Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complicated mental illness and cannot be summed up in just a few words. However, a striking similarity is shared by many of the symptoms: memory and cognition undergo major changes.
A person with PTSD experiences flashbacks to past events. They dream about the trauma they experienced. They may become hyperalert, with cognitive distortions insisting that there is a threat present, no matter how unlikely.
How and why do these symptoms come about? In this article, we’ll discuss 7 ways PTSD affects memory and cognition and explore how to improve it.
PTSD and the Brain
PTSD has a significant impact on the brain, biologically changing how the brain functions. This occurs through various parts of the brain:
- Amygdala: responsible for processing emotions like fear, the amygdala becomes hyperactive, leading to the person thinking there is a threat around every corner.
- Hippocampus: playing a crucial role in forming and retrieving memory, the hippocampus shrinks, causing severe memory issues.
- Prefrontal cortex: the decision-making center of the brain becomes underactive and irrational thoughts and decisions are difficult to dismiss.
PTSD and Psychology
PTSD does not just impact the brain. It also affects the person’s mental health, with the psychological symptoms influencing memory and cognition. The person fears the trauma happening again and fixates on the memory of it. At the same time, they dread reliving the trauma in flashbacks and dreams, and try to suppress difficult memories and emotions. Difficulty regulating emotions makes it tough to reason in a rational way.
7 Ways PTSD Affects Cognition and Memory
1. Impaired Short-Term Memory
Since the brain is overactive and the person is hyperalert, it becomes difficult to focus on tasks, leading to absent-mindedness and forgetfulness. The person may lose their train of thought in the middle of conversations, or start to do one thing but get distracted and end up doing something else. They may also forget to do things, which can affect life at work and at home.
2. Intrusive Memories and Flashbacks
One of the primary symptoms of PTSD is intrusive memories and flashbacks. The person may be doing something entirely unrelated to the trauma they experienced, their mind on neutral thoughts, when suddenly they experience a vivid memory or flashback. They feel like they are back in the moment of the event and this is very disruptive in their day-to-day life.
3. Difficulty with Attention and Focus
In addition to the impact on short-term memory, which leads to difficulty focusing, PTSD also leads the person to fixate on past events or potential threats. They may struggle to place importance on what they are doing in the present. When trying to focus, their thoughts may keep slipping away, going back to considerations about the trauma or things they think they need to do in order to keep themselves safe.
4. Cognitive Distortions
PTSD leads the person to develop negative thought patterns based on their memories of the trauma as well as out of hyperalertness to other bad things that might happen. Instead of thinking logically about situations, the person catastrophizes, imagining and expecting the worst things that could possibly occur. They may start interpreting occurrences in pessimistic ways, leading to negative thoughts about themselves, others, and life on an existential level.
For example, the person might hear a friend making a neutral comment about them and interpret it as a negative judgement. They may then start to gather ‘evidence’ that their friend sees them in a negative light, exaggerating the importance of some things while neglecting to recall all of the positives.
5. Verbal Memory Deficits
The impact of PTSD on the brain can make it difficult for the person to recall words while talking, tell stories in a linear fashion, or keep track of their own statements. This can have a major effect on the person’s life, causing shame and leading to social anxiety and self-imposed isolation.
6. Fragmented Memory of the Trauma
While the person may experience frequent flashbacks and vivid memories of the trauma, this does not mean they recall it in full. In fact, memories may be fragmented and distorted due to the intensity of the event. The person ends up with a lot of questions about what happened and holes in their memory, potentially complicating the healing process. Since some of the unclear memories are related to dissociation, it becomes difficult to process feelings that are deeply painful.
7. Decreased Problem-Solving Abilities
All of this leads to deficits in problem-solving abilities, with the person struggling to keep their mind on tasks at hand. The anxiety leads to avoidance behaviors, causing the person to seek out limited solutions.
How to Improve Memory and Cognition with PTSD
The good news is that, as the person heals from PTSD with professional treatment, many of the memory and cognitive issues improve. Additionally, there are ways to actively improve memory and cognition on a day-to-day basis. These include:
- Mindfulness Practice: Meditation and other mindfulness practices can calm the person’s anxiety, helping them let go of the anxious thoughts.
- Physical Activity: The body and mind are inextricably linked. The healthier your body is, the better your mind functions. Physical activity helps get your body to its optimal level, clearing up your mind and even helping regulate emotions.
- Memory and Problem Solving Exercises: There are many brain training games available, whether provided by your therapist or found online or through mobile apps. Work with those exercises that improve your memory, as well as those that require you to put your problem solving skills to work.
- Social Support: While the memory and cognition issues can make it difficult to socialize, it is crucial not to isolate yourself. Make sure to keep speaking to supportive family and friends, explaining why you sometimes may struggle with conversations. Human interaction improves cognition and memory and is necessary for healing from any mental illness.
Conclusion
PTSD has a wide-ranging impact on memory and cognition, leading to an array of problems in one’s personal and professional life. Fortunately, the effects of PTSD can be reversed. In your treatment from PTSD, you will begin to get a better handle on your memory and thoughts. By adding techniques and exercises to your day-to-day routine, you can actively improve your mind’s functioning.