time building a support network, contributing to the development of their psychological resilience. Psychogenic Amnesia In cases of severe childhood trauma, it is not uncommon for individuals to experience amnesia later on in life; for example, some victims of childhood sexual abuse do not remember the events in question until decades later. In psychogenic amnesia, also known as dissociative amnesia, the brain actively suppresses unpleasant memories in order to protect the mental wellbeing of the individual, and only later uncovers them when the individual is in a state of mind or environment that allows them to safely process such unpleasantries. Adults who experienced early childhood trauma may not realize the extent of their experiences until much later in life. Future recall muddles the individual's perception of his or her own credibility and makes it difficult to discern whether this sudden surfacing of a memory is real or not, causing them to delay seeking help or support. References Child and adolescent psychiatry Trauma types Adverse childhood experiences