over 75% of domestic violence survivors suffer single or repeated traumatic brain injuries, most of which go unreported. This is a terrifyingly tragic truth of our culture. If you are experiencing (or have) intimate partner violence & can safely explore resources - visit here for help. Traumatic brain injury is known to have several long-term memory effects including difficulty forming new memories, accessing long-term memory and memory recall deficits. According to Headway from the UK, "It is common for the memories immediately preceding and following the incidence of the injury to remain ‘forgotten’. Sadly, there may be memories that do not return directly to you or memories that return but are not as clear as they used to be". The prefrontal cortex is a frequently affected brain region impacted by physical trauma. These parts of the brain often manage 'higher functioning' tasks & reasoning. Often times following traumatic experiences, our prefrontal cortex will be limited in its ability to manage fear and regulate emotion. This is linked to other areas of the brain being hyper-aroused, such as the amygdala. Thankfully physical trauma survivors have hope for healing - keep reading to learn more!
Sexual Trauma: Sexual Abuse, Sexual Assault and Rape
While wildly different in nature, both sexual assault and sexual abuse have huge effects on memory loss. Often survivors of sexual assault or rape cannot remember the details just prior to or after the specific event. For further reading, check out this article from NPR illustrating how survivors of sexual traumas often experience memory problems. Sexual assault survivors often cannot access parts of the attack due to dissociative amnesia. Simplistically, dissociative amnesia is the mind blocking selective memories from your consciousness. In the absence of traumatic experiences, the memory function of experience teaches us how to respond. Trauma-related memory loss takes this function away with dissociative amnesia. Recently, I attended a presentation on human trafficking by Pam Hamilton, LCSW, LSCSW. Amidst the passionate presentation, she shared her belief that dissociation is a gift for the survivor. And that helping professionals should NOT simply diminish the presence of dissociations as a simple disorder. Rather, these dissociations protect survivors from disastrous and unspeakable violence. Although we should never disregard dissociations when reflecting on our coping skills, it is an interesting consideration to look at the protective function dissociations serve. Okay, that's the end of my Ted Talk! Overall, sexual traumas create such dehumanizing consequences for folks. Memory loss is one of the many things lost by survivors of sexual abuse and sexual assault.
Mother Nature: When Natural Disasters Traumatize
Natural Disasters often include floods, tornados, earthquakes and fires. Two years ago I was fortunate to visit Maui with my family for a much-needed family vacation. We ultimately decided to stay on Maui vs hopping around all the islands. Well, we fell in love with the diverse landscapes, food, cultural practices & gracious people! We were cared for at every stop throughout the beautiful island of Maui. One of our favorite experiences was the Old Lahaina Luau. On August 8th, 2023, a horrific fire destroyed the historic fishing village of Lahaina. The destruction from this natural disaster was tragic, impacting & life-altering for so many.
Our world continues to be on fire
Emotional and Psychological Trauma is Everywhere
Emotional and Psychological Trauma may happen in specific traumatic events. More likely are cumulative traumatic experiences throughout abusive interpersonal relationships over time. Gaslighting, criticism, bullying, and intimate partner violence are all vehicles for emotional abuse. The intense dynamics of emotional trauma inherently confuse, shame, guilt & pressure so intently that memory loss is a frequent consequence. It's incredibly difficult to maintain a healthy sense of self when you have been gaslit by your partner. Emotional traumas can lead to real losses of memory and dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex.
Childhood Trauma Can Be Healed
SAMHSA's National Childhood Traumatic Stress Initiative exists to raise awareness of the impact of trauma on children & adolescents. The specific childhood traumatic events can fall under any of the previously discussed types. It's important to recognize that the impact of childhood trauma looks different for everyone. Specifically, children, teens & adult survivors of childhood abuse may all exhibit effects differently. Childhood trauma's impact on memory loss also varies greatly. Those who experience childhood traumatic stress are much more likely to experience a Substance Use Disorder throughout their lifetime. Those struggling with dual recoveries in mental illness and substance abuse will be susceptible to significant memory loss.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Why am I stuck reliving my trauma?
Let's talk about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The first thing to know, not everyone who experiences traumatic events will develop a stress response in their daily life. Approximately half of the people who experience traumatic events will develop PTSD. According to the American Psychiatric Association, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, series of events or set of circumstances. An individual may experience this as emotionally or physically harmful or life-threatening and may affect mental, physical, social, and/or spiritual well-being. Traumatic memories often occur for those who experience PTSD. Conversely, many individuals experience memory issues and loss of memory as a result of PTSD. To learn more about PTSD symptoms from the Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, please click here.
Why am I Still Stuck?
Nearly 50% of all folks who experience life threatening events will develop symptoms of PTSD. It will not go away naturally. The great news is that PTSD is completely treatable.
Best Treatment Options for PTSD
If memory loss due to traumatic experiences is happening to you, please know that You Are Not Alone. There is help. And there is hope. Today's helping professionals have several evidence-based protocols to help you recover from memory loss deficits due to trauma. Here are the best treatments available to you by professional help:
Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured therapy that encourages the patient to focus briefly on the trauma memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements), which is associated with a reduction in the vividness and emotion associated with the trauma memories.
Prolonged Exposure (PE) is a psychotherapy—or talk therapy— for PTSD. It is one specific type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. PE teaches you to gradually approach trauma-related memories, feelings, and situations that you have been avoiding since your trauma. By confronting these challenges, you can actually decrease your PTSD symptoms.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is a specific type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that has been effective in reducing symptoms of PTSD that have developed after experiencing a variety of traumatic events including child abuse, combat, rape and natural disasters.
Somatic Experiencing (SE) aims to resolve symptoms of stress, shock, and trauma that accumulate in our bodies. When we are stuck in patterns of fight, flight, or freeze, SE helps us release, recover, and become more resilient. It is a body-oriented therapeutic model applied in multiple professions and professional settings—psychotherapy, medicine, coaching, teaching, and physical therapy—for healing trauma and other stress disorders.
Summary & Next Steps
We scratched the surface of how traumatic events can affect memory. Trauma comes in many faces & can be devastating to our memory areas of the brain. We know Physical, Emotional, Sexual, Childhood & Natural Disaster Traumas can be impacting in major ways. Also, you know about PTSD & the symptoms required to meet full diagnostic criteria. Last & most significantly, we know that there are effective evidence-based protocols to help you heal from trauma. With mental health professional guidance, you have options to heal from your traumatic past.
There is Hope For Recovery
gokc will help you recover from memory loss due to trauma. We will help you heal from the painful memories and tragedies of your life. We model self-compassion and self-grace in the present moment to all our clients. We'll also ensure you master the most effective coping mechanism & receive the most appropriate treatment plan based on your preferences and needs. See the services we offer or learn more about our highly skilled team of therapists. Our mental health counselors will be here for you. Connect with us today!
Disclaimer: The information in this blog is intended for educational resourcing. It is not medical advice or meant to replace directives by mental health professionals. Please continue to seek supportive services from qualified health professionals in your community. The most courageous thing you can do is admit to yourself you need help. And go get that help. We trust you will find your courage and find your way through. You will thrive. Keep going!
