3 ms·
A lot of people are saying it's "erasing" the memory. I actually think the way it works is much simpler. I've read that when you relive any memory your brain es
by Ozzie_osman 8y ago
A lot of people are saying it's "erasing" the memory. I actually think the way it works is much simpler. I've read that when you relive any memory your brain essentially unloads it, then rewrites it (sometimes in a modified form).
So like think loading a block of memory then rewriting it, but this time you rewrite the memory without the associated anxiety.
- vharuck 8y agoAs a person with depression and anxiety, I've definitely noticed my memories change based on my mood whenever I recall them. I'd remember professors having harsh tones and cold body language, but then see them acting completely different in a class a year or two later. They hadn't changed; it was that, during my depressive episodes, I'd always obsess over classes I skipped or failed. I took it as a product of not having a photographic memory. When my mind recalled the memory, there were a lot of parts missing: hand gestures, voice volume, other students, etc. So my brain filled in those gaps with "reasonable" guesses. And, during a depressive episode, it was reasonable to assume other people didn't like me. These additions became part of the memory. Even with the depression and anxiety under control, I keep in mind that memories can be emotionally altered. So I'm more willing to believe my memories are wrong. And I don't let myself obsess over a memory, which was never productive, anyway.