Suppressing thoughts of an unwanted memory can lead us to forget about it. This can be beneficial for our mental health by allowing us to let go of negative memories and avoid revisiting certain events that we would rather not think about. Stress related disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), can cause an impairment in this ability. Our study looked at the role of cortisol, the main stress hormone, in a group of stressed individuals and found that a heightened cortisol response lead to an impairment in forgetting unwanted memories. These findings further our understanding of the mechanisms that may drive certain symptoms of stress related disorders. Read the full article here.
