Zhaorong Tu, Week 15: PTSD and Memory Dysfunction
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| via Everyday Health |
It turns out that Toni Morrison’s depiction of memory issues related to PTSD is surprisingly representative of those suffering from the same afflictions in real life. It’s often an unconscious change that’s intended for individuals to cope with trauma, with the potential to extend into permanent repression.
Memory dysfunction associated with PTSD often targets specific regions of the brain that regulate memory in some way. Take for example the hippocampus, which sorts and stores long-term memories and regulates emotions. Recent studies have shown that the hippocampus loses up to eight percent of its mass in those who suffer from PTSD. A strong correlation has also been discovered between the heightened levels of stress hormones associated with PTSD and the serious impairment of the prefrontal cortex’s cognitive functions.
The secondary effects of PTSD, however, are much less apparent in Morrison’s depictions. The changes to the areas of the brain associated with memory are not just temporary ones that erase a certain memory; instead, they have the potential to seriously impair brain function. PTSD's changes to brain chemistry often inhibit an individual's ability to reason and think logically, which has been linked to lowered emotional control and higher rates of addiction. Outside of memory loss, there are also more permanent afflictions that are linked to PTSD such as depression and anxiety.
Hi Zhaorong! After I began reading the novel, Beloved, I also began to gain a larger interest in the field of psychology and have continued to want to learn more about the memory dysfunction problems associated with PTSD. As you have brought to attention, this problem affects certain regions in our brain that are mostly known for controlling emotional toll and memories that we wish to store in our mind. I find it particularly interesting how this problem can significantly have a positive impact on you for giving you the ability to make decisions based on a logical line of reasoning, but could also cause you to face addiction at a much higher rate. Thinking about this partially reminds me of my past, but also makes me afraid that I might stay anxious and depressed thinking about mistakes I made in the past. Thank you for your blog and I hope to learn more about this problem.
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ReplyDeleteHi Zhaorong, I also was very intrigued by that scene in Beloved when I first read it, because I was somewhat shocked that it was possible for Seethe to forget such a harrowing incident. I thought that such a horrific experience would forever be entrenched in one’s memory. It piqued my interest and curiosity in psychology and specifically trauma. Through my research, I learned a lot about how people deal with trauma and memories can be suppressed. I also remember reading that memory dysfunction can have many adverse effects on a person’s physical and mental wellbeing. First of all, it would be very disturbing to suddenly regain the memory of such an event, like what happened to Seethe in this scene. Furthermore, PTSD and memory dysfunction can cause permanent memory problems as well as emotional and mental problems. I think it is quite interesting how many of our body’s natural survival responses to different events can have unintended negative consequences. For example, often when someone breaks a bone, the adrenaline blocks off the pain immediately after this incident, but due to this lack of pain, people sometimes walk on the bone, which can cause dislocation and further injury. Similarly, the fight or flight response can lead to a lot of anxiety and stress. Ultimately, I think it is quite fascinating how our bodies and minds work, and I hope to get more exposure to psychology in the coming years.
ReplyDeleteHi Zhaorong! I think Sethe was less affected by her mother's death than someone who usually would get PTSD because she didn't understand many things around the time of her mother's death, which is shown when she didn't realize what her mother's branding meant and wanted to be marked herself. She has also lived through so many more traumatic experiences during slavery that it may have nullified the shock for her and blended in with the rest of her memories. While I have taken psychology, I only vaguely remember reading a page in the text book on PTSD, so it is rather new to me that PTSD makes the brain lose mass and can hinder other functions. Also, from what I've heard from other English students, our new book, The Things They Carried, has something to do with PTSD and I look forward to further exploring this topic with the new book.
ReplyDeleteHi Zhaorong, the scene where Sethe recalls her mother's death was super interesting to me because I did not know how she forgot the moment. However, it is also worth noting that Sethe was not in a state at the time where she was fully aware of her surroundings. However, I find Toni Morrison's way of depicting PTSD to be very cool, as it seemed as if she had to do a lot of research beforehand in order to write about it. I also wonder if PTSD affects brain function due to the same reason that stress reduces our ability to think logically, creatively, and remember information.
ReplyDeleteIt is quite odd. Sethe was not really fully conscious at the time of her mother's death, not having fully developed her mind and still at a relatively young age. Her ability to remember something like that after such a long period of unknowingness is extremely telling of her massive PTSD. Veterans often have PTSD as result of years in service to the military, where they have to kill or be killed. Sethe has to deal with living for years under an extremely abusive and horrible existence, with the killing of her own daughter on her hands. For her to suffer PTSD is highly reasonable, and for her to remember what was once lost is also just a reasonable.
ReplyDeleteHi Zhaorong, I think Sethe's sudden recollection of her mother's death is supposed to serve as a representation of the different triggers of PTSD. Her recollection was definitely a depiction of how PTSD can cause a loss of memory for some experiences in life, but it also has to do with who triggered it. Beloved's presence was an important factor in her recollection. This is similar to how people and places from one's traumatic past can often trigger those memories in their brain, a common experience of people with PTSD. It's definitely an interesting connection to make, and I look forward to reading more from you.
ReplyDeleteThis situation in Beloved is very unique, detailing Sethe's memories of her mother's death despite being at a very young age and extremely susceptible to completely repressing or altering the memory. It makes sense that the death of her mother would be incredibly traumatic and thus induce Sethe to completely repress the memory, leading up to her recalling it following the resurfacing of more trauma in the form of continued interactions with Beloved. The various ways that characters have dealt with their trauma in Beloved is very interesting, with characters like Paul D burying his emotions into his "tobacco tin" and Sethe continually dwelling in her past. The inclusion of this memory only adds more depth to Sethe's trauma and response, which adds to Beloved's discussion of trauma.
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