Black and white thinking is also a defense mechanism people may use to make quick decisions during times of stress. This kind of cognitive distortion reflects the mind’s way of labeling things or people as either good or bad. Strong negative emotions like disgust, anger, shame, or griefīlack and white thinking (aka BPD splitting) is another byproduct of unresolved childhood trauma.Flashbacks or uncontrollable memories that replay in the mind.Strong urge to escape from or avoid the trigger.High levels of anxiety or panic attacks.Feelings of ‘reliving’ the traumatic experience.6,8īeing flooded by a traumatic memory can cause someone to experience: 1,6,8 When this happens, it’s typical for a person to feel ‘flooded’ by the memory and the difficult feelings associated with it. Repressed memories can often be recovered when a person encounters something that reminds them of a traumatic event, such as familiar sights, sounds, or scents. Feeling ‘Flooded’ when Reminded of the Trauma

1,8įurthermore, dissociative amnesia is known to affect over half of those who have experienced sexual abuse and incest, including sibling sexual abuse. 6,8 People who dissociate may struggle more than others to remember specific details of a traumatic event. 1,3,4,6,8ĭissociation involves detaching from your thoughts, feelings, or even your body and is a frequent occurrence in trauma survivors. This is often the result of a child ‘dissociating’ from a traumatic experience. 3,4 Some survivors have unconsciously blocked out weeks, months, or even years of their childhoods. However, trauma survivors may not be able to access these childhood memories.

Most children over the age of three start to develop memories that they can later recall in adulthood. Here are 14 common signs of repressed childhood trauma to watch for in adulthood: 1.

2,6 This may help explain why one’s repressed memories can often reemerge as different illnesses, relationship or trust issues, and unhealthy lifestyle choices. In fact, some researchers believe that this defense mechanism can take a toll on both a person’s mental and physical health. 3,4,6,7ġ4 Signs of Repressed Childhood Trauma in AdultsĮven when repressed, childhood trauma can often manifest in problematic ways later in life. 2,3,4 Because children usually don’t have the ability to prevent traumatic events like sexual, physical, or emotional abuse, dissociating can be their way of coping with such. 1,2,4,6 Most of the time, repressing a trauma memory is an involuntary response, and not a conscious decision someone makes. Most experts view dissociative amnesia as a defense mechanism one may use to block out painful past memories. Why do people repress traumatic memories?

Violence against one’s mother or caregiver.

Family history of addiction or substance use.

Sexual trauma, including incest and sibling sexual abuse.

The 10 ACEs that can result in repressed childhood memories are: 5 Research has found that those with high ACE scores are at an increased risk for developing a variety of social, psychological, and health-related conditions in adulthood, including complex posttraumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD). Survivors of childhood trauma often repress memories as a defense mechanism, but failing to confront these can lead to negative repercussions.Īdverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) identify the types of trauma incidents proven to impact a person’s life these types are used to calculate a person’s ACE score (1 point per trauma experienced before age 18). Traumatic experiences (especially in childhood) are the most common cause of repressed memories, and can also lead to other kinds of dissociative episodes.

Unresolved trauma signs