How can I forget bad memories (literally)?

Question

I just want some of them erased from my memory

Answer 1

you will never really foget them but believe it or not talking about them with someone you trust will help.. and in time it will get better dont dwell on it to much and try not to let the bad things over ride the good in your life... bad things happen to alot of us and if we let them they will take over our whole life... dont let this be you get to a friend and talk or go to a dr.. it doesnt mean your crazy just that you need to talk about this issue and deal with it and then move on with your life good luck

Answer 2

I don 't believe you can. I don't believe in magical answer to real life questions.
Memories are part of who I am. They grow out of every kind of experience, and range from delightful to deadly and destructive. I find deliberately bringing them to mind and confronting them can bring resolution - which is what happens when the reason for the memories is dealt with. I have put a personal experience of exactly this at the end of this answer.
Why is this a 'bad' memory? Are you laying all the blame on someone else? Or on yourself?
Have you done something dumb which is hurting you, or someone else?
Is their some aspect of the problem you won't face? Does it lie with you?
Are you accepting some other persons view about this issue?
Do you believe in yourself? Or do you believe that, if it went wrong, it must have been your fault?
Face honestly your own role in whatever has caused the memories. Act, if action is necessary. Apologise, if that is needed. Confront if it is required - but CONFRONT THE ISSUE! Don't attack the person, and don't let them attack you.

I recently resolved a long, very painful problem with my youngest daughter. We'd been very close - then, suddenly, there was a huge gap. We had no contact for many years, then graduallly began to meet occasionally. Finally, after twenty two years, during a conversation about something else, the issue emerged, quite by accident. We talked about it - and found we had each assumed the other wanted nothing more to do with me! We had wasted over 20 years and experienced a great deal of pain, by railing to act intelligently. I have to accept the bulk of the blame - I am her father; I am older, more experienced, supposedly wiser.

If your problem rises out or relationships - face up to it in yourself, then go see the other person. Call ahead; say you're coming, and why. Go as far as YOU can: the other person cannot be forced. If the other person won't respond - YOU have done all YOU can do. It now only as issue for you if you hang on to it! It can't go away till you'ver done all you can to fix it. Do that - and let go!
Bad memories are a serious issue, and need far more detail before any significant help can be offered. Just maybe, a small amount of aid can come from this.

Kevin

Answer 3

the best way is comming to terms with not the memories but yourself. Alot of bad memories reoccure becouse deep down you want them too. Its kinda like staying awake the harder you try to stay awake the faster you fall asleep. The more you want to forget the more you will remember. Ask yourself why do you consider the memories bad and how are you pinning the emotions of the memory to you. which makes you keep thinking of it. Sometimes people use it as excuses to be one kinda of a person or the other or for pitty or even attention. I think the best route in the cercomstances i found that when i had things to say but was afraid of judgmental feeling from loved ones that telling a complete stranger that seems a good judge of charecter that you will never see again or dont have alot of contact but enough to get honest opinions from. then you have no pressure of retrabution fromed loved ones but you can get a true honest opinon of the cituation.

Answer 4

You can't. I find it that way at least sometimes I remember so hard that I get white knuckles on my steering wheel. So what to you do? Atone for past deeds done, times where you wronged others make up for it Volunteer. When you've been wronged the only answer is to fill your life with good memories. Get out of the same old 9-5 and sitting on the couch or whatever and break out of the norm. When you are sitting there with nothing to do is when the thoughts come on hardest. Good luck.

Answer 5

There is no way to get rid of sad memories, but you can work to help get over it by writing down what happened to you in story form and then leave it in your computer memory...
Don't go back and read it....
Writing things down help cleanse it from your mind.....
Find a good Church to go to and talk to the minister...
That also helps...
I have memories that I don't like and I just talk to God when I feel depressed about the bad things that happened to me and that helps me better than any thing else I have ever tried....
I used to be an alcoholic and a very depressed person till I got down on my knees and gave my heart to Jesus and asked him to take away all my pain....
I felt his hand go over my heart and all the pain stopped and I no longer am depressed and the old bad memories don't hurt me any more....
I no longer crave alcohol!

Answer 6

Living well is the best revenge. Just try to succeed in whatever you do, and make something of your life. Those bad memories will eventually go away, and you'll have the last laugh.

Answer 7

Here's an extreme answer - you can have electroshock therapy - yes, they still do that. But...everyone else is right...time heals. What has helped for me is studying Buddhism - the whole idea of staying in the moment - not sulking in past or anticipating/worrying about the future - you are always safe in the moment.

Answer 8

whith acceptance of those memories ! Once you have accepted them they will go all the way to the back of your memory bank. keep thinking about the good times!

Answer 9

don't we all. i'm with you on that one because every day i go through the same terrible memories. unfortunatly, there seems to be no remedy except just trying to think about other, better things and eventually they will just become more vague. it takes time but you got to find other ways to distract yourself.

Answer 10

if ther bad memories they will never go you can put them at the back of your mind but there will always be something that brings them back honestly ive tried everything sorry x