Your brain is a reasonably small organ that works really hard to process everything going on in the world around you. There’s a lot to take in and a lot to store away.
As your brain absorbs the various pieces of information, it sorts each one into working memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. Most people believe their memory is relatively flawless, but the brain, under normal circumstances, has some inaccurate tendencies.
Under abnormal circumstances, false memories can become an issue.
What are False Memories?
False memories are fabricated beliefs or wrong information about a given situation. They can be stories that get distorted when someone tries to recall them, maybe leaving out a few details or inserting a couple of tidbits that didn’t really happen. They can also be memories of something that never actually occurred.
What Can Cause False Memories?
Generally, false memories stem from a negative emotional state combined with another underlying factor. Misinformation is a big factor in helping false memories develop. Hearing misinformation and having that sit on your brain can help change perceptions.
Similar circumstances apply to social influencing and suggestibility. If you’re hesitant or unsure about an event, hearing what others have to say can change your narrative. Peer pressure can help memory distortion. In some instances, if you’re not the most confident, you may find yourself creating false memories based on suggestions from someone else to fill in the blanks.
Risk Factors
Everyone will experience some memory distortion from time to time. Those who have suffered trauma, live with mental health conditions, or anxiety are at a higher risk.
Trauma can cause difficulty in understanding in the aftermath. As you try to process the experience, anxiety can occur, causing increased difficulty in fully remembering.
Situations where your brain becomes overworked, as with many mental health conditions, can cause fatigue and impact your memory. Some mental health conditions also contribute to false memories from the racing or spiraling thought process they cause.
How Does Anxiety Factor In?
Anxiety can become deeply connected with your mind and body. When you’re experiencing stress, cortisol is released and helps prepare your body for the perceived threat. It gets your body ready to activate its fight-or-flight mode.
Since all of the body’s resources are going towards your necessary organs and processes, you may experience some brain fog. Depending on the situation and how much your memory is affected during periods of stress or anxiety, you may notice gaps in what you remember. Your brain then makes attempts to fill in the blanks to complete the story.
Anxiety can also affect your working memory and its ability to take in new information, process it, and create full memories. Since anxiety can affect memory, after the anxiety passes, there may be difficulty in differentiating what is real versus what is false.
How to Address Anxiety and False Memories
Anxiety and false memories can eventually start to fuel each other. Experiencing anxiety can lead to more frequent memory issues. When you can’t remember certain details, you may find yourself feeling more anxious.
Therapy techniques are available to help address feelings of anxiety as well as navigating memory processing. Healthy coping strategies can be established to combat whatever is triggering you and your anxiety. They can also walk you through any underlying causes of memory disruption.
Are you concerned about the possibility of false memories? Are you also experiencing bouts of anxiety? We offer an environment for you to safely work through your concerns. Contact us today for a consultation.
Learn more about our anxiety therapy in Boulder, Longmont and Denver.
