When Memory Protects: The Link Between Trauma and Forgetting Have you ever looked back on a difficult time in your life and realized entire pieces were missing—conversations you can't recall, moments that feel foggy or distant? You're not alone. For many people, especially those who’ve experienced trauma, memory doesn’t behave like a straightforward timeline. Instead, the brain sometimes blurs, distorts, or blocks out painful memories as a survival response. This isn’t a flaw in your memory—it’s a reflection of just how deeply your mind tries to protect you. By exploring the connection between trauma and memory, we can better understand how the brain copes with overwhelming experiences, and why remembering—or not remembering—is a key part of healing. I can relate to this more than I ever thought possible. There are pieces of my past that I simply can’t recall—parts of my trauma that feel like they’ve been wiped away, as if my mind was trying to protect me from the pain. At ...