How do trauma memories differ from other memories?

Most of our memories are stored as a sequence of events, a clear narrative. But memories of traumatic events are often fragmented. While often the individual may not be able to remember the traumatic event, at all, even when they may remember, they can recall the event only in bits and pieces and not necessarily in the exact chronological order.

Due to a lack of a continuous recalled narrative, individuals then might struggle to integrate these experiences into their everyday life and identity. The fragmented nature of the memory might make it difficult for individuals to trust their experience and feelings sometimes too. They may worry that they are not remembering correctly or making it up.

In fact, trauma memories are also stored as implicit body sensations and hence the person may not be able to put the events into words. They may recall it in terms of the impact it had on them - the emotions they felt, the bodily sensations they experienced, the smells, sights, or even taste that they encountered. This is one’s body, and not just mind, reliving a traumatic memory.

Trauma memories also differ with respect to where they are stored. While memories of non-traumatic events are stored in the hippocampus, the area of the brain majorly responsible for learning and memory, trauma memories are stored in the amygdala - the emotion center of the brain.

Moreover, because memory of trauma is fragmented, the brain might bring it up again and again, in order to try to make sense of it - just like it would for any other memory. However, this results in one re-experiencing past trauma as if it's happening all over again, as well as feeling that they are ‘overthinking’. The after effects of this re-experiencing often last much longer, creating a sense of continuous suffering.

To anyone reading this or may need to hear this, while these experiences are extremely distressing, please know that you are not alone, and neither do you have to deal with all of this alone. What you are going through is a natural (though distressing) after-effect of experiencing trauma. But help is available. With the right therapist, you can begin to process what happened to you.