Many people have never heard of SDMs, yet without adequate SDMs our mental health may suffer.
SDMs, or self-defining memories, are vivd and emotionally potent remembrances that indicate the type of person we are, clue us into our strengths, and create a story about how “I” came to be.
These memories create a foundation for personal identity by mirroring our values, primary goals, significant life lessons, and struggles. The sense of self created by SDMs guide our daily decisions, large and small.
Mood Disorders and SDMs
Research done at the University of Liege in Belgium revealed that people with depression have more emotionally negative self-defining memories than positive ones.
The same study also found those with depression and bipolar disorder have fewer meaning-making SDMs, or memories allowing them to create a purposeful story from their life’s events. They tend to have low degrees of confidence and certainty about their self-descriptions as well.
“We believe that SDMs help people improve their self-concept clarity because SDMs are related to the main concerns and values of the individual,” said researcher Aurelie Wagener. “When patients have problems retrieving SDMs, this can threaten their self-perception and how confident they are in describing themselves.”
Wagener also points out that people with an inadequate sense of self-continuity frequently express feeling lost, and may be unable to envision a path for themselves into the future.
More SDMs May Decrease Symptoms
What the Belgium study suggests is:
- People with depression will benefit by increasing their store of emotionally positive self-defining memories.
- People with depression and bipolar disorder will benefit by increasing their store of meaningful SDMs.
Self-defining memories are increased by asking our self questions such as, “What events or individuals were most significant to me since childhood,” or “What events have influenced me the most, and shaped my life?” These kinds of questions allow us to uncover our key concerns and values. They also remind us what skills we used to resolve past difficulties.
Counselors and family members can also help us boost the quality and quantity of our SDMs.
“Doctors and psychologists can help patients retrieve memories that are particularly relevant for their sense of self,” says Wagener. “Family members can assist when patients are not able to recall memories on their own. They might suggest some memories, and the patients could then explain these memories more deeply.”
Source: psychiatry advisor
Photo credit: Moyan Brenn
