What can you remember?

Oct 28, 2011 20:53

I once read a theory that people who get depressed remember events for longer and in more detail than others - in particular how they felt at the time. The emotional impact of, say, being told off, then doesn't fade with time as it does for most people, so when they have another negative experience, it sits on top of this ever-growing mountain of negative emotion.

I can't recall the name of this theory or tell whether it's a respected one, though my psychotherapist I saw some years ago figured that my mental thermostat needed recalibrating (ie practice looking after myself rather than worrying about how others would react all the time, and working on the principle that it was most unlikely that I'd manage to swing all the way to being an arrogant arse - and I could ask some friends to tell me if that was the case. My friends haven't mentioned anything though I've heard rumours other people think it's so... mostly I suspect that's not personal but of course it upsets me sometimes).

It makes sense to me though. If I think back to any upsetting event in my past - let's say being told off for pulling stickers off my dad's Rubik's Cube when I hadn't done it and not being believed - it feels as strong as the initial event, though with less physical shaking or feeling sick. The only way I can cope with the existence of death, torture, sickness and all in the world is not to think of them where at all possible. I can usually cope with them in non-fiction works when they are necessary, but not in fiction, especially when they seem put in to make it a 'real' plot. The device particularly in children's books where a beloved character dies about 80% of the way through is particularly annoying, but the worst is when animated characters refine emotion to the simplest depictions of faces, body language and emotive music, and this 'pure' sadness is too much for me. I used to have to change channel and go get a hug from conflux every time the Carphone Warehouse ads came on.

This is a bit of a problem now that the quatlet is watching TV programmes and reading books with plots that are presumably supposed to teach him how to deal with emotions - Roary the Racing Car is particularly upsetting! At least they're all sympathetic when he loses his teddy, but the one where the caravan is singing about his travelling youth but now he's a rusting hulk has me practically in tears each time - and of course it's the quatlet's favourite because he likes the tune...

But getting back to memory, it's also striking to me if I read discussions on Mumsnet how rarely anyone refers to being in whatever situation and remembering how it was for them as a child, particularly now I'm looking at threads on 3-year-olds' behaviour! Also what I remember about any of my schools compared to other people who were there.

So an initial non-scientific survey on stuff nearly everyone will have experienced:
1. Can you remember going to playgroups or nursery etc aged 3? What were your favourite and least favourite activities?
2. Could you name all your primary school teachers, in order?
3. Could you name all the children in your class from when you were 7 or 8?
4. What topics did you learn about in history when you were say 10 or 11?
5. Can you remember what O-level/GCSE etc subjects you took, who all the teachers were, and name at least half the pupils who were in each class with you?
6. How did you feel and how did you grieve when your first pet or grandparent died? How did your family treat you?

I'm not interested in the lists of names or personal details, just whether you can remember these things, how vividly, and whether you're amazed that I do.

science, quiz, meme, brain

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