False Memory Syndrome From Child Abuse Wiki
childadvocate
http://childabusewiki.org/index.php?title=False_Memory_Syndrome
The term False Memory Syndrome was created in 1992 by the False Memory
Syndrome Foundation (FMSF)[1]. It has been called "a pseudoscientific
syndrome that was developed to defend against claims of child
abuse."[1] The FMSF was created by parents who claimed to be falsely
accused of child sexual abuse.[1] The False Memory Syndrome was
described as "a widespread social phenomenon where misguided
therapists cause patients to invent memories of sexual abuse."[1]
Research has shown that most delayed memories of childhood abuse are
true[2]. In general, it has been shown that false allegations of
childhood sexual abuse are rare, with some studies showing rates as
low as one percent[3][4] and some studies showing slightly higher rates
[3]. It has been found that children tend to understate rather than
overstate the extent of any abuse experienced[3]. It has been stated
that misinformation on the topic of child sexual abuse is widespread
and that the media have contributed to this problem by reporting
favorably on unproven and controversial claims like the False Memory
Syndrome[5].
Contents
* 1 Research on False Memory
* 2 Critiques of the False Memory Syndrome Foundation and its theories
* 3 References
* 4 Bibliography
* 5 External Links
Research on False Memory
There is a great deal of evidence showing the existence of the
phenomenon of recovered memory and the fairly high corroboration rates
of these memories[6]. The base rates for memory commission errors have
been shown to be quite low, at least in professional trauma treatment.
The base rates in adult misinformation studies run between zero and 5
percent for adults and between 3 - 5 percent for children[7]. It has
been shown that people who recover memories are a lot less suggestible
than clinicians have been led to believe by false memory advocates[8].
It has been stated that false memories are rare[9] One research study
showed the unlikelihood of being able to plant a false memory of a
traumatic event[10]. Some have stated that the False Memory Syndrome
is not a scientific syndrome[11].
Brown, Sheflin and Hammond stated "The hypothesis that false memories
can easily be implanted in psychotherapy (Lindsay & Read, 1994; Loftus
1993; Loftus & Ketcham, 1994; Ofshe and Watters, 1993, 1994; Yapko,
1994a) seriously overstates the available data. Since no studies have
been conducted on suggested effects in psychotherapy per se, the idea
of iatrogenic suggestion of false memories remains an untested
hypothesis.[12]
Elizabeth Loftus, a proponent of the theory of false memory, has been
critiqued in several studies and papers[13][14][15][16].
Critiques of the False Memory Syndrome Foundation and its theories
Members of the False Memory Syndrome Foundation have been critiqued
for misrepresenting data and for their possible reasons for having
created the idea of the syndrome.
In reply to a TV documentary about FMS, William Freyd, (Pamela Freyd's
(one of the founders of the FMSF) step brother and sister-in-law)
wrote "There is no doubt in my mind that there was severe abuse in the
home of Peter and Pam. . . . The False Memory Syndrome Foundation is a
fraud designed to deny a reality that Peter and Pam have spent most of
their lives trying to escape. There is no such things as a False
Memory Syndrome."[2] "In addition, Peter Freyd's own mother (who is
also Pamela's step-mother) and his only sibling, a brother, were also
estranged from Pamela and Peter. It should be noted that these family
members support Jennifer's side of the story."[1]
A co-founder of the False Memory Syndrome Foundation, Ralph
Underwager, has also had several critiques written about him[17]. In
an interview in Amsterdam in June 1991 by “Paidika,” Editor-in-Chief,
Joseph Geraci, Underwager replied to the question "Is choosing
paedophilia for you a responsible choice for the individuals?" with
"Certainly it is responsible. What I have been struck by as I have
come to know more about and understand people who choose paedophilia
is that they let themselves be too much defined by other people. That
is usually an essentially negative definition. Paedophiles spend a lot
of time and energy defending their choice. I don’t think that a
paedophile needs to do that. Paedophiles can boldly and courageously
affirm what they choose. They can say that what they want is to find
the best way to love. I am also a theologian and as a theologian, I
believe it is God’s will that there be closeness and intimacy, unity
of the flesh, between people. A paedophile can say: “This closeness is
possible for me within the choices that I’ve made."[18]
In a transcription of the TV show Witness for Mr. Bubbles from
“Australia 60 Minutes,” Channel Nine Network (Aired on August 5, 1990
in Australia), researcher Anna Salter stated that Underwager "isn’t
accurate. That what he says in court does not necessarily fairly
represent the literature." That he frequently distorts facts and he
sometimes he quotes specific studies, and he’s frequently wrong about
what the studies say."[19]
It was stated in a court document that the two books that he and his
wife Hollida Wakefield, wrote "Accusations of Child Sexual
Abuse" (1988), and The Real World of Child Interrogations (1990) were
not "well received in the medical and scientific press." It was also
stated that "when they cannot use a quotation out of context from an
article, they make unsupported statements, some of which are palpably
untrue and others simply unprovable.” David L. Chadwick, Book Review,
in 261 JAMA 3035 (May 26, 1989)." In the same document it was stated
that "Both Salter and Toth came to believe that Underwager is a hired
gun who makes a living by deceiving judges about the state of medical
knowledge and thus assisting child molesters to evade punishment."[20]
Those that have examined or written about the False Memory Syndrome
theories or foundation or its members have been subjected to
harassment. This includes Anna Salter's analysis of her harassment by
Ralph Underwager[21], David Calof, the former editor of Treating Abuse
Today [22] and Jennifer Hoult [23].
Accusations have also been made about the accuracy of the False Memory
Syndromes' proponents data and research. Salter has critiqued some of
those that defend those accused of child sexual abuse. “The people who
support and defend those accused of child sexual abuse
indiscriminately, those who join organizations dedicated to defending
people who are accused of child sexual abuse with no screening
whatsoever to keep out those who are guilty as charged, are…not
necessarily people engaged in an objective search for the truth. Some
of them can and do use deceit, trickery, misstated research,
harassment, intimidation, and charges of laundering federal money to
silence their opponents.”[21]. Whitfield stated "Since at least 95
percent of child molesters initially deny their abusive behaviors, how
can untrained lay people like Pamela Freyd and her staff “document” a
real or “unreal” case of “FMS,” as appears to be the case with most of
their communications, which usually occur over the telephone or by
letter (p. 76)."[2]. Jennifer Freyd stated “Despite this documentation
for both traumatic amnesia and essentially accurate delayed recall,
memory science is often presented as if it supports the view that
traumatic amnesia is very unlikely or perhaps impossible and that a
great many, perhaps a majority, maybe even all, recovered memories of
abuse are false…Yet no research supports such an implication…and a
great deal of research supports the premise that forgetting sexual
abuse is fairly common and that recovered memories are sometimes
essentially true.” (p. 107) [24]
Proponents of false memory theories have also been accused of
manipulating the media[25][26]. The theory of false memory has been
used as a defense in court to try and negate "abusive, criminal
behavior" and this defense is fraught with disinformation, smoke
screens, and other untruths that are a distortion of what the
available science of the psychology of trauma and memory shows.[27].
References
1. Dallam, S. (2002). "Crisis or Creation: A systematic examination of
false memory claims". Journal of Child Sexual Abuse 9 (3/4): 9–36. doi:
10.1300/J070v09n03_02. PMID 17521989. "A review of the relevant
literature demonstrates that the existence of such a syndrome lacks
general acceptance in the mental health field, and that the construct
is based on a series of faulty assumptions, many of which have been
scientifically disproven. There is a similar lack of empirical
validation for claims of a "false memory" epidemic. It is concluded
that in the absence of any substantive scientific support, "False
Memory Syndrome" is best characterized as a pseudoscientific syndrome
that was developed to defend against claims of child abuse."
http://www.leadershipcouncil.org/1/res/dallam/6.html
2. Whitfield M.D., Charles L. (1995). Memory and Abuse - Remembering
and Healing the Effects of Trauma Deerfield Beach, FL: Health
Communications, Inc. ISBN 1-55874-320-0.
http://books.google.com/books?id=z1LW3u1e04YC
3. Leadership Council - How often do children’s reports of abuse turn
out to be false? "Jones and McGraw examined 576 consecutive referrals
of child sexual abuse to the Denver Department of Social Services, and
categorized the reports as either reliable or fictitious. In only 1%
of the total cases were children judged to have advanced a fictitious
allegation. Jones, D. P. H., and J. M. McGraw: Reliable and Fictitious
Accounts of Sexual Abuse to Children.Journal of Interpersonal
Violence, 2, 27-45, 1987.
http://www.leadershipcouncil.org/1/res/csa-acc.html
4. False allegations of child sexual abuse by children are rare
http://ritualabuse.us/research/false-allegations-of-child-sexual-abuse-by-children-are-rare/
5. Whitfield, Charles L.; Joyanna L. Silberg, Paul Jay Fink (2001).
Misinformation Concerning Child Sexual Abuse and Adult Survivors.
Haworth Press. ISBN 0789019019.
6. Recovered Memories - Child Abuse Wiki http://childabusewiki.org/index.php?title=Recovered_Memories
7. Brown, Scheflin and Hammond (1998).”Memory, Trauma Treatment, And
the Law” (W. W. Norton) ISBN 0-393-70254-5
8. Leavitt, F. (March 1997) False attribution of suggestibility to
explain recovered memory of childhood sexual abuse following extended
amnesia Child Abuse & Neglect - 21, 3, P. 265-272
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V7N-3SWV6NV-7&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=bae98194eeabcbfb8a5dcaa602d5cc0b
9. Hall, J., Kondora, L. (2005) “True” and “False” Child Sexual Abuse
Memories and Casey’s Phenomenological View of Remembering American
Behavioral Scientist, 48, 10 p. 1339-1359 DOI:
10.1177/0002764205277012 "The notion of false accusation is often
raised in cases where physical evidence is not available and a period
of time has passed or when there has been a delay in recall of the
events by a survivor of child sexual abuse. This is not to imply that
false memories are not possible. This article outlines how rare they
must be, however, based on historical factors and a phenomenological
analysis of memory itself....Most scientists investigating traumatic
memory doubt that memories of abuse could be planted."
http://abs.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/48/10/1339?ijkey=ciZjJlFifgYIY&keytype=ref&siteid=spabs
10. Pezdek, Hodge, D. (1999) July-August Planting false childhood
memories: The role of event plausibility Child Development 70(4) p.
887-895 "One false event described the child lost in a mall while
shopping (the plausible false event); the other false event described
the child receiving a rectal enema (the implausible false event). The
majority of the 39 children (54%) did not remember either false event.
However, whereas 14 children recalled the plausible but not the
implausible false event, only one child recalled the implausible but
not the plausible false event; this difference was statistically
significant." http://www.jstor.org/pss/1132249
11. Friesen, J. (1995) "The Truth About False Memory Syndrome,
Huntington House Publisher ISBN: 1-56384-111-8 "The number of studies
which have subjected false memory syndrome to scientific inquiry is
zero. There is nothing scientific about it. There is nothing which
defines it. There is no list of symptoms which describes it, nor is
there anything which helps us distinguish it from other syndromes."
12. Brown, Scheflin and Hammond (1998).”Memory, Trauma Treatment, And
the Law” (W. W. Norton) ISBN 0-393-70254-5
13. Crook, L. (1999) "Lost in a Shopping Mall"—a Breach of
Professional Ethics Ethics & Behavior, (9, 1) P. 39-50 "An analysis of
the mall study shows that beyond the external misrepresentations,
internal scientific methodological errors cast doubt on the validity
of the claims that have been attributed to the mall study within
scholarly and legal arenas. The minimal involvement or, in some cases,
negative impact of collegial consultation, academic supervision, and
peer review throughout the evolution of the mall study are reviewed."
http://users.owt.com/crook/memory/
14. Hopper, J. Elizabeth Loftus "Loftus is aware that those who study
traumatic memory have for several years, based on a great deal of
research and clinical experience, used the construct of dissociation
to account for the majority of recovered memories. However, she
continues to focus on and attack "repression" and "repressed
memories," which has the effect of confusing and misleading many
people." http://www.jimhopper.com/memory/#el
15. Pope, K. (1996) Memory, Abuse, and Science: Questioning Claims
About the False Memory Syndrome Epidemic American Psychologist 51:
957. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.51.9.957 "Does the trauma specified in the
lost-in-the-mall experiment seem comparable to the trauma forming the
basis of false memory syndrome? Loftus (1993) described the implanted
traumatic event in the shopping-mall experiment as follows: "Chris was
convinced by his older brother Jim, that he had been lost in a
shopping mall when he was five years old" (p. 532). Does this seem,
for example, a reasonable analogy for a five-year-old girl being
repeatedly raped by her father?....Is it possible that the findings
are an artifact of this particular design, for example, that the older
family member claims to have been present when the event occurred and
to have witnessed it, a claim the therapist can never make? To date,
replications and extensions of this study have tended to use a similar
methodology; that is, either the older family member makes the
suggestions in his or her role as the experimenter's confederate, or
the experimenter presents the suggestion as being the report of an
older family member, thus creating a surrogate confederate."
http://www.kspope.com/memory/memory.php
16. Hoult, J. (2005)"Remembering Dangerously" & Hoult v. Hoult: The
Myth of Repressed Memory that Elizabeth Loftus
http://www.rememberingdangerously.com/
17. Information on Ralph Underwager
http://ritualabuse.us/research/memory-fms/ralph-underwager/
18. PAIDIKA INTERVIEW:HOLLIDA WAKEFIELD AND RALPH UNDERWAGER Part I
http://www.nostatusquo.com/ACLU/NudistHallofShame/Underwager2.html
19. Witness for Mr. Bubbles Transcribed from "Australia 60 Minutes,"
Channel Nine Network (Aired on August 5, 1990 in Australia) Produced
by Anthony Mcclellan; Reported by Mike Munro
http://www.nostatusquo.com/ACLU/NudistHallofShame/MrBubbles.html
20. Ralph Underwager and Hollida Wakefield, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v.
Anna Salter, Et Al., Defendants-Appellees. 22 F.3d 730 (7th Cir. 1994)
Federal Circuits, 7th Cir. (April 25, 1994) Docket number: 93-2422
http://vlex.com/vid/36092881
21. Salter, A. (June 1998) Confessions of a Whistle-Blower: Lessons
Learned Ethics & Behavior 8(2) p.115 - 124 DOI: 10.1207/
s15327019eb0802_2 Abstract - In 1988 I began a report on the accuracy
of expert testimony in child sexual abuse cases utilizing Ralph
Underwager and Hollida Wakefield as a case study (Wakefield &
Underwager, 1988). In response, Underwager and Wakefield began a
campaign of harassment and intimidation, which included multiple
lawsuits; an ethics charge; phony (and secretly taped) phone calls;
and ad hominem attacks, including one that I was laundering federal
grant monies. The harassment and intimidation failed as the author
refused demands to retract. In addition, the lawsuits and ethics
charges were dismissed. Lessons learned from the experience are
discussed.
http://ritualabuse.us/research/memory-fms/confessions-of-a-whistle-blower-lessons-learned/
22. Calof, D.L. (1998). Notes from a practice under siege: Harassment,
defamation, and intimidation in the name of science Ethics and
Behavior, 8(2) p. 161-187. "For over three years, however, a group of
proponents of the false memory syndrome (FMS) hypothesis, including
members, officials, and supporters of the False Memory Syndrome
Foundation, Inc., have waged a multi-modal campaign of harassment and
defamation directed against me, my clinical clients, my staff, my
family, and others connected to me. I have neither treated these
harassers or their families, nor had any professional or personal
dealings with any of them; I am not related in any way to the
disclosures of memories of sexual abuse in these families.
Nonetheless, this group disrupts my professional and personal life and
threatens to drive me out of business. In this article, I describe
practicing psychotherapy under a state of siege and places the
campaign against me in the context of a much broader effort in the FMS
movement to denigrate, defame, and harass clinicians, lecturers,
writers, and researchers identified with the abuse and trauma
treatment communities.
http://ritualabuse.us/research/memory-fms/notes-from-a-practice-under-siege/
23. Hoult, J. (June 1998) The Politics of Discrediting Child Abuse
Survivors Ethics & Behavior, 8(2), p. 125 - 140 "As a victim of child
abuse who proved my claims in a landmark civil suit, there have been
many attempts to silence and discredit me. This article provides an
overview of my court case and its effects....I believe that published
documents demonstrate how some members and supporters of false memory
groups publish false statements that defame and intimidate victims of
proven violence and their supporters. Such altered accounts are used
to discredit others in court and in the press."
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a784402312~db
24. Freyd, J. (June 1998) Science in the Memory Debate Ethics &
Behavior, 8(2), p. 101 - 113 http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a784402310~db
25. Stanton, M. (July/August 1997) U-Turn on Memory Lane Columbia
Journalism Review “Rarely has such a strange and little-understood
organization had such a profound effect on media coverage of such a
controversial matter. The foundation is an aggressive, well-financed
p.r. machine adept at manipulating the press, harassing its critics,
and mobilizing a diverse army of psychiatrists, outspoken academics,
expert defense witnesses, litigious lawyers, Freud bashers, critics of
psychotherapy, and devastated parents. With a budget of $750,000 a
year from members and outside supporters, the foundation’s reach far
exceeds its actual membership of about 3,000.” “As controversial
memory cases arose around the country, FMSF boosters contacted
journalists to pitch the false-memory argument, more and more
reporters picked up on the issue, and the foundation became an
overnight media darling. The story line that had dominated the press
since the 1980s — an underreported toll of sexual abuse, including
sympathetic stories of adult survivors resurrecting long-lost memories
of it — was quickly turned around. The focus shifted to new tearful
victims — respectable, elderly parents who could no longer see their
children and grandchildren because of bad therapists who implanted
memories."
http://web.archive.org/web/20071216011151/http://backissues.cjrarchives.org/year/97/4/memory.asp
26. Packard, N. (April, 2004) Battle Tactics of the False Memory
Syndrome Foundation New School for Social Research, N.Y. History
Matters Conference "Kondora’s and Beckett’s studies indicate that the
Foundation has been successful in many of its efforts to manage public
perception of child abuse victims, therapists and the people accused
of child abuse. Kondora and Beckett show that not only has public
perception of victimized children become skeptical, but in fact, the
press often goes beyond the Victorian custom of neutrality on all
fronts of the issue, to out-right sympathy for accused molesters."
http://www.newschool.edu/nssr/historymatters/papers/NoelPackard.pdf
27. Whitfield, C. L. (2001). The "false memory" defense: Using
disinformation and junk science in and out of court. In Whitfield, C.
L., Silberg, J. Fink, P. J. Eds. (2001). Misinformation Concerning
Child Sexual Abuse and Adult Survivors New York: Hawthorn Press, Inc.
(pp. 53 - 78) also in Haworth Press, Special Issue on Disinformation,
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse 9(3 & 4) "Attorneys for accused,
convicted or found-responsible child molesters tend to use a
superficially sophisticated argument, which can be described as the
"false memory defense." This defense is fraught with disinformation,
smoke screens, and other untruths that are a distortion of what the
available science of the psychology of trauma and memory shows. In
this article, this seemingly sophisticated, but actually mostly
contrived and often erroneous defense, is described and it is compared
in a brief review to what the science says about the effect of trauma
on memory." "Abstract: This article describes a seemingly
sophisticated, but mostly contrived and often erroneous "false memory"
defense, and compares it in a brief review to what the science says
about the effect of trauma on memory. Child sexual abuse is widespread
and dissociative/traumatic amnesia for it is common. Accused,
convicted and self-confessed child molesters and their advocates have
crafted a strategy that tries to negate their abusive, criminal
behavior, which we can call a "false memory" defense. Each of 22 of
the more commonly used components of this defense is described and
discussed with respect to what the science says about them. Armed with
this knowledge, survivors, their clinicians, and their attorneys will
be better able to refute this defense of disinformation."
http://childabuse.georgiacenter.uga.edu/both/whitfield/whitfield1.phtml
Bibliography
* Brown, Scheflin and Hammond (1998).”Memory, Trauma Treatment, And
the Law” (W. W. Norton) ISBN 0-393-70254-5
* Freyd, Jennifer J. (1996). Betrayal Trauma - The Logic of Forgetting
Childhood Abuse. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. ISBN
0-674-06805-x.
* Knopp, Fay Honey (1996). A Primer on the Complexities of Traumatic
Memory of Childhood Sexual Abuse - A Psychobiological Approach.
Brandon, VT: Safer Society Press. ISBN 1-884444-20-2.
* Whitfield M.D., Charles L. (1995). Memory and Abuse - Remembering
and Healing the Effects of Trauma. Deerfield Beach, FL: Health
Communications, Inc. ISBN 1-55874-320-0.
* Whitfield, Charles L.; Joyanna L. Silberg, Paul Jay Fink (2001).
Misinformation Concerning Child Sexual Abuse and Adult Survivors.
Haworth Press. ISBN 0789019019.
External Links
* Memory, Abuse, and Science: Questioning Claims about the False
Memory Syndrome Epidemic http://www.kspope.com/memory/memory.php
* False Memory Syndrome A False Construct Feminista! v2, n10
http://web.archive.org/web/20030608221633/http://www.feminista.com/v1n9/false-memory.html
* False memory syndrome proponents tactics "False memory syndrome
proponents have done the following to try and ensure that only their
point of view is in the public view."
http://ritualabuse.us/research/memory-fms/false-memory-syndrome-proponents-tactics/
Day Brown
> There is a great deal of evidence showing the existence of the
> phenomenon of recovered memory and the fairly high corroboration rates
> of these memories[6].
Your singleminded zealotry destroys all pretense of unbiased reporting.
childadvocate
http://childabusewiki.org/index.php?title=Recovered_Memories
copied with permission
Recovered memories have been defined as the phenomenon of partially or
fully losing parts of memories of traumatic events, and then later
recovering part or all of the memories into conscious awareness. They
have also been defined as the recollections of memories that are
believed to have been unavailable for a certain period of time[1].
There is very strong scientific evidence that recovered memories exist.
[2] This has been shown in many scientific studies. The content of
recovered memories have fairly high corroboration rates.
Contents
* 1 Scientific evidence
* 2 Corroboration rates
* 3 References
* 4 Bibliography
* 5 External Links
Scientific evidence
There are many studies that have proven that the recovered memories of
traumatic events exist. Brown, Scheflin and Hammond found 43 studies
that showed recovered memories for traumatic events[3]. The Recovered
Memory Project has collected 101 corroborated cases of recovered
memories[4]. Hopper's research shows that amnesia for childhood sexual
abuse is "beyond dispute." He states that "at least 10% of people
sexually abused in childhood will have periods of complete amnesia for
their abuse, followed by experiences of delayed recall" [5] In one
study of women with previously documented histories of sexual abuse,
38% of the women did not remember the abuse that had happened 17 years
before.[6] Most recovered memories either precede therapy or the use
of memory recovery techniques[7]. One studied showed that five out of
19 women with histories of familial sexual abuse either forgot
specific details or had "blank periods" for these memories[8]. Another
study showed that "40% reported a period of forgetting some or all of
the abuse"[9]. Herman and Harvey's study showed that 16% of abuse
survivors had "complete amnesia followed by delayed recall"[10].
Corwin's individual case study provides evidence of the existence of
recovered memories on videotape[11].
Other researchers state:
Research has shown that traumatized individuals respond by using a
variety of psychological mechanisms. One of the most common means of
dealing with the pain is to try and push it out of awareness. Some
label the phenomenon of the process whereby the mind avoids conscious
acknowledgment of traumatic experiences as dissociative amnesia.
Others use terms such as repression, dissociative state, traumatic
amnesia, psychogenic shock, or motivated forgetting. Semantics aside,
there is near-universal scientific acceptance of the fact that the
mind is capable of avoiding conscious recall of traumatic experiences.
[12]
A body of empirical evidence indicates that it is common for abused
children to reach adulthood without conscious awareness of the trauma
[13]
Corroboration rates
Many studies show high corroboration rates for recovered memories of
traumatic events. These rates vary from 50 - 75%[14], 64%[13],
77%[15], 50%[16], 75%[17] 68%[18] 47%[9], and 70% [19]. One study
showed amnesia in 12 murderers, with "objective evidence of severe
abuse...obtained in 11 cases"[20]. There are also additional studies
showing the corroboration of recovered memories[21][22][23][24].
References
1. What about Recovered Memories? Jennifer J. Freyd, University of
Oregon http://dynamic.uoregon.edu/~jjf/whatabout.html
2. Research discussing corroboration and accuracy of recovered
memories: An Annotated Bibliography by Lynn Crook
http://dynamic.uoregon.edu/~jjf/suggestedrefs.html
3. Brown, Scheflin, & Whitfield. (1999). Recovered Memories: The
Current Weight of the Evidence in Science and in the Courts Journal of
Psychiatry & Law, 27, 5-156. "Brown, Scheflin and Hammond reviewed 43
studies relevant to the subject of traumatic memory and found that
every study that examined the question of dissociative amnesia in
traumatized populations demonstrated that a substantial minority
partially or completely forget the traumatic event experienced, and
later recover memories of the event. By 1999, over 68 studies had been
published that document dissociative amnesia after childhood sexual
abuse. In fact, no study that has looked for evidence of traumatic or
dissociative amnesia after child sexual abuse has failed to find it."
http://www.leadershipcouncil.org/1/tm/prev.html
4. The Recovered Memory Project http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Taubman_Center/Recovmem/index.html
5. Recovered Memories of Sexual Abuse - Scientific Research &
Scholarly Resources by Jim Hopper “Amnesia for childhood sexual abuse
is a condition. The existence of this condition is beyond dispute.
Repression is merely one explanation - often a confusing and
misleading one - for what causes the condition of amnesia. At least
10% of people sexually abused in childhood will have periods of
complete amnesia for their abuse, followed by experiences of delayed
recall.” http://www.jimhopper.com/memory/
6. Williams LM (1994). Recall of childhood trauma: a prospective
study of women’s memories of child sexual abuse. J Consult Clin
Psychol 62: 1167–76. PMID 7860814. "One hundred twenty-nine women with
previously documented histories of sexual victimization in childhood
were interviewed and asked detailed questions about their abuse
histories to answer the question “Do people actually forget traumatic
events such as child sexual abuse, and if so, how common is such
forgetting?” A large proportion of the women (38%) did not recall the
abuse that had been reported 17 years earlier."
http://www.hss.caltech.edu/courses/2004-05/winter/psy130/Debate2Williams1.pdf
7. Andrews, B., Brewin, C., Ochera, J., Morton, J., Bekerian, D.,
Davies, G., and Mollon, P. (1999). Characteristics, context and
consequences of memory recovery among adults in therapy. Brit J
Psychiatry 175:141-146. "Of a total of 690 clients, therapists
reported that 65% recalled child sexual abuse and 35% recalled other
traumas, 32% started recovering memories before entering therapy.
According to therapists’ accounts, among the 236 detailed client
cases, very few appeared improbable and corroboration was reported in
41%. Most (78%) of the clients’ initial recovered memories either
preceded therapy or preceded the use of memory recovery techniques
used by the respondents. Techniques seemed to be used more to help the
clients to elaborate the memories than to facilitate their initial
recovery. Clients with whom techniques had been used before the first
reported memory recovery were no less likely to have found
corroborating evidence than clients with whom no techniques had been
used before memory recovery."
8. Bagley, C. (1995). The prevalence and mental health sequels of
child sexual abuse in community sample of women aged 18 to 27. Child
sexual abuse and mental health in adolescents and adults. Aldershot:
Avebury. "Study of women 18-24 years who had been removed from home 10
years previously by social services due to intrafamilial sexual abuse.
Of the 19 women for whom there was evidence of serious sexual abuse,
14 remembered events corresponding to their records. Two remembered
that abuse had taken place but could recall no specific details, and
three had no memory. Two of the last three described long blank
periods for the memory of childhood corresponding to the age when
abuse had taken place.
9. Feldman-Summers, S., & Pope, K. S. (1994). The experience of
forgetting childhood abuse: A national survey of psychologists.
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 62, 636-639. "A
national sample of psychologists were asked whether they had been
abused as children and, if so, whether they had ever forgotten some or
all of the abuse. Almost a quarter of the sample (23.9%) reported
childhood abuse, and of those, approximately 40% reported a period of
forgetting some or all of the abuse....Of those abused, 40% did not
remember at some time. 47% had corroboration. 56% said psychotherapy
aided in recall. Differences between those who first recalled abuse in
therapy and those who recalled it elsewhere were not significant.
10. Herman, J. L., & Harvey, M. R. (1997). Adult memories of
childhood trauma: A naturalistic clinical study. Journal of Traumatic
Stress, 10, 557-571. "Roughly half (53%) said they had never forgotten
the traumatic events. Two smaller groups described a mixture of
continuous and delayed recall (17%) or a period of complete amnesia
followed by delayed recall (16%). Patients with and without delayed
recall did not differ significantly in the proportions reporting
corroboration of their memories from other sources."
11. Corwin, D.; Olafson E. (1997). Videotaped Discovery of a
Reportedly Unrecallable Memory of Child Sexual Abuse:Comparison with a
Childhood Interview Videotaped 11 Years Before Child Maltreatment 2
(2): 91–112. doi:10.1177/1077559597002002001 http://cmx.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/2/2/91
12. The Leadership Council - Trauma and Memory
http://www.leadershipcouncil.org/1/tm/tm.html
13. “True” and “False” Child Sexual Abuse Memories and Casey’s
Phenomenological View of Remembering Joanne M. Hall, Lori L. Kondora -
American Behavioral Scientist, Vol. 48, No. 10, 1339-1359 (2005) DOI:
10.1177/0002764205277012 "Research shows that 64% of adult women
childhood sexual abuse survivors had some degree of amnesia regarding
the trauma; but in the majority of cases, corroboration was available
to verify that abuse had occurred (Herman & Schatzow, 1987). Of 129
women with recorded histories of childhood sexual abuse, 38% did not
recall the abuse that had been clearly verified and documented decades
earlier. This lack of recall was especially likely among those abused
at younger ages and among those whose perpetrators were known by them
at the time of the abuse (L.Williams, 1994). In fact, a body of
empirical evidence indicates that it is common for abused children to
reach adulthood without conscious awareness of the trauma (Briere,
1992; Herman, 1992; Schetky, 1990; van der Kolk et al., 1996)."
http://abs.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/48/10/1339?ijkey=ciZjJlFifgYIY&keytype=ref&siteid=spabs
14. Corroboration of Child Abuse Memories "Studies vary in
frequency. Between 31 and 64 percent of abuse survivors in six major
studies reported that they forgot “some of the abuse.” Numbers
reporting severe amnesia ranged from under 12% to 59%....Studies
report 50-75% of abuse survivors corroborating the facts of their
abuse through an outside source." http://mentalhealth.about.com/cs/abuse/a/cooroborate.htm
15. van der Kolk, BA & R Fisler (1995), “Dissociation and the
fragmentary nature of traumatic memories: Overview and exploratory
study”, J Traumatic Stress 8: 505–25 "a systematic exploratory study
of 46 subjects with PTSD which indicates that traumatic memories are
retrieved, at least initially, in the form of dissociated mental
imprints of sensory and affective elements of the traumatic
experience: as visual, olfactory, affective, auditory and kinesthetic
experiences. Over time, subjects reported the gradual emergence of a
personal narrative that some believe can be properly referred to as
“explicit memory”....Of the 35 subjects with childhood trauma, 15
(43%) had suffered significant, or total amnesia for their trauma at
some time of their lives. Twenty seven of the 35 subjects with
childhood trauma (77%) reported confirmation of their childhood
trauma." http://www.trauma-pages.com/a/vanderk2.php
16. “Recovered memories of abuse among therapy patients: A national
survey.” Pope, Kenneth S.; Tabachnick, Barbara G. Independent
practice, Norwalk, CT, US Ethics & Behavior 1995 Vol 5(3) 237-248
"about 50% of the patients who claimed to have recovered the memories
had found external validation, a percentage that coincides with that
obtained in the Feldman-Summers & Pope, 1994 study"
17. Herman, J L.; Schatzow E (1987). Recovery and verification of
memories of childhood sexual trauma. Psychoanalytic Psychol 4. “Three
out of four patients were able to validate their memories by obtaining
corroborating evidence from other sources” http://www.pep-web.org/document.php?id=ppsy.004.0001a
18. Kluft, RP (1995). The confirmation and disconfirmation of
memories of abuse in Dissociative Identity Disorder patients: A
naturalistic study. Dissociation 8: 253-8. "Nineteen, or 56%, had
instances of the confirmation of recalled abuses. Ten of the 19, or
53%, had always recalled the abuses that were confirmed. However, 13
of the 19, or 68%, obtained documentation of events that were
recovered in the course of therapy, usually with the use of hypnosis.
Three patients, or 9%, had instances in which the inaccuracy of their
recollection could be demonstrated."
https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1794/1155/Dis_8_4_9_ocr.pdf?sequence=1
19. Westerhof, Y., Woertman, L. Van der Hart, O., & Nijenhuis,
E.R.S. (2000). Forgetting child abuse: Feldman-Summers and Pope’s
(1994) study replicated among Dutch psychologists. Clinical Psychology
and Psychotherapy, 7, 220-229. "In a replication of Feldman-Summers
and Pope’s (1994) national survey of American psychologists on
‘forgetting’ childhood abuse, a Dutch sample of 500 members of the
Netherlands Institute of Psychologists (NIP) were asked if they had
been abused as children and, if so, whether they had ever forgotten
some or all of the abuse for some significant period of time. As
compared to the 23.9% in the original study, 13.3% reported childhood
abuse. Of that subgroup, 39% (as compared to 40% in the original
study) reported a period of forgetting some or all of the abuse for a
period of time. Both sexual and non-sexual physical abuse were subject
to forgetting, which in 70% of cases was reversed while being in
therapy. Almost 70% of those who reported forgetting also reported
corroboration of the abuse."
20. Lewis, D., Yeager, C., Swica, Y., Pincus, J. and Lewis, M.
(1997). Objective documentation of child abuse and dissociation in 12
murderers with dissociative identity disorder. Am J Psychiatry, 154
(12):1703-10. "Signs and symptoms of dissociative identity disorder in
childhood and adulthood were corroborated independently and from
several sources in all 12 cases; objective evidence of severe abuse
was obtained in 11 cases. The subjects had amnesia for most of the
abuse and underreported it. Marked changes in writing style and/or
signatures were documented in 10 cases. CONCLUSIONS: This study
establishes, once and for all, the linkage between early severe abuse
and dissociative identity disorder."
21. Martinez-Taboas, A. (1996). Repressed memories: Some clinical
data contributing toward its elucidation. American Journal of
Psychotherapy, 50(2), 217-30. "the author presents two well documented
and corroborated cases of dissociated or delayed memories of child
sexual abuse in patients with a diagnosis of Dissociative Identity
Disorder (DID). The patients had absolutely no conscious memory of
their childhood abusive experiences and in both cases the author
obtained definite and clear cut independent corroboration of the
realities of the abuse. The amnesia was documented and memories were
recovered in the course of treatment."
22. Viederman M. (1995). The reconstruction of a repressed sexual
molestation fifty years later. Journal of the American Psychoanalytic
Association, 43(4): 1169-1219. Reconstruction of a previously
completely repressed memory of sexual molestation. Six years following
termination of analysis, the patient wrote a letter describing a
confirmation of the event, now sixty years past, from the sole other
survivor of the period who had knowledge of what had happened.
23. Bull, D. (1999). A verified case of recovered memories of sexual
abuse. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 53(2), 221-224. "a 40-year-
old woman with no history of mental illness and ten years of exemplary
professional work, recovers memories of childhood sexual abuse by her
father through a call from her youth pastor in whom she had confided
as an adolescent."
24. Dahlenberg, C. (1996, Summer) Accuracy, timing and circumstances
of disclosure in therapy of recovered and continuous memories of
abuse. The Journal of Psychiatry and Law. "Seventeen patients who had
recovered memories of abuse in therapy participated in a search for
evidence confirming or refuting these memories. Memories of abuse were
found to be equally accurate whether recovered or continuously
remembered."
Bibliography
1. Brown, Scheflin and Hammond (D. Corydon), 1998, "Memory, Trauma
Treatment, And the Law" W. W. Norton (0-393-70254-5)
2. Knopp, F. H. & Benson, A. R. (1996) A primer on the complexities
of traumatic memory childhood sexual abuse; a psychobiological
approach. Brandon, VT : Safer Society Press
3. Leavitt, Ph.D., F. Manufactured Memory, Altered Belief and Self
Report Mirage: The Alleged False Memory of Jean Piaget. Child Abuse &
Neglect, 1999, 23, No. 12, pp. 1221-1224. [1]
4. van der Kolk, B. A. (1994). The body keeps the score: Memory and
the evolving psychobiology of post traumatic stress.
http://www.trauma-pages.com/a/vanderk4.php
5. van der Kolk, B. A. & Fisler, R. (1995) Dissociation and the
fragmentary nature of traumatic memories: Overview and exploratory
study. http://www.trauma-pages.com/a/vanderk2.php
6. Whitfield M.D.,C. Memory and Abuse - Remembering and Healing the
Effects of Trauma Health Communications, Inc 3201 SW 15th St,
Deerfield Beach, FL.33442-8190.
7. Whitfield M.D.,C. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity, 4, 2, 1997,
Brunner/Mazel.Inc. c 1997, Traumatic Amnesia: The Evolution of Our
Understanding From a Clinical and Legal Perspective
8. Whitfield M.D., C. Traumatic Amnesia: The Evolution of Our
Understanding From A Clinical and Legal Perspective(Sexual Addiction
and Compulsivity, 4(2), 3-34, 1997)
9. Whitfield M.D., C. Trauma and Memory: Clinical & legal
understanding of traumatic amnesia (Chapter 12) in Burgess, Ann W.
(ed): Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nursing. Appleton & Lange,
Stamford, Ct., 1998, pp 171-186.
10. Widom, C. and Shepard, R. (1996). Accuracy of adult
recollections of childhood victimization: Part 1. Psychological
Assessment, 8(4), 412-421. "accuracy of adult recollections of
childhood physical abuse was assessed. Two hour in-person interviews
were conducted in young adulthood with 1,196 of the original 1,575
participants. Two measures (including the Conflict Tactics Scale) were
used to assess histories of childhood physical abuse. Results indicate
good discriminant validity and predictive efficiency of the self-
report measures, despite substantial underreporting by physically
abused respondents."
11. Widom, C. and Shepard, R. (1997). Accuracy of adult
recollections of childhood victimization. Part 2. Childhood sexual
abuse. Psychological Assessment 9: 34-46. "A prospective study in
which abused and neglected children (court substantiated) [N=1,114]
were matched with non-abused and neglected children and followed into
adulthood. There was substantial underreporting of sexual abuse, when
compared to court and medical records. Victimization recall was
checked by comparing crimes disclosed in victimization surveys found
in police records."
External Links
1. Recovered Memory Data http://ritualabuse.us/research/memory-fms/recovered-memory-data/
2. Recovered memory corroboration rates
http://ritualabuse.us/research/memory-fms/recovered-memory-corroboration-rates/
childadvocate
http://childabusewiki.org/index.php?title=Dissociative_Identity_Disorder
copied with permission
Dissociative identity disorder (formerly called Multiple Personality
Disorder or MPD) is defined in the DSM-IV-TR as the presence of two or
more personality states or distinct identities that repeatedly take
control of one’s behavior. The patient has an inability to recall
personal information. The extent of this lack of recall is too great
to be explained by normal forgetfulness. The disorder cannot be due to
the direct physical effects of a general medical condition or
substance.[1]
DID entails a failure to integrate certain aspects of memory,
consciousness and identity. Patients experience frequent gaps in their
memory for their personal history, past and present. Patients with DID
report having severe physical and sexual abuse, especially during
childhood. The reports of patients with DID are often validated by
objective evidence.[1]
Physical evidence may include variations in physiological functions in
different identity states, including differences in vision, levels of
pain tolerance, symptoms of asthma, the response of blood glucose to
insulin and sensitivity to allergens. Other physical findings may
include scars from physical abuse or self-inflicted injuries,
headaches or migraines, asthma and irritable bowel syndrome.[1]
DID is found in a variety of cultures around the world. It is
diagnosed three to nine times more often in adult females than males.
Females average 15 or more identities, males eight identities. The
sharp rise in the reported cases of DID in the U.S. may be due the
greater awareness of DID’s diagnosis, which has caused an increased
identification of those that were previously undiagnosed.[1]
The average time period from DID’s first presentation of symptoms to
its diagnosis is six to seven years. DID may become less manifest as
patients reach past their late 40’s, but it can reemerge during
stress, trauma or substance abuse. It is suggested in several studies
that DID is more likely to occur with first-degree biological
relatives of people that already have DID, than in the regular
population.[1]
Contents
* 1 Symptomology
* 2 Causes
* 3 DSM inclusion
* 4 History
* 5 Physiological Evidence
* 6 References
* 7 Bibliography
* 8 External links
Symptomology
Individuals diagnosed with DID demonstrate a variety of symptoms with
wide fluctuations across time; functioning can vary from severe
impairment in daily functioning to normal or high abilities.[2]
Patients may experience an extremely broad array of other symptoms
that resemble epilepsy, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, mood
disorders, post traumatic stress disorder, personality disorders, and
eating disorders.[2]
Causes
The causes of dissociative identity disorder are theoretically linked
with the interaction of overwhelming stress, traumatic antecedents,[3]
insufficient childhood nurturing, and an innate ability to dissociate
memories or experiences from consciousness.[2] Prolonged child abuse
is frequently a factor, with a very high percentage of patients
reporting documented abuse[4] often confirmed by objective evidence.
[1] The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders states
that patients with DID often report having a history of severe
physical and sexual abuse. The reports of patients suffering from DID
are "often confirmed by objective evidence," and the DSM notes that
the abusers in those situations may be inclined to "deny or distort”
these acts.[1] Research has consistently shown that DID is
characterized by reports of extensive childhood trauma, usually child
abuse.[5][6][7] Dissociation is recognized as a symptomatic
presentation in response to psychological trauma, extreme emotional
stress, and in association with emotional dysregulation and borderline
personality disorder.[8] A study of 12 murderers established the
connection between early severe abuse and DID[9].
DSM inclusion
DID meets all of the guidelines for inclusion in the DSM and is
supported by taxometric research.[10] Research has established DID as
a valid diagnosis.[10] In one study, DID was found to be a genuine
disorder with a constant set of core features.[11]
History
The 19th century saw a number of reported cases of multiple
personalities which Rieber estimated would be close to 100.[12]
By the late 19th century there was a general realization that
emotionally traumatic experiences could cause long-term disorders
which may manifest with a variety of symptoms.[13] Between 1880 and
1920, many great international medical conferences devoted a lot of
time to sessions on dissociation.[14]
Starting in about 1927, there was a large increase in the number of
reported cases of schizophrenia, which was matched by an equally large
decrease in the number of multiple personality reports.[14] Bleuler
also included multiple personality in his category of schizophrenia.
It was found in the 1980s that MPD patients are often misdiagnosed as
suffering from schizophrenia.[14] Multiple personality disorder began
to emerge as a separate disorder in the 1970s when an initially small
number of clinicians worked to re-establish MPD as a legitimate
diagnosis.[14]
Physiological Evidence
Physiological evidence has provided additional evidence to back the
existence of DID. One review of the literature found "physiologic and
ocular differences across alter personalities." [15]. Additional
studies have been found showing optical differences in DID cases.[16]
[17] One study found that "eight of the nine MPD subjects consistently
manifested physiologically distinct alter personality states."[18].
Other reviews have found additional physiological differences[19].
Brain mapping has also found physiological differences in alternate
personalities[20]. A variety of psychiatric rating scales found that
multiple personality is strongly related to childhood trauma rather
than to an underlying electrophysiological dysfunction[21].
References
1. American Psychiatric Association (2000-06).Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV TR (Text Revision).
Arlington, VA, USA: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc..
http://books.google.com/books?id=3SQrtpnHb9MC&pg=PA527&lpg=PA535&sig=25ML_7zbvvLZl6ySYCF4DomqeRU
DOI:10.1176/appi.books.9780890423349. ISBN 978-0890420249.
2. Dissociative Identity Disorder, doctor's reference. Merck.com
(2005-11-01). http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec15/ch197/ch197e.html
3. Pearson, M.L. (1997). Childhood trauma, adult trauma, and
dissociation (PDF). Dissociation 10 (1): 58–62
https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1794/1837/Diss_10_1_9_OCR.pdf;jsessionid=A72D0913DBBF1F96D30FD98B1D8805E1?sequence=1
4. Kluft, RP (2003). site may have a virus - use caution Current
Issues in Dissociative Identity Disorder (PDF). Bridging Eastern and
Western Psychiatry 1 (1): 71–87. http://www.psyter.org/allegati/180/Kluft.pdf
5. Putnam FW, Guroff JJ, Silberman EK, Barban L, Post RM (June
1986). "The clinical phenomenology of multiple personality disorder:
review of 100 recent cases". J Clin Psychiatry 47 (6): 285–93. PMID
3711025. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3711025?dopt=Abstract
6. Ross CA, Miller SD, Bjornson L, Reagor P, Fraser GA, Anderson G
(March 1991). "Abuse histories in 102 cases of multiple personality
disorder". Can J Psychiatry 36 (2): 97–101. PMID 2044042."The patients
reported high rates of childhood trauma: 90.2% had been sexually
abused, 82.4% physically abused, and 95.1% subjected to one or both
forms of child abuse....Multiple personality disorder appears to be a
response to chronic trauma originating during a vulnerable period in
childhood." http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2044042?dopt=Abstract
7. Boon S, Draijer N (March 1993). Multiple personality disorder
in The Netherlands: a clinical investigation of 71 patients. Am J
Psychiatry 150 (3): 489–94. PMID 8434668."A history of childhood
physical and/or sexual abuse was reported by 94.4% of the subjects,
and 80.6% met criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder....Patients
with multiple personality disorder have a stable set of core symptoms
throughout North America as well as in Europe."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8434668?dopt=Abstract
8. Marmer S, Fink D (1994). "Rethinking the comparison of
Borderline Personality Disorder and multiple personality disorder".
Psychiatr Clin North Am 17 (4): 743–71. PMID 7877901.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7877901?dopt=Abstract
9. Lewis, D., Yeager, C., Swica, Y., Pincus, J. and Lewis, M.
(1997). Objective documentation of child abuse and dissociation in 12
murderers with dissociative identity disorder. Am J Psychiatry, 154
(12):1703-10. "Signs and symptoms of dissociative identity disorder in
childhood and adulthood were corroborated independently and from
several sources in all 12 cases; objective evidence of severe abuse
was obtained in 11 cases. The subjects had amnesia for most of the
abuse and underreported it. Marked changes in writing style and/or
signatures were documented in 10 cases. CONCLUSIONS: This study
establishes, once and for all, the linkage between early severe abuse
and dissociative identity disorder."
10. Gleaves, D.H.; May MC, Cardeña E (2001) An examination of the
diagnostic validity of dissociative identity disorder. 21(4) 577-608
http://leadershipcouncil.org/docs/gleaves2001.pdf
11. Ross, C.; Norton, G. & Fraser, G. (1989). Evidence against the
iatrogenesis of multiple personality disorder (PDF). Dissociation 2
(2): 61–65.
https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1794/1424/Diss_2_2_2_OCR.pdf?sequence=1
12. Rieber RW (2002). "The duality of the brain and the
multiplicity of minds: can you have it both ways?". History of
psychiatry 13 (49 Pt 1): 3–17. DOI:10.1177/0957154X0201304901. PMID
12094818. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12094818?dopt=Abstract
13. Borch-Jacobsen M, Brick D (2000). "How to predict the past:
from trauma to repression". History of Psychiatry 11: 15–35. DOI:
10.1177/0957154X0001104102.
14. Putnam, Frank W. (1989). Diagnosis and Treatment of Multiple
Personality Disorder. New York: The Guilford Press, 351. ISBN
0-89862-177-1.
15 Birnbaum MH, Thomann K. Visual function in multiple personality
disorder. J Am Optom Assoc. 1996 Jun;67(6):327-34 "BACKGROUND:
Multiple personality disorder (MPD) is characterized by the existence
of two or more personality states that recurrently exchange control
over the behavior of the individual. Numerous reports indicate
physiological differences, including significant differences in ocular
and visual function, across alter personality states in MPD. METHODS:
The existing literature was reviewed to provide an overview of the
nature and characteristics of MPD, with emphasis on reported
physiologic and ocular differences across alter personalities. In
addition, a case is reported of an MPD patient seen over a 3-year
period. RESULTS: Physiologic differences across alter personality
states in MPD include differences in dominant handedness, response to
the same medication, allergic sensitivities, autonomic and endocrine
function, EEG, VEP, and regional cerebral blood flow. Differences in
visual function include variability in visual acuity, refraction,
oculomotor status, visual field, color vision, corneal curvature,
pupil size, and intraocular pressure in the various personality states
of MPD subjects as compared to single personality controls.
CONCLUSIONS: The possibility of MPDs should be considered in patients
who demonstrate unusual variability in ocular and visual findings,
particularly with a positive psychiatric history. The existence of
visual and other physiologic differences across alter personalities in
MPD offers a unique potential for the study of mind-body
relationships." http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8888853
16 Miller SD. Optical differences in cases of multiple personality
disorder. J Nerv Ment Dis. 1989 Aug;177(8):480-6 "MPD subjects had
significantly more variability in visual functioning across alter
personalities than did control subjects." http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2760599
17 Miller SD, Blackburn T, Scholes G, White GL, Mamalis N. Optical
differences in multiple personality disorder. A second look. J Nerv
Ment Dis. 1991 Mar;179(3):132-5. "In the present study, data from 20
patients diagnosed with MPD and 20 control subjects role playing MPD
were analyzed for statistical and clinical significance. The findings
from the present study appear to confirm results from the earlier
study that individuals with MPD experience differences in some aspects
of visual functioning between alter personalities. The results further
confirm that MPD subjects experience more differences across visual
measures than control subjects simulating the disorder."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1997659
18 Putnam FW, Zahn TP, Post RM. Psychiatry Res. 1990 Mar;31(3):
251-60.Differential autonomic nervous system activity in multiple
personality disorder. "Numerous clinical reports suggest that these
alter personality states exhibit distinct physiological differences.
We investigated differential autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity
across nine subjects with MPD and five controls, who produced "alter"
personality states by simulation and by hypnosis or deep relaxation.
Eight of the nine MPD subjects consistently manifested physiologically
distinct alter personality states." http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2333357
19 Miller SD, Triggiano PJ. The psychophysiological investigation of
multiple personality disorder: review and update. Am J Clin Hypn. 1992
Jul;35(1):47-61. "psychophysiologic differences reported in the
literature include changes in cerebral electrical activity, cerebral
blood flow, galvanic skin response, skin temperature, event-related
potentials, neuroendocrine profiles, thyroid function, response to
medication, perception, visual functioning, visual evoked potentials,
and in voice, posture, and motor behavior." http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1442640
20 Hughes JR, Kuhlman DT, Fichtner CG, Gruenfeld MJ. Brain mapping
in a case of multiple personality. Clin Electroencephalogr. 1990 Oct;21
(4):200-9. "Brain maps were recorded on a patient with a multiple
personality disorder (10 alternate personalities). Maps were recorded
with eyes open and eyes closed during 2 different sessions, 2 months
apart. Maps from each alternate personality were compared to those of
the basic personality "S", some maps were similar and some were
different, especially with eyes open. Findings that were replicated in
the second session showed differences from 4 personalities, especially
in theta and beta 2 frequencies on the left temporal and right
posterior regions." http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2225470
21 Coons PM, Bowman ES, Milstein V. Multiple personality disorder. A
clinical investigation of 50 cases. J Nerv Ment Dis. 1988 Sep;176(9):
519-27. "50 consecutive patients with DSM-III multiple personality
disorder were assessed using clinical history, psychiatric interview,
neurological examination, electroencephalogram, MMPI, intelligence
testing, and a variety of psychiatric rating scales. Results revealed
that patients with multiple personality are usually women who present
with depression, suicide attempts, repeated amnesic episodes, and a
history of childhood trauma, particularly sexual abuse....These data
suggest that the etiology of multiple personality is strongly related
to childhood trauma rather than to an underlying electrophysiological
dysfunction." http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3418321
Bibliography
* Baer, Richard A. (2007). Switching Time: A Doctor's Harrowing
Story of Treating a Woman with 17 Personalities. [New York]: Crown.
ISBN 0307382664.
* Braun, B.G. (1989). Dissociation: Vol. 2, No. 2, p. 066-069:
Iatrophilia and Iatrophobia in the diagnosis and treatment of MPD
(PDF). https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1794/1425/Diss_2_2_3_OCR.pdf?sequence=1
* Brown, D; Frischholz E, Scheflin A. (1999). "Iatrogenic
dissociative identity disorder - an evaluation of the scientific
evidence". The Journal of Psychiatry and Law XXVII No. 3-4 (Fall-
Winter 1999): 549–637.
* Gleaves, D. (July 1996). The sociocognitive model of
dissociative identity disorder: a reexamination of the evidence.
Psychological Bulletin 120 (1): 42–59. DOI:10.1037/0033-2909.120.1.42.
PMID 8711016. "Most recent research on the dissociative disorders does
not support (and in fact disconfirms) the sociocognitive model, and
many inferences drawn from previous research appear unwarranted. No
reason exists to doubt the connection between DID and childhood
trauma. Treatment recommendations that follow from the sociocognitive
model may be harmful because they involve ignoring the posttraumatic
symptomatology of persons with DID."
http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm?fa=search.displayRecord&uid=1996-01403-003
* Goettmann, B. A.; Greaves, B. G., Coons M. P. (1994).Multiple
personality and dissociation, 1791-1992: a complete bibliography.
Lutherville, MD: The Sidran Press, 85. ISBN 0-9629164-5-5.
http://boundless.uoregon.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/diss&CISOPTR=38
* Kluft, R.P. (1989). Iatrogenic creation of new alter
personalities (PDF). Dissociation 2 (2): 83–91.
https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1794/1428/Diss_2_2_6_OCR.pdf?sequence=1
* Underwood, Anne. Identity Crisis - What is it like to live with
17 alternate selves? A survivor of multiple personality disorder
discusses the disease and the painful integration process that made
her whole. Newsweek, October 22, 2007. http://www.newsweek.com/id/57861
External links
* International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation
http://www.isst-d.org/
* United States of Tara - Learn More About D.I.D. - Showtime
supports the awareness for Dissociative Identity Disorder
http://www.sho.com/site/video/brightcove/series/title.do?bcpid=1847322218&bclid=5253538001&bctid=6803420001
childadvocate
Confessions of a Whistle-Blower: Lessons Learned by Anna C. Salter -
Ethics & Behavior, Volume 8, Issue 2 June 1998 , pages 115 - 124
Abstract - In 1988 I began a report on the accuracy of expert
testimony in child sexual abuse cases utilizing Ralph Underwager and
Hollida Wakefield as a case study.
“The argument between the field of child sexual abuse and the backlash
against survivors is not an academic debate between two well meaning
groups equally invested in ascertaining truth. It is not an academic
debate at all; it is a political fight.” P. 121
“What wins political fights is organization and stamina and a refusal
to be intimidated.” P. 122
http://ritualabuse.us/research/memory-fms/confessions-of-a-whistle-blower-lessons-learned/