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Memory Loss of Childhood Signals Extreme Stress and Mother Wound Says Therapist

The Mel Robbins Podcast · You’re Not Broken: Why You People-Please, Feel Anxious, & Never Feel Good Enough – and How to Heal · May 24, 2026
Memory Loss of Childhood Signals Extreme Stress and Mother Wound Says Therapist
The Mel Robbins Podcast
The Mel Robbins Podcast
You’re Not Broken: Why You People-Please, Feel Anxious, & Never Feel Good Enough – and How to Heal
"When your infant brain gets stressed, the body is not developed enough to handle cortisol and norepinephrine. They damage the memory center of the brain. If an adult's telling me, I don't have any memory but I think it was all good, I'm thinking, this child was completely stressed out."
McDaniel revealed that adults who claim to have no childhood memories yet struggle with addiction and relationship dysfunction are likely suppressing severe early trauma. She explained that excessive cortisol in developing brains literally prevents memory encoding, meaning the body is protecting itself from overwhelming information. This contradicts patients' own narratives that their childhoods were fine.
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The Mel Robbins Podcast
The Mel Robbins Podcast

You’re Not Broken: Why You People-Please, Feel Anxious, & Never Feel Good Enough – and How to Heal

August 3, 2026 · 5 Egleze moments
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