Understanding
Trauma & Memory

Many people assume that memory is like a video recording—accurate, continuous, and immediate. But trauma doesn’t work like that.

 

Severe trauma, especially when endured over time or in childhood, often disrupts the brain’s natural memory processes. Survivors may dissociate, fragment, or even bury memories entirely as a form of psychological protection. This isn’t weakness. It’s survival.

 

Through therapy, reflection, and healing, many trauma survivors begin to recover memories—sometimes slowly, sometimes suddenly. This is common in cases of complex PTSD, ritual abuse, and coercive control. These memories may not emerge in linear order, but they are no less valid or real.

 

The stories I share on this site are told in good faith, from the perspective of someone who has lived through deep trauma and worked tirelessly to heal. My memory is not perfect, but it is honest. And my intention is not to harm—but to speak truth, reclaim power, and prevent future harm to others.

 

If you’re a survivor and struggling with what you do or don’t remember, you are not alone.

 

If you’re a reader or supporter, thank you for holding space for complexity, truth, and reclamation.

 

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For more on how trauma affects memory:

 

• International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies

• RAINN – Memory & Trauma

• The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk