What most people call spontaneous recall usually involves memories that have been denied, not repressed. The survivor has always been aware that the sexual abuse happened, but he or she has studiously avoided thinking about it. A catalyst sets the memory process in motion, but the essential factor in the memory surfacing is the readiness of the survivor to deal with the reality of abuse.
Renee Fredrickson, Repressed Memories: A Journey to Recovery from Sexual Abuse
abuse-survivors, denial, repressed-memories, trauma-memories