[Karen W. (OP)]

Why Do suppressed memories tend to come back so vividly during times of high emotional stress???

Along with counseling what are other ways of handling the really terrifying memories that you have, even though you know they are over, and you are an adult and have dealt with them, and they suddenly creep back into your head and take up residence as if they were new, reeking havoc in your present life and making you just as frightened as you were as when the occurrences took place?

If anyone could share with me some helpful tips from their personal experiences I would appreciate it a lot! Thank you.

[kdlynn]

hi karen. do you mean memories that you originally blocked from your memory slowly coming back or things that you would just rather not think about anymore that come back whether you like it or not?

[Karen W. (OP)]

BOTH... LOL! Mostly traumatic things Physical and psychological

[kdlynn]

well i don't know if this will help you at all... but sometimes i'll just be going about my day and suddenly remember something about my grandpa which will make me really sad. almost ruins my mood... but i have found that if i don't try to block it out and just let myself remember what my brain wants me to remember, it actually stops faster than if i tried not to think about it at all. the memories themselves aren't traumatic though. just sad cuz he's gone now.

[kdlynn]

i don't know if it would be harder if the memory itself were traumatizing... but it's kind of like when someone tells you not to laugh. it's almost impossible not to laugh if you're trying not to laugh... if that makes any sense

[Karen W. (OP)]

Yes, it is something like that.. it comes out weather you want it to or not!

[kdlynn]

you know i'd kind of like to know why that happens... why do memories come back out of nowhere like that? someone must know...

[Karen W. (OP)]

I know that it can be triggered at least for me by emotional stress ar new trama. I was working with a particular child at one point and this child said something to me about something in their life that was happening, and I felt the blood run out of my face.. I know I froze for what felt like hours and suddenly it was as if someone had rewound my life video and memory after memory were pouring into my head..many things I had chose to put away and some I had forgotten.. I remember hearing the little voice saying teacher Karen, teacher Karen..LOL I know it had not been that long but I was stunned by what was flooding back in. For several weeks my head played them back to me over and over Like a broken record with the needle bouncing back each time it hit a certain place in the crack! Nightmares, memories, feelings, and the feeling of wanting to make myself so small that I could disappear.. If I could be so quiet, then nobody would notice me and I could disappear and I would be safe..

That feeling still comes when I least expect it.. It is really, really, odd. Extremely difficult to handle..

[kdlynn]

yes, i think i know how you feel. when i was little i used to have nightmares. i thought they were just bad dreams but they seemed to stick with me for days and i felt scared. my mom told me when i was older that a lot of my nightmares were memories from when i was very, very young. some of them from when i was around two.. nobody thought i would ever remember the incident. i don't really just the little parts from the dreams. boy am i talkative today...

[Karen W. (OP)]

I have those same kind of dreams.. and the memories that caused them.. It's nice to have someone on to talk to. Thanks!