Shouldn’t I be over this?

Have you ever thought: “why does this still bother me?,” “I should be over this by now.”, “This is ridiculous that this still makes me upset” or something similar? Or have you ever wondered why some memories or events just stick with you and why others tend to get neatly filed always with other experiences? If so, you are not alone.

Today, we will take a birds eye view at understanding why some events just seem to keep bothering you and why other simply fade into the past with the rest of our history. 

It’s all about cortisol.

if you have been reading our content for long, this is not your first introduction to the powerful impact of cortisol. As a quick refresher, cortisol is the stress hormone of the body that is associated with our fear/ safety/ and protective system in the body. When our body and brain detect a threat (of any kind, physical, social, emotional ) cortisol is released and the protective mechanism of the brain become engaged. 

And the hippocampus. 

As you may remember, the hippocampus is the part of the brain responsible for taking in and processing all of the things that we see, hear, taste, touch, smell, or experience in any way. Once this onformation enters the hippocampus, it is sorted though. Non-essential information is discarded. And important information is stored or connected with other memories. Normally this happens as we are taking information in; we are simultaneously connecting the information and forming new memories with it. 

So how does cortisol impact the hippocampus? 

Great question! We are so glad you asked. So cortisol is released when a threat is detected. Those protective mechanisms of the brain and body start to transition energy from the non-essential parts of the body to the systems that are most essential for survival. Think of it as a self preservation act. Above all else, cortisol and the protective systems of the  body want our heart to keep beating and lungs to keep breathing. Memory formation and understanding what we are experiencing on an intelectual level? Cortisol thinks that that can wait for later. So when cortisol levels reach a certain point, the hippocampus activity of the brain actually slows or stops. This means all of that sensory info  is entering our brain, but the systems are not running that process or let the information exit in a smooth fashion. What occurs is what we often compare to a paper jam or backlog of sensory junk. 

So how does this connect to those memories that just keep sticking out or won’t go away? 

We are almost there! So when that sensory back log occurs during those times of high stress, the brain cannot and will not let any of that information go unless it had been thoroughly sorted through for information that may be connected to  an aspect of safety or protection. (Remember, these event are occurring at times when cortisol is high, meaning a threat has been detected. The brain believes there could be additional information needed for safety mixed up in that backlog of sensory stuff and it’s not about to throw out something that could be important in keeping one safe in the future.) So those memories that still stick out, bring about the “Uhg” feeling when they pass through our thoughts or just still seem sticky years later, likely have some aspect of safety and well-being that the brain has yet to figure out. 

Want  to know the great news? 

There are effective treatments for these stuck, unprocessed, problematic memories. Trauma therapy models are aimed at helping the brain make sense out of those overwhelming events that become those sticky memories. Even the ones that may leave you thinking “Was it really that bad”? Trauma and this feature of the brain is all about cortisol levels, not about “how bad” we think the even was or should be later on. 

If you are interested in learning more about how therapy may be able to help you, connect with us today! Our team of trained trauma therapist are ready to help with those sticky memories- big and small. Our therapy office is located in Arlington, TX, but our online therapy options are available for all Texas residents.