Suppression vs. Repression

[mizzou7016]

was going through some online journals that I subscribe to and found this gem....enjoy

Suppression and repression are related but very different terms. Suppression is a voluntary response strategy for concealing outward expression of experiences dealing with the suppressed or repressed memories around trauma can be difficult if there is no actual memory of the stress or trauma at all. associated with strong emotions.2 These memories are pushed away but not forgotten. Repression describes memories that are pushed away and totally forgotten. This is an unconscious process of excluding experiences, memories, or thoughts.3 These are the mind’s way of protecting us from trauma when there is not enough time or opportunity to stabilize or heal. Repressed memories are not gone; they are still there. Suppression acts to make memories less vivid over time, while repression retains the most vivid memories.

[Nathalie99 Partner]

Hi mizzou7016,

Welcome to the community...

That's very useful distinction.

Do you know which source the quote came from?

The brain and nervous system try to protect us from something that would be too much to face.

I couldn't remember things around the traumatic event for a while, not just the bad but the good as well; it eventually came back.

Thank you for sharing that knowledge...

[mizzou7016 in reply to Nathalie99]

it is in an online magazine. the website is stress.org go to the magazine section of the stress management tab. it is the contentment magazine...it is the current issue and the article is called delayed onset pts. the website is very informative and has some great info

[Nathalie99 Partner in reply to mizzou7016]

Thank you so much, great info...

[mizzou7016 in reply to Nathalie99]

I've also gotten a lot of good stuff from the combat stress magazine also..although I'm not nor have i ever been in the military....I've been in corrections for 26 years.

[mizzou7016 in reply to Nathalie99]

here are a couple of more sites that I use regularly.....

ggsc.berkeley.edu/

verywellmind.com/