We all go through difficult times in life, and each of us can have traumatic memories. But how do people process these memories? In this article, I will discuss how different ways of processing traumatic memories affect our psychological well-being. A traumatic memory is a memory of an event from the past that causes very strong and negative emotions in a person. How to understand that this event or did the reaction traumatize us? When a memory leaves a lasting and powerful impact on one's emotional state and ability to function in daily life. So how do people deal with it? In red I highlighted destructive ways of overcoming trauma, in yellow those that are between bad and good ways. Well, green - the methods that are most desirable for working with trauma, so that a person stops being stuck in the past and begins to live a fully satisfied life! Addictive behavior People may use psychoactive substances or other harmful methods of addictive behavior in order to temporarily escape pain and anxiety, associated with psychological trauma. These destructive ways usually provide only temporary relief and can make problems worse in the long run. Avoidance and Suppression Some people try not to think about traumatic memories and try to forget about them. They pretend such memories don't exist. But often this doesn't work, and the memories still bother them. Suppression is another way - actively trying not to think about traumatic memories. This method leads to the fact that a person does not fully process and accept his emotions, which most often leads him to neuroses and psychosomatic diseases. However, manifestations may vary from person to person. Rumination Some people constantly ruminate and pick apart traumatic memories in their memory, trying to understand why it happened and how it affected them. This constant rumination can lead to worry and anxiety. Changing meaning This is considered an adaptive way of living with trauma. This process means that a person begins to see events or memories differently, which allows them to soften negative emotions and perceive past events as less traumatic. As a result, a change in meaning allows a person to better adapt to past traumatic events and move forward. However, this does not always happen automatically and professional support and therapy is often required to assist with this processing process. This processing is called rescripting.EMDR/EMDRThe main idea of ​​​​this technique (direction in psychotherapy) is that bilateral stimulation can help the patient process traumatic memories, reduce their emotional intensity and change the negative beliefs associated with these memories. Used in severe cases of PTSD. Everyone processes traumatic memories differently, and that's normal. These ways can influence our emotional life. It is important to know that help and support are available for those dealing with difficult memories. Psychologists help people better understand and process their traumatic memories to reduce their negative impact on their lives..