Toward an Etiology of Dissociative Identity Disorder: A Neurodevelopmental Approach
Kelly A. Forrest
Abstract
This article elaborates on Putnam's “discrete behavioral states” model of dissociative identity disorder (Putnam, 1997) by proposing the involvement of the orbitalfrontal cortex in the development of DID and suggesting a potential neurodevelopmental mechanism responsible for the development of multiple representations of self.
The proposed “orbitalfrontal” model integrates and elaborates on theory and research from four domains: the neurobiology of the orbitalfrontal cortex and its protective inhibitory role in the temporal organization of behavior, the development of emotion regulation, the development of the self, and experience-dependent reorganizing neocortical processes.
The hypothesis being proposed is that the experience-dependent maturation of the orbitalfrontal cortex in early abusive environments, characterized by discontinuity in dyadic socioaffective interactions between the infant and the caregiver, may be responsible for a pattern of lateral inhibition between conflicting subsets of self-representations which are normally integrated into a unified self.
The basic idea is that the discontinuity in the early caretaking environment is manifested in the discontinuity in the organization of the developing child's self.
Consciousness and Cognition
Volume 10, Issue 3, September 2001, Pages 259-293
doi:10.1006/ccog.2001.0493
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053810001904933
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Pa. mother sentenced in NJ for religious ritual
these articles describe violent rituals in detail
Pa. mother sentenced in NJ for religious ritual Jun 25, 2011
HACKENSACK, N.J. (AP) — A Pennsylvania woman who made her daughter observe a bloody religious ritual in New Jersey has been sentenced to 18 months probation. Yenitza Colichon of Jamesburg pleaded guilty last month to child neglect and cruelty charges stemming from the May 2007 incident, in which she made her 7-year-old daughter watch an initiation rite in Paterson....
Passaic County prosecutors say Colichon was about to start Army basic training and wanted to protect her daughter in the Palo Mayombe religion before she left. The religion originated in central Africa.
The girl later told a teacher that she was having nightmares and child welfare officials were contacted.
http://www.necn.com/06/25/11/Pa-mother-sentenced-in-NJ-for-religious-/landing_nation.html?&blockID=3&apID=2af86dbdd8864f2ca0ffce1723d90e9b
Mother pleads guilty over Paterson bloody religious ritual
Monday, May 23, 2011 BY JOHN PETRICK STAFF WRITER The Record
A mother who exposed her 7-year-old daughter to bloody religious initiation rituals in Paterson that included making her watch a chicken being sacrificed and feeding the girl its heart pleaded guilty in state court Monday to cruelty and neglect of a child. A Paterson couple who were practitioners of the Palo Mayombe religion and who the mother asked to perform the ritual also were accepted into pre-trial intervention Monday for one year.
....Dolls, a shrine, religious statues, bones, machetes and bundles of sticks bearing numbers and names were among artifacts found at the home. The items, some of which had blood and animal hair on them, matched a description the girl gave about what she saw at the home.
....In addition to being fed the chicken’s heart, the rituals included making the girl witness the decapitation of a goat, and the scratching of a religious symbol into her skin.
http://www.northjersey.com/news/crime_courts/052311_Mother_pleads_guilty_over_bloody_religious_ritual.html
describes rituals
What Price Religious “Freedom”? May 28, 2011 By Janet Heimlich
The state of Oregon stands poised to end a dangerous practice. If a bill that has passed both the House and Senate becomes law, parents who allow their sick children to die after refusing them medical care on religious grounds would no longer be granted prosecutorial immunity. Passing this bill sends an important message: Parents who harm their children for religious reasons should be punished just as severely as parents who harm their children when religion is not a factor.
Unfortunately, however, legislators and the courts still frequently maintain a double standard when it comes to deciding the fates of abusive and neglectful parents, depending on whether harm is perpetrated in the name of faith. For example, if a woman neglects to feed her child because she is strung out on drugs, she will likely be prosecuted. But if that denial happens as part of a religious fast, the law usually has no problem with it....
http://religiouschildmaltreatment.com/2011/05/what-price-religious-freedom/
Oregon Senate against spiritual defense for murder
TAMI ABDOLLAH, Associated Press May 23, 2011
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon Senate voted Monday to drop faith healing as a legal defense to murder after repeated deaths of children in a local church community.
The Senate voted 25-5 to approve the measure. It was drafted largely in response to the 2008 deaths of children among members of the Followers of Christ Church in Oregon City, who rely on spiritual treatments instead of medical care.
"The bottom line is that children in Oregon ought to be seeing the kind of health care they need to live, thrive and survive," said Republican Sen. Bruce Starr of Hillsboro, who sponsored the bill.
Under the measure, prosecutors can seek first-degree manslaughter or murder charges against parents whose children died because they were treated solely with faith.
http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Ore-Senate-against-spiritual-defense-for-murder-1391974.php
Pa. mother sentenced in NJ for religious ritual Jun 25, 2011
HACKENSACK, N.J. (AP) — A Pennsylvania woman who made her daughter observe a bloody religious ritual in New Jersey has been sentenced to 18 months probation. Yenitza Colichon of Jamesburg pleaded guilty last month to child neglect and cruelty charges stemming from the May 2007 incident, in which she made her 7-year-old daughter watch an initiation rite in Paterson....
Passaic County prosecutors say Colichon was about to start Army basic training and wanted to protect her daughter in the Palo Mayombe religion before she left. The religion originated in central Africa.
The girl later told a teacher that she was having nightmares and child welfare officials were contacted.
http://www.necn.com/06/25/11/Pa-mother-sentenced-in-NJ-for-religious-/landing_nation.html?&blockID=3&apID=2af86dbdd8864f2ca0ffce1723d90e9b
Mother pleads guilty over Paterson bloody religious ritual
Monday, May 23, 2011 BY JOHN PETRICK STAFF WRITER The Record
A mother who exposed her 7-year-old daughter to bloody religious initiation rituals in Paterson that included making her watch a chicken being sacrificed and feeding the girl its heart pleaded guilty in state court Monday to cruelty and neglect of a child. A Paterson couple who were practitioners of the Palo Mayombe religion and who the mother asked to perform the ritual also were accepted into pre-trial intervention Monday for one year.
....Dolls, a shrine, religious statues, bones, machetes and bundles of sticks bearing numbers and names were among artifacts found at the home. The items, some of which had blood and animal hair on them, matched a description the girl gave about what she saw at the home.
....In addition to being fed the chicken’s heart, the rituals included making the girl witness the decapitation of a goat, and the scratching of a religious symbol into her skin.
http://www.northjersey.com/news/crime_courts/052311_Mother_pleads_guilty_over_bloody_religious_ritual.html
describes rituals
What Price Religious “Freedom”? May 28, 2011 By Janet Heimlich
The state of Oregon stands poised to end a dangerous practice. If a bill that has passed both the House and Senate becomes law, parents who allow their sick children to die after refusing them medical care on religious grounds would no longer be granted prosecutorial immunity. Passing this bill sends an important message: Parents who harm their children for religious reasons should be punished just as severely as parents who harm their children when religion is not a factor.
Unfortunately, however, legislators and the courts still frequently maintain a double standard when it comes to deciding the fates of abusive and neglectful parents, depending on whether harm is perpetrated in the name of faith. For example, if a woman neglects to feed her child because she is strung out on drugs, she will likely be prosecuted. But if that denial happens as part of a religious fast, the law usually has no problem with it....
http://religiouschildmaltreatment.com/2011/05/what-price-religious-freedom/
Oregon Senate against spiritual defense for murder
TAMI ABDOLLAH, Associated Press May 23, 2011
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon Senate voted Monday to drop faith healing as a legal defense to murder after repeated deaths of children in a local church community.
The Senate voted 25-5 to approve the measure. It was drafted largely in response to the 2008 deaths of children among members of the Followers of Christ Church in Oregon City, who rely on spiritual treatments instead of medical care.
"The bottom line is that children in Oregon ought to be seeing the kind of health care they need to live, thrive and survive," said Republican Sen. Bruce Starr of Hillsboro, who sponsored the bill.
Under the measure, prosecutors can seek first-degree manslaughter or murder charges against parents whose children died because they were treated solely with faith.
http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Ore-Senate-against-spiritual-defense-for-murder-1391974.php
Monday, June 27, 2011
New Evidence in the Catholic Priest Sex Abuse Scandal - BBC and Los Angeles
Dan Rather Reports - All Is Not Forgiven - An investigation of shocking new evidence in the Catholic priest sex abuse scandal in Los Angeles.
http://www.hd.net/programs/danrather/
He was my priest and my friend. Then I found out he was a paedophile
- How the scandal of Father Kit Cunningham has made Peter Stanford question his church and his faith
Peter Stanford The Observer, Sunday 19 June 2011
....In Abused: Breaking the Silence, a documentary to be shown on BBC1 on Tuesday, reporter Olenka Frenkiel hears from other former pupils at Soni about how they were subjected to a regime of sexual abuse from which they were powerless to escape.
....There have also been repeated public expressions of regret by the Catholic authorities as these scandals have emerged all round the globe, revealing this as an endemic problem in the church rather than, as Pope John Paul II originally suggested in 2002, a case of a few bad apples.
....Abused: Breaking The Silence is on BBC1 on Tuesday at 21 June, 10.35pm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2011/jun/19/kit-cunningham-child-abuse
http://www.hd.net/programs/danrather/
He was my priest and my friend. Then I found out he was a paedophile
- How the scandal of Father Kit Cunningham has made Peter Stanford question his church and his faith
Peter Stanford The Observer, Sunday 19 June 2011
....In Abused: Breaking the Silence, a documentary to be shown on BBC1 on Tuesday, reporter Olenka Frenkiel hears from other former pupils at Soni about how they were subjected to a regime of sexual abuse from which they were powerless to escape.
....There have also been repeated public expressions of regret by the Catholic authorities as these scandals have emerged all round the globe, revealing this as an endemic problem in the church rather than, as Pope John Paul II originally suggested in 2002, a case of a few bad apples.
....Abused: Breaking The Silence is on BBC1 on Tuesday at 21 June, 10.35pm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2011/jun/19/kit-cunningham-child-abuse
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Ritual Abuse and Child Abuse Conference - August 2011
copied with permission
The 14th Annual Ritual Abuse,
Secretive Organizations and Mind Control Conference
August 5 - 7, 2011
DoubleTree near Bradley International Airport
16 Ella Grasso Turnpike
Windsor Locks, CT
Sponsored by: S.M.A.R.T.
Promotional Cosponsors:
Survivorship
California Protective Parents Association
Persons Against Ritual Abuse-Torture
Internet conference information:
http://ritualabuse.us/smart-conference/
The 14th Annual Ritual Abuse,
Secretive Organizations and Mind Control Conference
Conference Goals
- To help stop future occurrences of ritual abuse
- To help survivors of ritual abuse
- To name the groups that have participated in alleged illegal activities
- To unite those working to stop ritual abuse
Speakers and Biographies
(This is a partial listing. Please check our conference home page for our latest speaker list and schedule.)
Please note: Listing of these speakers does not necessarily constitute our endorsement of them. They are speaking at our conference for educational value only and some may be heavy for survivors. Listening to the speakers at the conference may or may not help your recovery process, so use caution when listening to any speaker or contacting any resource mentioned in this brochure.
These descriptions may be heavy for survivors to read. Please use caution while reading.
Neil Brick is a survivor of Masonic based Ritual Abuse and MK-ULTRA. He is the editor of S.M.A.R.T. - A Ritual Abuse Newsletter. His topic is:
Always Getting Stronger: Giving Survivors a Voice in the World.
Carmen Yana Holiday is a survivor of child pornography, human trafficking, ritual abuse-torture and mind control. She has been an advocate for other survivors since 2001, developing and facilitating trauma recovery workshops and presenting as a survivor of RA-MC for several organizations. Her topic is: The Official Story vs. Reality: Survivors of Extreme Abuse as Whistleblowers.
deJoly LaBrier has been doing recovery work for 22 yrs. She has spoken publicly about her experiences in a military sex ring, Satanic cult and government experimentation; and is grateful for the serenity and sanity she now experiences. Her topic is: The Challenges of Recovering From Extreme Abuse
Janet Thomas is an author, teacher and activist. Her books include, "Day Breaks Over Dharamsala," a memoir of healing from ritual abuse, mind control, medical experimentation and sexual exploitation, and "The Battle in Seattle - The Story Behind and Beyond the WTO Demonstrations," an exploration of the socio-political-cultural issues that shape our times. Her topic is: Writing Out Loud—The Power of Story to Save Our Lives and Change the World
Kristin Constance has a Diploma in Community Welfare and Professional Counselling. She works with people with disabilities some who have been abused severely. She is a survivor of alleged masonic and order of the eastern star ritual abuse within a multi-generational family. She has been healing for twenty years. Her topic is: Alleged ritual abuse by freemasons and order of the eastern star (co-freemasonry) in Australia.
Mary Keats RN BA wife, mother working in social services, is a survivor of Ritual Abuse Torture. She is a spiritual person who enjoys life to the fullest. Her energy and enthusiasm are infectious. She refuses to be muzzled, decided early on in her recovery to break the silence, so others could be helped. Her topic is: Continuing Hope and Healing
Maria's success and joy emerged from her innate creativity to survive her childhood. For the first seven years of Maria's life she was subject to sadistic abuse and child pornography and also ongoing incest from infancy until age of eighteen. She lives well through consistency in healing and self-awareness. Her topic is: Why I never married
Dave was satanically abused for over 50 years by his family, their friends, and others who were paid to harm him for his refusal as a child to join their cult. Dave is a retired business man who hopes the telling of his story will help others.
Conference Schedule
There will be a small get together, deli dinner, dessert and early registration for pre-registered attendees only, on August 6, Friday evening. Please check our conference home page for the latest conference schedule information. Some presentations will also be recorded.
S.M.A.R.T. 2011 Conference Schedule - August 5 - 7 (Fri, Sat. and Sun.)
(Please note : this schedule may be subject to change. Please write us for the latest schedule.)
Conference Registration
(Please read the entire brochure before registering.)
Registration is not guaranteed, please wait for approval before making travel arrangements.
Or you can preregister via E-mail: SMARTNEWS@aol.com
Please mail registration form and checks (US Banks only please), money orders (US) to: RA Conference, c/o S.M.A.R.T., P O Box 1295, Easthampton, MA 01027 USA
Name: (please include names and individual addresses of all registrees, thanks.)
___________________________
Agency: ___________________________________
Street: ____________________________
City: ___________________State:______
Zip:________E-mail_________________
Fees Early registration fees (all fees are per person)
(note: fees must be received by the due date below to get the special prices)
One and two day registrations do not include the Friday deli dinner and dessert buffet.
Before 7/8/11- 2 day $185, one day $95
Before 8/1/11 - 2 day $205, one day $105
After 8/1/11 - 2 day $215, one day $110
(Circle one - Sat - Sun for one day registrations)
_______________________
To add Friday night early registration, get together, deli dinner and dessert - $37.00
Donation to help those on fee waiver (not tax deductible):
_____________
Total Amount Due _____________
special meals needed ____________________
Please make checks payable to S.M.A.R.T.
(US banks only, please.) Refund Policy: Fees will not be refunded after July 7, 2011. Please send us written notice. Refund will be minus $70.00 deposit per registree.
Conference Information
Conference Participants
The conference will include all those either recovering from ritual abuse and/or fighting against ritual abuse. This includes survivors, co-survivors, therapists, other helping professionals, lawyers and all others interested in learning more about ritual abuse.
Members of secret organizations, acting out perpetrators, and/or members of unsympathetic organizations are excluded from the conference. This is for the protection and safety of those in attendance.
People have told us that last year's conference was the safest conference they have ever been to. But, this conference may not necessarily be safe for all survivors. S.M.A.R.T. recommends that you try to bring a support person that is familiar with mind control techniques and staying with that person or another safe person at all times.
Registration Waivers
Fee waiver application fees are $95.00 for two days and $50 for one day, and are non-refundable. Please do not send fees until your application is accepted. Please add $30 to attend the Friday night early registration, get together and dessert buffet. Applications will not be accepted after July 1, 2011, payment must be made by 7/14/11. Acceptance will partially be contingent on the number of paid applicants. Fee waiver registrees must volunteer for four hours at the conference. Unfortunately, we cannot afford to pay any travel expenses. Please E-mail or regular mail us for an application.
Transportation
There is a free shuttle to and from the airport. Hotel parking is available at no charge for those attending the conference. Conference sponsors, etc. assume no responsibility for ground and/or air transportation arrangements. Conference sponsors cannot assume responsibility for additional expense or losses due to illnesses, cancellation of flights, strikes or other causes.
Accommodations
Room rates at the DoubleTree Hotel at Bradley International Airport (CT) are $89 a day for one person (not incl. tax), please mention the SMART 2011 conference to get the special rate. This rate is guaranteed until 7/7/11 or all rooms at the special rate are gone. Call 860-627-5171 for information. Lunch will be free both days for all conference attendees that register before August 1, 2011. The hotel has no information about the conference, other than room information.
Attendance Policy
Survivors should try to bring a support person with them to the conference. Presentation of a picture ID will be required of all conference participants, unless prior arrangements are made. This is for the protection of all participants. Some of the topics discussed may be very heavy for survivors. The conference is educational and not intended as therapy or treatment. Conference sponsors, cosponsor, speakers, organizers and exhibitors assume no responsibility for any reactions resulting from attending our conference. Statements made and materials exhibited and distributed by attendees, speakers and exhibitors are their own and don't necessarily represent the policies or views of conference sponsors, cosponsor, speakers, exhibitors, organizers or attendees. Children are not permitted to attend the conference. S.M.A.R.T. and its representatives also reserve the right to remove anyone from the conference at any time. Photographing, audio taping and videotaping without written permission from S.M.A.R.T. are prohibited.
Exhibitors
Tables and half tables will be available for exhibitors. All exhibitors and their materials, etc. must be pre-approved. Write for more information. Whole tables are $25, half tables are $15. Take one table fee is $5.00 per item.
Volunteers
S.M.A.R.T. is currently looking for volunteers to help at the conference. Please let S.M.A.R.T. know if you are interested.
Conference Donations
Please consider sponsoring a full or partial registree, so that all are able to attend the conference. Thank you. (Donations are not tax deductible.)
Sponsorship and Co-sponsorship Information
All sponsors and cosponsors have made promotional contributions to the conference. We want to thank them for all their efforts.
Please note: Listing of these resource organizations does not necessarily constitute our endorsement of them. They are helping to promote the conference and some may be heavy for some survivors, so use caution contacting any resource mentioned in this brochure.
The conference is sponsored by S.M.A.R.T., a newsletter that examines the possible connections between ritual abuse and secretive organizations. E-mail: SMARTNEWS@aol.com http://ritualabuse.us/
Survivorship is an international non-profit organization for survivors of sadistic sexual abuse, ritualistic abuse, mind control, and torture. The organization serves survivors, partners and other allies, therapists, clergy, and pro-survivor activists and advocates. Contact information: Survivorship, FJC,470 27th St., Oakland, Ca 94612 survivorshipstaff@yahoo.com http://www.survivorship.org
The Mission of the California Protective Parents Association is to protect children from incest and family violence through research, education and advocacy. California Protective Parents Association PO Box 15284 Sacramento CA 95851-0284 http://www.protectiveparents.com/ cppa001@aol.com
Persons Against Ritual Abuse-Torture - Jeanne Sarson and Linda MacDonald are human rights defenders who have been working for 18 years to expose different forms of non-state actor torture, including ritual abuse-torture. As independent scholars we are involved in participatory research and education and have internationally published articles. 361 Prince St., Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada, B2N 1E4 E-mail: flight@ns.sympatico.ca Website: http://nonstatetorture.org/
(Permission to forward this without header and trailers to pro-survivor groups and websites.)
S.M.A.R.T. - Copyright 2011 (Entire Pamphlet and conference name) - All rights reserved, no reproduction of any material without written permission from S.M.A.R.T.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Memory disturbances and dissociative amnesia in Holocaust survivors
The excerpts below are from this website.
http://blogs.brown.edu/recoveredmemory/scholarly-resources/holocaust/
The following articles provide compelling scientific evidence in support of the phenomena of dissociation and recovered memory in Holocaust survivors. In addition to supporting the phenomenon in general, these articles also counter the argument that recovered memory is (a) no more than a recent cultural “fad” and (b) specific to false accusers of sexual abuse.
DeWind, E. (1968). The confrontation with death. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 49, 302-305. Excerpt: “Most former inmates of Nazi concentration camps could not remember anything of the first days of imprisonment because perception of reality was so overwhelming that it would lead to a mental chaos which implies a certain death.”
Durlacher, G. L. (1991). De zoektocht [The search]. Amsterdam: Meulenhoff.
Dutch sociologist Durlacher, a survivor of Birkenau, describes his search for and meetings with another 20 child survivors from this camp. Excerpt: “Misha…looks helplessly at me and admits hesitantly that the period in the camps is wiped out from his brain….With each question regarding the period between December 12, 1942 till May 7, 1945, he admits while feeling embarrassed that he cannot remember anything."
Jaffe, R. (1968). Dissociative phenomena in former concentration camp inmates. The International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 49(2), 310-312.
Case descriptions include amnesia for traumatic events and subsequent twilight states in which events would be relived without conscious awareness. Excerpt: “The dissociative phenomena described here turn out not to be rare, once one is on the look out for them.”
Keilson, H. (1992). Sequential traumatization in children. Jerusalem: The Magnes Press. Amnesia in Jewish Dutch child survivors for the traumatic separation from their parents.
Krell, R. (1993). Child survivors of the Holocaust: Strategies of adaptation. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 38, 384-389.
Excerpt: “The most pervasive preoccupation of child survivors is the continuing struggle with memory, whether there is too much or too little."
Krystal, H., & Danieli, Y. (1994, Fall). Holocaust survivor studies in the context of PTSD. PTSD Research Quarterly, 5(4), 1-5.
Kuch, K., & Cox, B. J. (1992). Symptoms of PTSD in 124 survivors of the Holocaust. American Journal of Psychiatry, 149, 337-340.
Psychogenic amnesia was found in 3.2% of the totals sample, in 3.8 of the general concentration camp survivors, and in 10% of tattooed survivors of Auschwitz. 17.7% (N=22) of the total sample had received psychotherapy. The tattooed survivors had a higher number of PTSD symptoms overall.
Lagnado, L. M., & Dekel, S. C. (1991). Children of the flames: Dr. Josef Mengele and the untold story of the twins of Auschwitz. New York: William and Morrow & Co.
Excerpt: “A few of the twins insisted that they had no memories of Auschwitz whatsoever.”
Laub, D., & Auerhahn, N. C. (1989). Failed empathy—A central theme in the survivor’s Holocaust experience. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 6(4), 377-400.
Excerpt: “Holocaust survivors remember their experiences through a prism of fragmentation and usually recount them only in fragments.”
Laub, D., & Auerhahn, N. C. (1993). Knowing and not knowing massive psychic trauma: Forms of traumatic memory. American Journal of Psychoanalysis, 74, 287-302.
Excerpt: “Erecting barriers against knowing is often the first response to such trauma. Women in Nazi concentration camps dealt with difficult interrogation by the Gestapo by derealization, by asserting ‘I did not go through it. Somebody else went through the experience.’....Unintegrable memories endure as a split-off part, a cleavage in the ego...When the balance is such that the ego cannot deal with the experience, fragmentation occurs....Simply put, therapy with those impacted by trauma involves, in part, the reinstatement of the relationship between event, memory and personality.”
Marks, J. (1995). The hidden children: The secret survivors of the Holocaust. Toronto: Bantam Books.
Excerpt: “So much of my childhood between the ages of four and nine is blank….It’s almost as if my life was smashed into little pieces….The trouble is, when I try to remember, I come up with so little. This ability to forget was probably my way of surviving emotionally as a child.”
Mazor, A., Ganpel, Y., Enright, R. D., & Ornstein, R. (1990, January). Holocaust survivors: Coping with posttraumatic memories in childhood and 40 years later. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 3(1), 11-14.
Modai, I. (1994). Forgetting childhood: A defense mechanism against psychosis in a Holocaust survivor. In T. L. Brink (Ed.), Holocaust survivors’ mental health. New York: Haworth Press.
In a debate about uncovering painful memories of the Holocaust, Modai’s case is of a 58 year old woman who is unable to remember her childhood.
Moskovitz, S., & Krell, R. (1990). Child survivors of the Holocaust: Psychological adaptations to survival. Israel Journal of Psychiatry and Related Services, 27(2), 81-91.
Excerpt: “Whatever the memories, much is repressed as too fearful for recall, or suppressed by well-meaning caretakers wishing the child to forget.”
Musaph, H. (1993). Het post-concentratiekampsyndroom [The post-concentration camp syndrome]. Maandblad Geestelijke volksgezondheid [Dutch Journal of Mental Health], 28(5), 207-217.
Amnesia exists for certain Holocaust experiences, while other experiences are extremely well remembered.
Niederland, W. G. (1968). Clinical observations on the “survivor syndrome.” International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 49, 313-315.
Discusses memory disturbances such as amnesia and hypermnesia.
Stein, A. (1994). Hidden children: Forgotten survivors of the Holocaust. Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin Books.
Excerpt: “Over the years I have been trying to re-experience those feelings, but they kept eluding me. I was cut off from most of my memories, and from relieving the anxiety of that time….I remember nothing about the time I spent with those people…not a face, not a voice, not a piece of furniture.”
van Ravesteijn, L. (1976). Gelaagdheid van herinneringen [Layering of memories]. Tijdschrift boor Psychotherapie, 5(1), 195-205.
Wagenaar, W. A., & Groeneweg, J. (1990). The memory of concentration camp survivors. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 4, 77-87.
Abstract: This study is concerned with the question whether extremely emotional experiences, such as being the victim of Nazi concentration camps, leave traces in memory that cannot be extinguished. Relevant data were obtained from testimony by 78 witnesses in a case against Marinus De Rijke, who was accused of Nazi crimes in Camp Erika in The Netherlands. The testimonies were collected in the periods 1943–1947 and 1984–1987. A comparison between these two periods reveals the amount of forgetting that occurred in 40 years. Results show that camp experiences were generally well-remembered, although specific but essential details were forgotten. Among these were forgetting being maltreated, forgetting names and appearance of the torturers, and forgetting being a witness to murder. Apparently intensity of experiences is not a sufficient safeguard against forgetting."
Wilson, J., Harel, Z., & Kahana, B. (1988). Human adaptation to extreme stress: From the Holocaust to Vietnam. New York: Plenum Press.
Yehuda, R., Elkin, A., Binder-Brynes, K., Kahana, B., Southwick, S. M., Schmeidler, J., & Giller, E. R., Jr. (1996, July). Dissociation in aging Holocaust survivors. American Journal of Psychiatry, 153(7), 935-940.
Yehuda, R., Schmeidler, J., Siever, L. J., Binder-Brynes, K., & Elkin, A. (1997). Individual differences in posttraumatic stress disorder symptom profiles in Holocaust survivors in concentration camps or in hiding. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 10, 453-465.
46% of 100 survivors report amnesia on PTSD measures.
http://blogs.brown.edu/recoveredmemory/scholarly-resources/holocaust/
http://blogs.brown.edu/recoveredmemory/scholarly-resources/holocaust/
The following articles provide compelling scientific evidence in support of the phenomena of dissociation and recovered memory in Holocaust survivors. In addition to supporting the phenomenon in general, these articles also counter the argument that recovered memory is (a) no more than a recent cultural “fad” and (b) specific to false accusers of sexual abuse.
DeWind, E. (1968). The confrontation with death. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 49, 302-305. Excerpt: “Most former inmates of Nazi concentration camps could not remember anything of the first days of imprisonment because perception of reality was so overwhelming that it would lead to a mental chaos which implies a certain death.”
Durlacher, G. L. (1991). De zoektocht [The search]. Amsterdam: Meulenhoff.
Dutch sociologist Durlacher, a survivor of Birkenau, describes his search for and meetings with another 20 child survivors from this camp. Excerpt: “Misha…looks helplessly at me and admits hesitantly that the period in the camps is wiped out from his brain….With each question regarding the period between December 12, 1942 till May 7, 1945, he admits while feeling embarrassed that he cannot remember anything."
Jaffe, R. (1968). Dissociative phenomena in former concentration camp inmates. The International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 49(2), 310-312.
Case descriptions include amnesia for traumatic events and subsequent twilight states in which events would be relived without conscious awareness. Excerpt: “The dissociative phenomena described here turn out not to be rare, once one is on the look out for them.”
Keilson, H. (1992). Sequential traumatization in children. Jerusalem: The Magnes Press. Amnesia in Jewish Dutch child survivors for the traumatic separation from their parents.
Krell, R. (1993). Child survivors of the Holocaust: Strategies of adaptation. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 38, 384-389.
Excerpt: “The most pervasive preoccupation of child survivors is the continuing struggle with memory, whether there is too much or too little."
Krystal, H., & Danieli, Y. (1994, Fall). Holocaust survivor studies in the context of PTSD. PTSD Research Quarterly, 5(4), 1-5.
Kuch, K., & Cox, B. J. (1992). Symptoms of PTSD in 124 survivors of the Holocaust. American Journal of Psychiatry, 149, 337-340.
Psychogenic amnesia was found in 3.2% of the totals sample, in 3.8 of the general concentration camp survivors, and in 10% of tattooed survivors of Auschwitz. 17.7% (N=22) of the total sample had received psychotherapy. The tattooed survivors had a higher number of PTSD symptoms overall.
Lagnado, L. M., & Dekel, S. C. (1991). Children of the flames: Dr. Josef Mengele and the untold story of the twins of Auschwitz. New York: William and Morrow & Co.
Excerpt: “A few of the twins insisted that they had no memories of Auschwitz whatsoever.”
Laub, D., & Auerhahn, N. C. (1989). Failed empathy—A central theme in the survivor’s Holocaust experience. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 6(4), 377-400.
Excerpt: “Holocaust survivors remember their experiences through a prism of fragmentation and usually recount them only in fragments.”
Laub, D., & Auerhahn, N. C. (1993). Knowing and not knowing massive psychic trauma: Forms of traumatic memory. American Journal of Psychoanalysis, 74, 287-302.
Excerpt: “Erecting barriers against knowing is often the first response to such trauma. Women in Nazi concentration camps dealt with difficult interrogation by the Gestapo by derealization, by asserting ‘I did not go through it. Somebody else went through the experience.’....Unintegrable memories endure as a split-off part, a cleavage in the ego...When the balance is such that the ego cannot deal with the experience, fragmentation occurs....Simply put, therapy with those impacted by trauma involves, in part, the reinstatement of the relationship between event, memory and personality.”
Marks, J. (1995). The hidden children: The secret survivors of the Holocaust. Toronto: Bantam Books.
Excerpt: “So much of my childhood between the ages of four and nine is blank….It’s almost as if my life was smashed into little pieces….The trouble is, when I try to remember, I come up with so little. This ability to forget was probably my way of surviving emotionally as a child.”
Mazor, A., Ganpel, Y., Enright, R. D., & Ornstein, R. (1990, January). Holocaust survivors: Coping with posttraumatic memories in childhood and 40 years later. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 3(1), 11-14.
Modai, I. (1994). Forgetting childhood: A defense mechanism against psychosis in a Holocaust survivor. In T. L. Brink (Ed.), Holocaust survivors’ mental health. New York: Haworth Press.
In a debate about uncovering painful memories of the Holocaust, Modai’s case is of a 58 year old woman who is unable to remember her childhood.
Moskovitz, S., & Krell, R. (1990). Child survivors of the Holocaust: Psychological adaptations to survival. Israel Journal of Psychiatry and Related Services, 27(2), 81-91.
Excerpt: “Whatever the memories, much is repressed as too fearful for recall, or suppressed by well-meaning caretakers wishing the child to forget.”
Musaph, H. (1993). Het post-concentratiekampsyndroom [The post-concentration camp syndrome]. Maandblad Geestelijke volksgezondheid [Dutch Journal of Mental Health], 28(5), 207-217.
Amnesia exists for certain Holocaust experiences, while other experiences are extremely well remembered.
Niederland, W. G. (1968). Clinical observations on the “survivor syndrome.” International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 49, 313-315.
Discusses memory disturbances such as amnesia and hypermnesia.
Stein, A. (1994). Hidden children: Forgotten survivors of the Holocaust. Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin Books.
Excerpt: “Over the years I have been trying to re-experience those feelings, but they kept eluding me. I was cut off from most of my memories, and from relieving the anxiety of that time….I remember nothing about the time I spent with those people…not a face, not a voice, not a piece of furniture.”
van Ravesteijn, L. (1976). Gelaagdheid van herinneringen [Layering of memories]. Tijdschrift boor Psychotherapie, 5(1), 195-205.
Wagenaar, W. A., & Groeneweg, J. (1990). The memory of concentration camp survivors. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 4, 77-87.
Abstract: This study is concerned with the question whether extremely emotional experiences, such as being the victim of Nazi concentration camps, leave traces in memory that cannot be extinguished. Relevant data were obtained from testimony by 78 witnesses in a case against Marinus De Rijke, who was accused of Nazi crimes in Camp Erika in The Netherlands. The testimonies were collected in the periods 1943–1947 and 1984–1987. A comparison between these two periods reveals the amount of forgetting that occurred in 40 years. Results show that camp experiences were generally well-remembered, although specific but essential details were forgotten. Among these were forgetting being maltreated, forgetting names and appearance of the torturers, and forgetting being a witness to murder. Apparently intensity of experiences is not a sufficient safeguard against forgetting."
Wilson, J., Harel, Z., & Kahana, B. (1988). Human adaptation to extreme stress: From the Holocaust to Vietnam. New York: Plenum Press.
Yehuda, R., Elkin, A., Binder-Brynes, K., Kahana, B., Southwick, S. M., Schmeidler, J., & Giller, E. R., Jr. (1996, July). Dissociation in aging Holocaust survivors. American Journal of Psychiatry, 153(7), 935-940.
Yehuda, R., Schmeidler, J., Siever, L. J., Binder-Brynes, K., & Elkin, A. (1997). Individual differences in posttraumatic stress disorder symptom profiles in Holocaust survivors in concentration camps or in hiding. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 10, 453-465.
46% of 100 survivors report amnesia on PTSD measures.
http://blogs.brown.edu/recoveredmemory/scholarly-resources/holocaust/
Friday, June 24, 2011
Delaware ex-pediatrician guilty of child sex abuse, 24 counts of rape, assault
describes graphic crimes
Delaware ex-pediatrician guilty of child sex abuse
By Dan Shortridge, The (Wilmington, Del.) News Journal
6/23/11 GEORGETOWN, Del.
A Delaware pediatrician was found guilty Thursday of raping and abusing his child patients.
Earl Bradley, 58, accused of raping or assaulting more than 100 girls he treated, was convicted of all 24 counts of rape, assault and sexual exploitation that he faced in Sussex Superior Court here.
The verdict was expected: Evidence of the attacks included videos that he recorded and Bradley's lawyers did not mount any defense. Instead, they are expected to appeal an earlier ruling from Judge William Carpenter Jr. that 13 hours of videos seized from Bradley's office was admissible.
A state police detective who viewed the videos said during the trial that Bradley used mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on a few girls who were "ashen gray" from choking and suffocation after he forced them to perform oral sex on him.
The videos also show children in diapers screaming as they attempt in vain to escape from their doctor before he rapes them in an outbuilding at his office where he took children for candy and toys. In one case at his home, a video shows Bradley using nitrous oxide to keep a sleeping 7-year-old girl sedate during his attack, police testified.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-06-23-delaware-pediatrician-sex-abuse_n.htm
Delaware ex-pediatrician guilty of child sex abuse
By Dan Shortridge, The (Wilmington, Del.) News Journal
6/23/11 GEORGETOWN, Del.
A Delaware pediatrician was found guilty Thursday of raping and abusing his child patients.
Earl Bradley, 58, accused of raping or assaulting more than 100 girls he treated, was convicted of all 24 counts of rape, assault and sexual exploitation that he faced in Sussex Superior Court here.
The verdict was expected: Evidence of the attacks included videos that he recorded and Bradley's lawyers did not mount any defense. Instead, they are expected to appeal an earlier ruling from Judge William Carpenter Jr. that 13 hours of videos seized from Bradley's office was admissible.
A state police detective who viewed the videos said during the trial that Bradley used mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on a few girls who were "ashen gray" from choking and suffocation after he forced them to perform oral sex on him.
The videos also show children in diapers screaming as they attempt in vain to escape from their doctor before he rapes them in an outbuilding at his office where he took children for candy and toys. In one case at his home, a video shows Bradley using nitrous oxide to keep a sleeping 7-year-old girl sedate during his attack, police testified.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-06-23-delaware-pediatrician-sex-abuse_n.htm
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Martha Marcy May Marlene - A Devastating Portrait of Cult Brainwashing
Un Certain Regard - Martha Marcy May Marlene By Peter Debruge Jan. 22, 2011
A young woman looking for somewhere to belong finds it difficult to readjust to society after escaping life with a cult in "Martha Marcy May Marlene," a sensitive treatment of a sensational subject that heralds the arrival of talented tyro Sean Durkin behind the camera and promising new star Elizabeth Olsen. Picking up as its heroine breaks free and then using uneasy flashbacks to suggest the character's lingering paranoia, Durkin's effective yet frustratingly obtuse feature debut -- a sister project to his short "Mary Last Seen" -- invites contemplation while withholding the narrative drive needed to break out beyond, yes, cult status. http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117944343/
‘Martha Marcy May Marlene’ – A Devastating Portrait of Cult Brainwashing [Sundance Review]
....Martha Marcy May Marlene tells the story of Martha (Elizabeth Olsen), a woman who escapes from a cult in rural New York and tries to reintegrate into a normal life with her sister, Lucy (Sarah Paulson). Lucy brings Martha to her Connecticut vacation home, where she and her husband Adam (Hugh Dancy) are trying to enjoy a few days away from their regular lives in the city. Martha constantly experiences chilling flashbacks and begins to lose her grip on reality. As the days pass and Martha’s behavior becomes more and more erratic, it becomes clear that her time away from home may have had far more effects on her than initially believed. http://www.slashfilm.com/martha-marcy-may-marlene-review/
movie trailer
IMDb Video Martha Marcy May Marlene
(shows violent scenes)
Haunted by painful memories and increasing paranoia, a damaged woman struggles to re-assimilate with her family after fleeing an abusive cult. http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1493409049/
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Traumatic memory: memory disturbances and dissociative amnesia
The following articles provide compelling scientific evidence in support of the phenomena of dissociation and recovered memory.
Included are cases involving survivors of childhood abuse, survivors of the Holocaust, and war veterans.
In addition to supporting the phenomenon in general, these articles also counter the argument that recovered memory is (a) no more than a recent cultural “fad” and (b) specific to false accusers of sexual abuse.
http://blogs.brown.edu/recoveredmemory/scholarly-resources/traumatic-memory/
excerpts:
Bremner, J. D., Krystal, J. H., Charney, D. S., & Southwick, S. M. (1996). Neural mechanisms in dissociative amnesia for childhood abuse: Relevance to the current controversy surrounding the “false memory syndrome.” The American Journal of Psychiatry, 153, 71-82.
....CONCLUSIONS: John Nemiah pointed out several years ago that alterations in memory in the form of dissociative amnesia are an important part of exposure to traumatic stressors, such as childhood abuse. The studies reviewed here show that extreme stress has long-term effects on memory. These findings may provide a model for understanding the mechanisms involved in dissociative amnesia, as well as a rationale for phenomena such as delayed recall of childhood abuse.
....Briere, J., & Conte, J. R. (1993, January). Self-reported amnesia for abuse in adults molested as children. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 6(1), 21-31.
....A sample of 450 adult clinical subjects reporting sexual abuse histories were studied regarding their repression of sexual abuse incidents. A total of 267 subjects (59.3%) identified some period in their lives, before age 18, when they had no memory of their abuse. Variables most predictive of abuse-related amnesia were greater current psychological symptoms, molestation at an early age, extended abuse, and variables reflecting especially violent abuse
....Chu, J. A., Frey, L. M., Ganzel, B. L., & Matthews, J. A. (1999, May). Memories of childhood abuse: Dissociation, amnesia, and corroboration. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 156(5), 749-755.
....Childhood abuse, particularly chronic abuse beginning at early ages, is related to the development of high levels of dissociative symptoms including amnesia for abuse memories. This study strongly suggests that psychotherapy usually is not associated with memory recovery and that independent corroboration of recovered memories of abuse is often present.
....DeWind, E. (1968). The confrontation with death. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 49, 302-305.
Excerpt: “Most former inmates of Nazi concentration camps could not remember anything of the first days of imprisonment because perception of reality was so overwhelming that it would lead to a mental chaos which implies a certain death.”
....Durlacher, G. L. (1991). De zoektocht [The search]. Amsterdam: Meulenhoff.
Dutch sociologist Durlacher, a survivor of Birkenau, describes his search for and meetings with another 20 child survivors from this camp. Excerpt: “Misha….looks helplessly at me and admits hesitantly that the period in the camps is wiped out from his brain….With each question regarding the period between December 12, 1942 till May 7, 1945, he admits while feeling embarrassed that he cannot remember anything….Jindra…had to admit that he remembers almost nothing from his years in the camps….From the winter months of 1944 until just before the liberation in April 1945, only two words stayed with him: Dora and Nordhausen
....Elliott, D. M., & Briere, J. (1995, October). Posttraumatic stress associated with delayed recall of sexual abuse: A general population study. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 8(4), 629-647. (Child Abuse Crisis Center, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA.)
Abstract: This study examined delayed recall of childhood sexual abuse in a stratified random sample of the general population (N = 505). Of participants who reported a history of sexual abuse, 42% described some period of time when they had less memory of the abuse than they did at the time of data collection. No demographic differences were found between subjects with continuous recall and those who reported delayed recall. However, delayed recall was associated with the use of threats at the time of the abuse.
....Feldman-Summers, S., Pope, K. S. (1994, June). The experience of “forgetting” childhood abuse: A national survey of psychologists. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 62(3), 636-639.
Abstract: 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. The major findings were that (1) both sexual and nonsexual abuse were subject to periods of forgetting; (2) the most frequently reported factor related to recall was being in therapy; (3) approximately one half of those who reported forgetting also reported corroboration of the abuse....
Herman, J. L., & Harvey, M. R. (1997). Adult memories of childhood trauma: a naturalistic clinical study. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 10(4), 557-571.
Abstract: The clinical evaluations of 77 adult psychiatric outpatients reporting memories of childhood trauma were reviewed. A majority of patients reported some degree of continuous recall. 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%).
....Krell, R. (1993). Child survivors of the Holocaust: Strategies of adaptation. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 38, 384-389.
Excerpt: “The most pervasive preoccupation of child survivors is the continuing struggle with memory, whether there is too much or too little….For a child survivor today, an even more vexing problem is the intrusion of fragments of memory—most are emotionally powerful and painful but make no sense. They seem to become more frequent with time and are triggered by thousands of subtle or not so subtle events
....Kuch, K., & Cox, B. J. (1992). Symptoms of PTSD in 124 survivors of the Holocaust. American Journal of Psychiatry, 149, 337-340.
Potential subjects with confirmed or suspected organicity, bipolar or obsessive compulsive disorder were excluded. One group (N=78) had been detained in various concentration camps for greater than 1 month. A second group (N=20) had been detained in Auschwitz and had been tattooed. A third group (N=45) had not been in labor camps, ghettos, or had hidden in the illegal underground. Psychogenic amnesia was found in 3.2% of the totals sample, in 3.8 of the general concentration camp survivors, and in 10% of tattooed survivors of Auschwitz. 17.7% (N=22) of the total sample had received psychotherapy.
....Loftus, E. F., Polonsky, S., & Fullilove, M. T. (1994, March). Memories of childhood sexual abuse: Remembering and repressing. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 18(1), 67-84. (University of Washington, Psychology Department, Seattle, WA.)
Abstract: Women involved in outpatient treatment for substance abuse were interviewed to examine their recollections of childhood sexual abuse. Overall, 54% of the 105 women reported a history of childhood sexual abuse. Of these, the majority (81%) remembered all or part of the abuse their whole lives; 19% reported they forgot the abuse for a period of time, and later the memory returned.
....Melchert, T. P. (1996, October). Childhood memory and a history of different forms of abuse. Professional Psychology: Research & Practice, 27(5), 438-446. (Texas Tech University, Department of Psychology, Lubbock, TX.)
Abstract: A widespread professional and public controversy has recently emerged regarding recovered memories of child sexual abuse, but the prevalence and nature of these memories have received limited empirical examination. This study (N = 553 nonclinical participants) found that very similar proportions of those with histories of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse reported that they had periods without memory of their abuse (21%, 18%, and 18%, respectively).
....Musaph, H. (1993). Het post-concentratiekampsyndroom [The post-concentration camp syndrome]. Maandblad Geestelijke volksgezondheid [Dutch Journal of Mental Health], 28(5), 207-217.
Amnesia exists for certain Holocaust experiences, while other experiences are extremely well remembered.
....van der Hart, O., Bolt, H., & van der Kolk, B. A. (2005). Memory fragmentation in dissociative identity disorder. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 6(1), 55-70. (Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, the Netherlands.)
Abstract: This study examined the quality of self-reported memories of traumatic experiences in participants with dissociative identity disorder (DID) and compared them with their memories of non-traumatic, but emotionally significant life experiences. Systematic interview data were gathered from 30 DID patients in The Netherlands. All participants reported a history of severe childhood abuse; 93.3% reported some period of amnesia for the index traumatic event, and 33.3% reported periods of amnesia for significant non-traumatic childhood experiences. All participants who had been amnestic for their trauma reported that their memories were initially retrieved in the form of somatosensory flashbacks. This suggests that, like PTSD patients, DID patients at least initially recall their trauma not as a narrative, but as somatosensory re-experiencing.
....Wagenaar, W. A., & Groeneweg, J. (1990). The memory of concentration camp survivors. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 4, 77-87.
Abstract: This study is concerned with the question whether extremely emotional experiences, such as being the victim of Nazi concentration camps, leave traces in memory that cannot be extinguished. Relevant data were obtained from testimony by 78 witnesses in a case against Marinus De Rijke, who was accused of Nazi crimes in Camp Erika in The Netherlands. The testimonies were collected in the periods 1943–1947 and 1984–1987. A comparison between these two periods reveals the amount of forgetting that occurred in 40 years. Results show that camp experiences were generally well-remembered, although specific but essential details were forgotten. Among these were forgetting being maltreated, forgetting names and appearance of the torturers, and forgetting being a witness to murder.
....Williams, L. M. (1994, December). Recall of childhood trauma: A prospective study of women’s memories of child sexual abuse. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 62(6), 1167-1176. (University of New Hampshire, Family Research Lab, Durham, NH.)
Abstract: 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. Women who were younger at the time of the abuse and those who were molested by someone they knew were more likely to have no recall of the abuse.
....Yehuda, R., Schmeidler, J., Siever, L. J., Binder-Brynes, K., & Elkin, A. (1997). Individual differences in posttraumatic stress disorder symptom profiles in Holocaust survivors in concentration camps or in hiding. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 10, 453-465.
46% of 100 survivors report amnesia on PTSD measures.
http://blogs.brown.edu/recoveredmemory/scholarly-resources/traumatic-memory/
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Questions and Answers Regarding Dissociative Amnesia
" Scientific evidence shows that it is not rare for traumatized people to experience amnesia or delayed recall for the trauma.
Amnesia has been reported in combat, for crimes, and for concentration camp experiences and torture. The more severe the trauma, the more likely it is to be forgotten.
Overall, a recovered memory is just as likely to be accurate as a continuously remembered one."
The sociocognitive model of dissociative identity disorder: a reexamination of the evidence.
" No reason exists to doubt the connection between DID and childhood trauma."
Questions and Answers Regarding Dissociative Amnesia
by Stephanie Dallam RN, MS, FNP
....there is near-universal scientific acceptance of the fact that the mind is capable of avoiding conscious recall of traumatic experiences.
....Is dissociation a rare phenomenon?
No. Scientific evidence shows that it is not rare for traumatized people to experience amnesia or delayed recall for the trauma. Amnesia has been reported in combat, for crimes, and for concentration camp experiences and torture. Evidence of this process can be found in the early literature on World War I and World War II.
....Carlson, E., & Rosser-Hogan, R. (April, 1993). Mental health status of Cambodian refugees ten years after leaving their homes. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 63 (2), 223-231.
Dissociation is also a frequent finding in survivors extreme terror. Between 1975 and 1979, an estimated one to three million of a population of seven million Cambodians were killed or died of starvation. Carlson, E., & Rosser-Hogan selected 50 subjects at random from a list of all refugees (~500) resettled by nonprofit organization between 1983 and 1985. None had any formal education and had lived in the US for a mean of 5 years. 86% met the criteria for PTSD. The mean number of traumatic experiences the refugees endorsed was 14 and "90% reported amnesia for upsetting events."
....Krell, R. (1993). Child survivors of the Holocaust: Strategies of adaptation. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 38 , 384-389.
Krell reported on 22 Holocaust survivors who, as children, hid from the Nazis.
"As children they were encouraged not to tell, but to lead normal lives and forget the past . . ."
"The most pervasive preoccupation of child survivors is the continuing struggle with memory, whether there is too much or too little . . ."
"For a child survivor today, an even more vexing problem is the intrusion of fragments of memory - most are emotionally powerful and painful but make no sense. They seem to become more frequent with time and are triggered by thousands of subtle or not so subtle events . . ."
Marks, J. (1995). The hidden children: The secret survivors of the Holocaust. Toronto : Bantam Books.
One holocaust survivor, Ava Landy, describes her amnesia:
"So much of my childhood between the ages of four and nine is blank....It's almost as if my life was smashed into little pieces . . .
The trouble is, when I try to remember, I come up with so little. This ability to forget was probably my way of surviving emotionally as a child. Even now, whenever anything unpleasant happens to me, I have a mental garbage can in which I can put all the bad stuff and forget it . . . .
I'm still afraid of being hungry. . . . I never leave my house without some food....Again, I don't remember being hungry. I asked my sister and she said that we were hungry. So I must have been! I just don't remember." (p. 188).
What types of traumas result in dissociative amnesia?
A review of 50 studies revealed that amnesia rates tend to increase with severity of trauma and is particularly high in victims of sex crimes....
What is the relation of memory recovery to psychotherapy?
Albach et al. studied 97 adult victims of extreme sexual abuse and a control group of 65 women, matched for age and education who reported on their memories of "ordinary unpleasant childhood experiences." The abuse survivors were broken into two groups. One group had participated in psychotherapy while the other group had not. There was no significant differences in amnesia, memory recovery, or other memory phenomena between the survivors who participated in psychotherapy and those who did not.
...How accurate are recovered memories?
Dalenberg, C. J. (1996). Accuracy, timing and circumstances of disclosure in therapy of recovered and continuous memories of abuse. Journal of Psychiatry & Law,24 (2), 229-75.
Accuracy for Continuous Versus Recovered Memories
Percent with evidence supporting memory
Continuous 75%
Recovered 75%
Conclusion
Scientific evidence shows that it is not rare for traumatized people to experience amnesia or delayed recall for the trauma. Amnesia has been reported in combat, for crimes, and for concentration camp experiences and torture.
The more severe the trauma, the more likely it is to be forgotten.
Overall, a recovered memory is just as likely to be accurate as a continuously remembered one. However, recovered memories have a prominence of emotional and sensory-perceptual elements vs. declarative (verbal) elements. They are often fragmentary and incomplete and thus hard to make into coherent story.
http://www.leadershipcouncil.org/1/tm/amnesia.html
The sociocognitive model of dissociative identity disorder: a reexamination of the evidence.
Gleaves DH.
According to the sociocognitive model of dissociative identity disorder (DID; formerly, multiple personality disorder), DID is not a valid psychiatric disorder of posttraumatic origin; rather, it is a creation of psychotherapy and the media. Support for the model was recently presented by N.P. Spanos (1994).
In this article, the author reexamines the evidence for the model and concludes that it is based on numerous false assumptions about the psychopathology, assessment, and treatment of DID. 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.
Psychol Bull. 1994 Jul;116(1):143-65.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8711016
Monday, June 20, 2011
US Government Experiments on Americans - LSD and MKULTRA
US Government Experiments on Americans—LSD and MKULTRA By Russ Baker on Jun 2, 2011
Readers have shown considerable interest in the trailer we ran recently for the video about unknown radiation experiments on African American children.
Continuing our exploration of secret government experiments on American citizens, we now re-publish an article I wrote in 1999 about the CIA and LSD experiments. That article was originally commissioned by the New York Times Magazine, which opted in the end not to publish it. Instead, it appeared in the magazine of the esteemed British newspaper The Observer, the German newsmagazine Spiegel, and in top newspapers in Australia, Netherlands, and other countries. It did not run in the United States....
from the 1999 article:
This coming Tuesday in a US court, Stanley’s past will be the focus of a lawsuit pitting the Glickman family against the US Government. At issue will be exactly what happened in a Paris cafe in November 1952 when, according to the family, a CIA official slipped a large dose of LSD into Stanley’s drink, triggering a psychotic episode and transforming him into a neighbourhood ‘character’ with a secret. http://whowhatwhy.com/2011/06/02/us-government-experiments-on-americans%e2%80%94lsd-and-mkultra/
Acid, Americans and the Agency
In 1952, Stanley Glickman was a promising young painter studying in Paris. Then one night he shared a drink with some fellow Americans, and his life fell apart. Did the CIA spike his drink with LSD? By Russ Baker The Observer, Sunday 14 February 1999 http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/1999/feb/14/life1.lifemagazine
Thursday, May 6, 1999 The CIA's purple haze
TV stars run amok; geriatric criminals terrorize nation.
....Or how about the Central Intelligence Agency dosing unsuspecting United States' citizens with LSD? True, it's an old story, but it may well be a true story, and one of its longest chapters closed last week when a New York jury, in the court of U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood....ruled against the estate of artist Stanley Glickman.
Until his death in 1992, Glickman insisted that a CIA agent, who for 40 years he consistently described as having a clubfoot, had slipped him a mind-bending mickey in a glass of Chartreuse liqueur at a bar in Paris in 1952, driving Glickman mad and destroying his life....
In addition to newspaper and magazine articles, and sworn testimony given at the 1977 Senate hearings on CIA abuses, chaired by Sen. Ted Kennedy, at least two books feature extensive, and colorful, coverage of the Company's psychoactive shenanigans -- "Acid Dreams: The CIA, LSD and the Sixties Rebellion," by Martin Lee and Bruce Shlain (1985) and "Storming Heaven: LSD and the American Dream" by Jay Stevens (1987).
According to "Acid Dreams," and a Feb. 14 article in The Observer, in the 1950s the U.S. government began operating a covert drug-testing program called MK-ULTRA http://www.salon.com/people/rogue/1999/05/06/cia
SALON DARK HOTEL The Manchurian Experiment
cartoon version http://www.salon.com/comics/dark/spain/1998/10/02spain1.html
Documentary Trailer, Hole in the Head: A Life Revealed
By Russ Baker on May 24, 2011
(has graphic pictures) http://whowhatwhy.com/2011/05/24/documentary-trailer-hole-in-the-head-a-life-revealed/
Readers have shown considerable interest in the trailer we ran recently for the video about unknown radiation experiments on African American children.
Continuing our exploration of secret government experiments on American citizens, we now re-publish an article I wrote in 1999 about the CIA and LSD experiments. That article was originally commissioned by the New York Times Magazine, which opted in the end not to publish it. Instead, it appeared in the magazine of the esteemed British newspaper The Observer, the German newsmagazine Spiegel, and in top newspapers in Australia, Netherlands, and other countries. It did not run in the United States....
from the 1999 article:
This coming Tuesday in a US court, Stanley’s past will be the focus of a lawsuit pitting the Glickman family against the US Government. At issue will be exactly what happened in a Paris cafe in November 1952 when, according to the family, a CIA official slipped a large dose of LSD into Stanley’s drink, triggering a psychotic episode and transforming him into a neighbourhood ‘character’ with a secret. http://whowhatwhy.com/2011/06/02/us-government-experiments-on-americans%e2%80%94lsd-and-mkultra/
Acid, Americans and the Agency
In 1952, Stanley Glickman was a promising young painter studying in Paris. Then one night he shared a drink with some fellow Americans, and his life fell apart. Did the CIA spike his drink with LSD? By Russ Baker The Observer, Sunday 14 February 1999 http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/1999/feb/14/life1.lifemagazine
Thursday, May 6, 1999 The CIA's purple haze
TV stars run amok; geriatric criminals terrorize nation.
....Or how about the Central Intelligence Agency dosing unsuspecting United States' citizens with LSD? True, it's an old story, but it may well be a true story, and one of its longest chapters closed last week when a New York jury, in the court of U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood....ruled against the estate of artist Stanley Glickman.
Until his death in 1992, Glickman insisted that a CIA agent, who for 40 years he consistently described as having a clubfoot, had slipped him a mind-bending mickey in a glass of Chartreuse liqueur at a bar in Paris in 1952, driving Glickman mad and destroying his life....
In addition to newspaper and magazine articles, and sworn testimony given at the 1977 Senate hearings on CIA abuses, chaired by Sen. Ted Kennedy, at least two books feature extensive, and colorful, coverage of the Company's psychoactive shenanigans -- "Acid Dreams: The CIA, LSD and the Sixties Rebellion," by Martin Lee and Bruce Shlain (1985) and "Storming Heaven: LSD and the American Dream" by Jay Stevens (1987).
According to "Acid Dreams," and a Feb. 14 article in The Observer, in the 1950s the U.S. government began operating a covert drug-testing program called MK-ULTRA http://www.salon.com/people/rogue/1999/05/06/cia
SALON DARK HOTEL The Manchurian Experiment
cartoon version http://www.salon.com/comics/dark/spain/1998/10/02spain1.html
Documentary Trailer, Hole in the Head: A Life Revealed
By Russ Baker on May 24, 2011
(has graphic pictures) http://whowhatwhy.com/2011/05/24/documentary-trailer-hole-in-the-head-a-life-revealed/
Friday, June 17, 2011
Hippocampal and Amygdalar Volumes in Dissociative Identity Disorder
Eric Vermetten, M.D., Ph.D. Christian Schmahl, M.D.
Sanneke Lindner, M.Sc. Richard J. Loewenstein, M.D. J. Douglas Bremner, M.D. (Am J Psychiatry 2006; 163:1–8)
Objective: Smaller hippocampal volume has been reported in several stress-related psychiatric disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), borderline personality disorder with early abuse, and depression with early abuse.
Patients with borderline personality disorder and early abuse have also been found to have smaller amygdalar volume. The authors examined hippocampal and amygdalar volumes in patients with dissociative identity disorder, a disorder that has been associated with a history of severe childhood trauma....
Results: Hippocampal volume was 19.2% smaller and amygdalar volume was 31.6% smaller in the patients with dissociative identity disorder, compared to the healthy subjects. The ratio of hippocampal volume to amygdalar volume was significantly different between groups.
Conclusions: The findings are consistent with the presence of smaller hippocampal and amygdalar volumes in patients with dissociative identity disorder, compared with healthy subjects....
In clinical studies, most patients with dissociative identity disorder have also been found to meet the DSM-IV-TR criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In epidemiological studies of the general population,
the prevalence of dissociative identity disorder has been found to range from 1% to 3%.
Numerous studies have shown an association between a dissociative identity disorder diagnosis and an antecedent history of childhood trauma, usually multiple, sustained forms of maltreatment beginning in early childhood....
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have shown that adults with PTSD related to combat or to childhood physical/sexual abuse have smaller hippocampal size, relative to healthy comparison subjects or to comparison subjects who experienced trauma but did not develop PTSD.
Borderline personality disorder is also commonly associated with exposure to childhood trauma. Patients with borderline personality disorder and a history of early abuse have been found to have smaller hippocampal and amygdalar volumes, compared to healthy subjects. Smaller hippocampal volume has been found in patients with major depressive disorder and a history of early childhood trauma, compared to major depressive disorder patients without early life trauma. A consistent finding of these studies is smaller hippocampal volume in patients with a history of exposure to traumatic stress and an accompanying
stress-related psychiatric disorder....
All patients with dissociative identity disorder in this study also had a diagnosis of PTSD according to the DSMIV-TR criteria and the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale....
Electrical stimulation of the hippocampus and adjacent regions in patients with epilepsy resulted in a number of dissociative-like symptoms, including feelings of déjà vu, depersonalization, derealization, and memory alterations. Administration of ketamine, an antagonist of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors, which are highly concentrated in the hippocampus, resulted in dissociative symptoms in healthy subjects, including feelings of being out of body and of time standing still, perceptions of body distortions, and amnesia. On the basis of these findings, we have hypothesized that stress, acting through NMDA receptors in the hippocampus, may mediate symptoms of dissociation....
Clinical studies have found comorbid PTSD or a lifetime history of PTSD in 80%–100% of dissociative identity disorder patients. Davidson and Foa, in their summary of work by members of the APA DSM-IV Advisory Committee
on PTSD, included multiple personality disorder/dissociative identity disorder among the disorders related to “abnormal stress reaction[s].”....
There are several possible explanations for the current study findings. Previous studies have shown that dissociative identity disorder patients essentially universally report high rates of exposure to repeated stressful experiences in early life. The hippocampus is a major target
organ for glucocorticoids, which are released during stressful experiences. It has been hypothesized that prolonged exposure to glucocorticoids could lead to progressive atrophy of the hippocampus. Smaller hippocampal
volume in dissociative identity disorder could thus be related to stress exposure and could represent a neurobiological finding that dissociative identity disorder shares with other stress-related psychiatric disorders such as PTSD....
These findings suggest that early abuse associated with a stress-related psychiatric disorder may be related to smaller amygdalar volume. In addition, these findings are in contrast to findings from studies of depression that have shown no differences or larger amygdalar volume in
depressed patients, compared with healthy subjects....
This finding suggests that dissociative identity disorder is associated with relatively greater volume reductions in the amygdala than in the hippocampus....
full text
http://userwww.service.emory.edu/~jdbremn/papers/DID_MRI.pdf
Thursday, June 16, 2011
A child sex crime is committed every 20 minutes
A child sex crime is committed every 20 minutes, but charities fear the true figure could be even worse By Daily Mail Reporter 26th May 2011
Home Office figures reveal 23,000 offences last year, but many may have gone unreported
A child sex crime was committed every 20 minutes last year, shocking Home Office figures reveal.
A staggering 23,000 child sex offences were reported to police in England and Wales - 64 a day - but with many going unreported, that figure could actually be much higher.
A quarter of the victims were primary school age while more than 1,000 were too young to even go to school.
One in four suspects was under the age of 18. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1391021/A-child-sex-crime-committed-20-minutes-shocking-Home-Office-figures-reveal.html
Home Office figures reveal 23,000 offences last year, but many may have gone unreported
A child sex crime was committed every 20 minutes last year, shocking Home Office figures reveal.
A staggering 23,000 child sex offences were reported to police in England and Wales - 64 a day - but with many going unreported, that figure could actually be much higher.
A quarter of the victims were primary school age while more than 1,000 were too young to even go to school.
One in four suspects was under the age of 18. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1391021/A-child-sex-crime-committed-20-minutes-shocking-Home-Office-figures-reveal.html
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Survivorship Ritual Abuse Webinars - Inner Structures and Self Care
OUR NEXT WEBINAR
Saturday, June 25
12 noon Pacific Time
Trish Fotheringham
"Inner Structures - Settle In and Get Comfortable: Part 2."
Trish was born into a female-only matriarchal healing cult and an ancient patriarchal family clan who were connected to a variety of organized crime groups, including a group of wealthy political elite and their child pornography rings and child sex slave trafficking network. She is a 50-year-old Canadian Survivor of extreme abuse and trauma that included MKUltra-style ritual abuse, torture, mind control, and experimentation.
This webinar will continue with the material Trish presented on March 26, but in greater depth. The focus will be on safely creating, adapting, and demolishing inner structures. There will be plenty of time for questions. If you did not attend the first webinar, we suggest that you listen to the transcript on the Survivorship website.
If you plan to attend this webinar, you may send
questions or suggestions to jeannie@survivorship.org
Trish will incorporate them into her webinar whenever possible.
COST
Last year, Webinars cost $20.00. Now we have changed to a sliding scale so that each person can pay what they are able to. The scale starts at $50.00 and, in $5.00 increments, goes down to $0.00 (full scholarship). There is no longer any need to request a full or partial scholarship -- you make the decision yourself. (Please factor in the cost of a telephone call to the East Coast.)
We do ask you, if you have a full or partial scholarship, to help publicize our Webinar series.
REGISTRATION
To reserve a space in the Webinar, e-mail Shamai at
shamai@survivorship.org and give her this information:
1. Your name
2. The Webinar you wish to attend: "Inner Structures - Settle In and Get Comfortable: Part 2" on June 25 and/or one Brianna Pruett's webinars on July 30
3. Amount and method of payment (check, PayPal, money order)
4. Your preferred e-mail address (so we can send you instructions) 5. The name you will be using for the Webinar. (This does not have to be your real name or your message board screen name.)
Registration closes Thursday evening June 23.
If you wish to pay by PayPal, go to http://www.survivorship.org/webinars.html
Otherwise, send your check to:
SURVIVORSHIP
Family Justice Center
470 27th Street
Oakland, CA 94612
A reminder that our webinars are open to all, not just Survivorship members.
FUTURE WEBINARS
Saturday, July 30
noon Pacific Time
Brianna Pruett
"From Self-Preservation to Self-Celebration - Self Care for Ritual Abuse Survivors."
Brianna Pruett, a survivor of ritual abuse and government-sponsored mind control projects, is a 28-year-old psychology student and musician. She has worked with Randy Noblitt in educating students at Alliant University and maintains a commitment to speaking the truth and empowering other survivors as well as herself. Her website is http://www.briannaleapruett.com
The webinar focus will be on basic self-care information -- such as nutrition, hygiene, and body care -- with special tips and thoughts for survivors of ritual abuse, as well as on regaining/reclaiming self-care skills we may have discarded along with the abusive situations. Questions are welcome, so if you think of any beforehand, please email jeannie@survivorship.org to have Brianna address them during the webinar!
PAST WEBINARS
Survivorship members may listen to past Webinars for free in the members' section. (For information on joining Survivorship, go to
http://www.survivorship.org/about/membership.html
Complete details on all our Webinars are at
http://www.survivorship.org/webinars.html
Monday, June 13, 2011
Documentation of Child Abuse and Dissociation in DID/MPD
Documentation of Child Abuse and Dissociation in DID/MPD
Alter Personality Physiological Differences in MPD
Objective Documentation of Child Abuse and Dissociation in 12 Murderers With Dissociative Identity Disorder
Am J Psychiatry 154:1703-1710, December 1997
RESULTS: 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. Further, the data demonstrate that the disorder can be distinguished from malingering and from other disorders. The study shows that it is possible, with great effort, to obtain objective evidence of both the symptoms of dissociative identity disorder and the abuse that engenders it. (Am J Psychiatry 1997; 154:1703–1710)
http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/154/12/1703
Visual function in multiple personality disorder
J Am Optom Assoc. 1996 Jun;67(6):327-34.
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.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8888853
Optical differences in cases of multiple personality disorder.
J Nerv Ment Dis. 1989 Aug;177(8):480-6.
The results of these analyses showed that MPD subjects had significantly more variability across alter personalities than did their control counterparts on measures of visual acuity with correction, visual acuity without correction, visual fields, manifest refraction, and eye muscle balance. The data were also analyzed for clinical significance. Blind ratings of the data were performed by comparing the results of the individual dependent measures across the alter personalities of individual MPD and control subjects according to established ophthalmological criteria.
The ratings for clinical significance showed that the MPD subjects had 4.5 times the average number of changes in optical functioning between alter personalities of the control subjects, with a mean of 2.56 clinically significant changes for the MPD subjects and .55 clinically significant changes for the control subjects. This difference was also statistically significant (p less than .01).
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2760599
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
Differential autonomic nervous system activity in multiple personality disorder.
Psychiatry Res. 1990 Mar;31(3):251-60.
The cardinal feature of multiple personality disorder (MPD) is the existence of two or more alter personality states that exchange control over the behaviour of an individual. 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. Three of the five controls were also produced physiologically distinct states, but these differed from those of the MPD subjects. A habituation paradigm demonstrated carryover effects at the ANS levels from one state to the next for both groups.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2333357
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
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. A rank ordering of the differences in the brain maps of the alternate personalities from S were similar to the rank ordering of the differences in personality characteristics, as judged by the psychiatrist dealing with this patient. Maps from S acting like some of her personalities or from a professional actress portraying the different personalities did not reveal significant differences.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2225470
Multiple personality disorder. A clinical investigation of 50 cases.
J Nerv Ment Dis. 1988 Sep;176(9):519-27.
To study the clinical phenomenology of multiple personality, 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. Also common were headaches, hysterical conversion, and sexual dysfunction. Intellectual level varied from borderline to superior.
The MMPI reflected underlying character pathology in addition to depression and dissociation. Significant neurological or electroencephalographical abnormalities were infrequent. 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
An examination of the diagnostic validity of dissociative identity disorder. Clinical Psychology Review 21(4) 577-608
(2001)
We review the empirical evidence for the validity of the Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) diagnosis, the vast majority of which has come from research conducted within the last 10 years. After reviewing three different guidelines to establish diagnostic validity, we conclude that considerable converging evidence supports the inclusion of DID in the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders.
For instance, DID appears to meet all of the guidelines for inclusion and none of the exclusion guidelines; proposed by Blashfield et al. [Comprehensive Psychiatry 31 (1990) 15-19], and it is one of the few disorders currently supported by taxometric research.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11413868
full text
http://leadershipcouncil.org/docs/gleaves2001.pdf
Alter Personality Physiological Differences in MPD
Objective Documentation of Child Abuse and Dissociation in 12 Murderers With Dissociative Identity Disorder
Am J Psychiatry 154:1703-1710, December 1997
RESULTS: 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. Further, the data demonstrate that the disorder can be distinguished from malingering and from other disorders. The study shows that it is possible, with great effort, to obtain objective evidence of both the symptoms of dissociative identity disorder and the abuse that engenders it. (Am J Psychiatry 1997; 154:1703–1710)
http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/154/12/1703
Visual function in multiple personality disorder
J Am Optom Assoc. 1996 Jun;67(6):327-34.
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.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8888853
Optical differences in cases of multiple personality disorder.
J Nerv Ment Dis. 1989 Aug;177(8):480-6.
The results of these analyses showed that MPD subjects had significantly more variability across alter personalities than did their control counterparts on measures of visual acuity with correction, visual acuity without correction, visual fields, manifest refraction, and eye muscle balance. The data were also analyzed for clinical significance. Blind ratings of the data were performed by comparing the results of the individual dependent measures across the alter personalities of individual MPD and control subjects according to established ophthalmological criteria.
The ratings for clinical significance showed that the MPD subjects had 4.5 times the average number of changes in optical functioning between alter personalities of the control subjects, with a mean of 2.56 clinically significant changes for the MPD subjects and .55 clinically significant changes for the control subjects. This difference was also statistically significant (p less than .01).
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2760599
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
Differential autonomic nervous system activity in multiple personality disorder.
Psychiatry Res. 1990 Mar;31(3):251-60.
The cardinal feature of multiple personality disorder (MPD) is the existence of two or more alter personality states that exchange control over the behaviour of an individual. 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. Three of the five controls were also produced physiologically distinct states, but these differed from those of the MPD subjects. A habituation paradigm demonstrated carryover effects at the ANS levels from one state to the next for both groups.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2333357
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
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. A rank ordering of the differences in the brain maps of the alternate personalities from S were similar to the rank ordering of the differences in personality characteristics, as judged by the psychiatrist dealing with this patient. Maps from S acting like some of her personalities or from a professional actress portraying the different personalities did not reveal significant differences.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2225470
Multiple personality disorder. A clinical investigation of 50 cases.
J Nerv Ment Dis. 1988 Sep;176(9):519-27.
To study the clinical phenomenology of multiple personality, 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. Also common were headaches, hysterical conversion, and sexual dysfunction. Intellectual level varied from borderline to superior.
The MMPI reflected underlying character pathology in addition to depression and dissociation. Significant neurological or electroencephalographical abnormalities were infrequent. 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
An examination of the diagnostic validity of dissociative identity disorder. Clinical Psychology Review 21(4) 577-608
(2001)
We review the empirical evidence for the validity of the Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) diagnosis, the vast majority of which has come from research conducted within the last 10 years. After reviewing three different guidelines to establish diagnostic validity, we conclude that considerable converging evidence supports the inclusion of DID in the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders.
For instance, DID appears to meet all of the guidelines for inclusion and none of the exclusion guidelines; proposed by Blashfield et al. [Comprehensive Psychiatry 31 (1990) 15-19], and it is one of the few disorders currently supported by taxometric research.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11413868
full text
http://leadershipcouncil.org/docs/gleaves2001.pdf
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Organised Abuse and Testimonial Legitimacy
Organised Abuse and Testimonial Legitimacy
Michael Salter
This paper will discuss the relationship between sexual abuse, invalidation and testimonial legitimacy with a particular focus on organised abuse. Using qualitative data drawn from a study of adult survivors of organised abuse, the paper emphasises how strategies of invalidation, disbelief and minimisation are embedded in children’s experiences of organised abuse as well as in the response of others to organised abuse throughout their lifespan.
This analysis troubles the distinction between everyday and legalistic notions of credibility and emphasises instead how the denial of testimonial legitimacy to children and women in a range of contexts is underpinned by relations of power that compound the gendered risks and
harms of sexual abuse.
The findings of this study suggest that the denial of testimonial legitimacy is a serious barrier to the wellbeing and safety of victims of sexual abuse, such as those disclosing organised abuse, whose life histories render them particularly vulnerable to strategies of invalidation.
Background to the Research
Although most incidents of sexual violence involve one victim and one perpetrator, a significant proportion of victims report experiencing victimisation by more than one perpetrator (Kellogg and Hoffman 1997;
Horvath and Kelly 2009; Harkins and Dixon 2010). In the case of child sexual abuse, victimised children and adults reporting multiple perpetrators have typically experienced more severe victimisation than victims reporting one perpetrator (Finkelhor and Williams 1988; Long and Jackson 1991; Casey and Nurius 2005) and they exhibit greater psychological distress and mental illness (Briere and Conte 1991; Leserman et al
1997; Steel et al 2004).
Some of the most acutely ill survivors of multi-perpetrator sexual abuse disclose what La Fontaine (1993) has defined as ‘organised abuse’; that is, incidents of child sexual abuse that involve multiple adults acting in a coordinated way to sexually abuse multiple children.
Health and welfare workers in diverse contexts have reported contact with adult and child clients with histories of organised abuse (Creighton 1993; Bibby 1996; Cooper 2004), including clients disclosing sadistic, ritualistic or otherwise extreme experiences of sexual abuse (Sinason 1994; Noblitt and Perskin Noblitt 2008; Sachs and Galton 2008).
conference presentation at
ANZCCC: The Australian and New Zealand Critical Criminology Conference 2010
Institute of Criminology, Sydney Law School, The University of Sydney
http://sydney.edu.au/law/criminology
full paper at
http://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/bitstream/2123/7372/1/Salter_ANZCCC2010.pdf
Michael Salter
This paper will discuss the relationship between sexual abuse, invalidation and testimonial legitimacy with a particular focus on organised abuse. Using qualitative data drawn from a study of adult survivors of organised abuse, the paper emphasises how strategies of invalidation, disbelief and minimisation are embedded in children’s experiences of organised abuse as well as in the response of others to organised abuse throughout their lifespan.
This analysis troubles the distinction between everyday and legalistic notions of credibility and emphasises instead how the denial of testimonial legitimacy to children and women in a range of contexts is underpinned by relations of power that compound the gendered risks and
harms of sexual abuse.
The findings of this study suggest that the denial of testimonial legitimacy is a serious barrier to the wellbeing and safety of victims of sexual abuse, such as those disclosing organised abuse, whose life histories render them particularly vulnerable to strategies of invalidation.
Background to the Research
Although most incidents of sexual violence involve one victim and one perpetrator, a significant proportion of victims report experiencing victimisation by more than one perpetrator (Kellogg and Hoffman 1997;
Horvath and Kelly 2009; Harkins and Dixon 2010). In the case of child sexual abuse, victimised children and adults reporting multiple perpetrators have typically experienced more severe victimisation than victims reporting one perpetrator (Finkelhor and Williams 1988; Long and Jackson 1991; Casey and Nurius 2005) and they exhibit greater psychological distress and mental illness (Briere and Conte 1991; Leserman et al
1997; Steel et al 2004).
Some of the most acutely ill survivors of multi-perpetrator sexual abuse disclose what La Fontaine (1993) has defined as ‘organised abuse’; that is, incidents of child sexual abuse that involve multiple adults acting in a coordinated way to sexually abuse multiple children.
Health and welfare workers in diverse contexts have reported contact with adult and child clients with histories of organised abuse (Creighton 1993; Bibby 1996; Cooper 2004), including clients disclosing sadistic, ritualistic or otherwise extreme experiences of sexual abuse (Sinason 1994; Noblitt and Perskin Noblitt 2008; Sachs and Galton 2008).
conference presentation at
ANZCCC: The Australian and New Zealand Critical Criminology Conference 2010
Institute of Criminology, Sydney Law School, The University of Sydney
http://sydney.edu.au/law/criminology
full paper at
http://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/bitstream/2123/7372/1/Salter_ANZCCC2010.pdf
Saturday, June 11, 2011
brain differences in DID/MPD patients, child abuse changes the brain
Hippocampal and Amygdalar Volumes in Dissociative Identity Disorder
The neurobiological consequences of early stress and childhood maltreatment
Recent findings regarding brain development and childhood abuse/adversity
Does Child Abuse Permanently Alter the Brain?
The Psychobiology of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (including physical and sexual abuse)
Hippocampal and Amygdalar Volumes in Dissociative Identity Disorder
Eric Vermetten, M.D., Ph.D., Christian Schmahl, M.D., Sanneke Lindner, M.Sc., Richard J. Loewenstein, M.D., and J. Douglas Bremner, M.D.
Am J Psychiatry 163:630-636, April 2006
doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.163.4.630....
METHOD: The authors used magnetic resonance imaging to measure the volumes of the hippocampus and amygdala in 15 female patients with dissociative identity disorder and 23 female subjects without dissociative identity disorder or any other psychiatric disorder. The volumetric measurements for the two groups were compared.
RESULTS: Hippocampal volume was 19.2% smaller and amygdalar volume was 31.6% smaller in the patients with dissociative identity disorder, compared to the healthy subjects. The ratio of hippocampal volume to amygdalar volume was significantly different between groups.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings are consistent with the presence of smaller hippocampal and amygdalar volumes in patients with dissociative identity disorder, compared with healthy subjects.
http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/163/4/630
full text
"The patients with dissociative identity disorder in our study showed a 19.2% smaller hippocampal volume and a 31.6% smaller amygdalar volume, compared with the healthy subjects."
http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/163/4/630
The neurobiological consequences of early stress and childhood maltreatment
Martin H. Teicher, Susan L. Andersena, Ann Polcarib, Carl M. Andersona, Carryl P. Navaltae, and Dennis M. Kima
Abstract
Early severe stress and maltreatment produces a cascade of neurobiological events that have the potential to cause enduring changes in brain development. These changes occur on multiple levels, from neurohumoral (especially the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal {HPA} axis) to structural and functional. The major structural consequences of early stress include reduced size of the mid-portions of the corpus callosum and attenuated development of the left neocortex, hippocampus, and amygdala.
Major functional consequences include increased electrical irritability in limbic structures and reduced functional activity of the cerebellar vermis. There are also gender differences in vulnerability and functional consequences. The neurobiological sequelae of early stress and maltreatment may play a significant role in the emergence of psychiatric disorders during development.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763403000071
Dr. Martin H. Teicher - Recent findings regarding brain development and childhood abuse/adversity
https://drteicher.wordpress.com/
https://drteicher.wordpress.com/2010/11/
Keynote: Pierre Janet memorial lecture ISSTD
Does Child Abuse Permanently Alter the Brain?
Martin H. Teicher, M.D., Ph.D. (PowerPoint)
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
New York Academy of Sciences June 1997
Volume 821 Psychobiology of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, The Pages xi–xv, 1–548
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nyas.1997.821.issue-1/issuetoc
includes:
Psychobiological Effects of Sexual Abuse : A Longitudinal Study (pages 150–159)
FRANK W. PUTNAM and PENELOPE K. TRICKETT
DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1997.tb48276.x
Preliminary Evidence for Abnormal Cortical Development in Physically and Sexually Abused Children Using EEG Coherence and MRI (pages 160–175)
MARTIN H. TEICHER, YUTAKA ITO, CAROL A. GLOD, SUSAN L. ANDERSEN, NATALIE DUMONT and ERIKA ACKERMAN
DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1997.tb48277.x
Implicit and Explicit Memory for Trauma-Related Information in PTSD (pages 219–224) RICHARD J. MCNALLY
DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1997.tb48281.x
Trauma, Dissociation, and Memory (pages 225–237)
DAVID SPIEGEL DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1997.tb48282.x
The neurobiological consequences of early stress and childhood maltreatment
Recent findings regarding brain development and childhood abuse/adversity
Does Child Abuse Permanently Alter the Brain?
The Psychobiology of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (including physical and sexual abuse)
Hippocampal and Amygdalar Volumes in Dissociative Identity Disorder
Eric Vermetten, M.D., Ph.D., Christian Schmahl, M.D., Sanneke Lindner, M.Sc., Richard J. Loewenstein, M.D., and J. Douglas Bremner, M.D.
Am J Psychiatry 163:630-636, April 2006
doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.163.4.630....
METHOD: The authors used magnetic resonance imaging to measure the volumes of the hippocampus and amygdala in 15 female patients with dissociative identity disorder and 23 female subjects without dissociative identity disorder or any other psychiatric disorder. The volumetric measurements for the two groups were compared.
RESULTS: Hippocampal volume was 19.2% smaller and amygdalar volume was 31.6% smaller in the patients with dissociative identity disorder, compared to the healthy subjects. The ratio of hippocampal volume to amygdalar volume was significantly different between groups.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings are consistent with the presence of smaller hippocampal and amygdalar volumes in patients with dissociative identity disorder, compared with healthy subjects.
http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/163/4/630
full text
"The patients with dissociative identity disorder in our study showed a 19.2% smaller hippocampal volume and a 31.6% smaller amygdalar volume, compared with the healthy subjects."
http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/163/4/630
The neurobiological consequences of early stress and childhood maltreatment
Martin H. Teicher, Susan L. Andersena, Ann Polcarib, Carl M. Andersona, Carryl P. Navaltae, and Dennis M. Kima
Abstract
Early severe stress and maltreatment produces a cascade of neurobiological events that have the potential to cause enduring changes in brain development. These changes occur on multiple levels, from neurohumoral (especially the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal {HPA} axis) to structural and functional. The major structural consequences of early stress include reduced size of the mid-portions of the corpus callosum and attenuated development of the left neocortex, hippocampus, and amygdala.
Major functional consequences include increased electrical irritability in limbic structures and reduced functional activity of the cerebellar vermis. There are also gender differences in vulnerability and functional consequences. The neurobiological sequelae of early stress and maltreatment may play a significant role in the emergence of psychiatric disorders during development.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763403000071
Dr. Martin H. Teicher - Recent findings regarding brain development and childhood abuse/adversity
https://drteicher.wordpress.com/
https://drteicher.wordpress.com/2010/11/
Keynote: Pierre Janet memorial lecture ISSTD
Does Child Abuse Permanently Alter the Brain?
Martin H. Teicher, M.D., Ph.D. (PowerPoint)
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
New York Academy of Sciences June 1997
Volume 821 Psychobiology of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, The Pages xi–xv, 1–548
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nyas.1997.821.issue-1/issuetoc
includes:
Psychobiological Effects of Sexual Abuse : A Longitudinal Study (pages 150–159)
FRANK W. PUTNAM and PENELOPE K. TRICKETT
DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1997.tb48276.x
Preliminary Evidence for Abnormal Cortical Development in Physically and Sexually Abused Children Using EEG Coherence and MRI (pages 160–175)
MARTIN H. TEICHER, YUTAKA ITO, CAROL A. GLOD, SUSAN L. ANDERSEN, NATALIE DUMONT and ERIKA ACKERMAN
DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1997.tb48277.x
Implicit and Explicit Memory for Trauma-Related Information in PTSD (pages 219–224) RICHARD J. MCNALLY
DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1997.tb48281.x
Trauma, Dissociation, and Memory (pages 225–237)
DAVID SPIEGEL DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1997.tb48282.x
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Parental Alienation Syndrome: Another Alarming DSM-5 Proposal
“Parental Alienation Syndrome:" Another Alarming DSM-5 Proposal
Using a medicalizing label to mask child sexual abuse
by Paula J. Caplan, Ph.D. in Science Isn't Golden
Using a medicalizing label to mask child sexual abuse
Among the scientifically unwarranted and socially dangerous proposals that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-5 authors have not yet seen fit to rule out is the addition of something its advocates call Parental Alienation Syndrome. This is a medical-sounding term for nothing more than "She's a vengeful woman who's trying to make her children tell horrific lies about their father."
When applied to a parent in a case involving an allegation of child sexual abuse, it is nearly always applied to a woman whose child is allegedly being molested by the father. Despite not yet being in the DSM, PAS has in some courts proven an astonishingly effective vehicle for deflecting the focus from the abuser and simply claiming that the woman must be lying, and coaching her children to lie, because she has the alleged mental illness of PAS. [1] The claim is that without cause, she wants to turn the children against their father.
What often gets short shrift, as a result, is even the consideration of the possibility that the children are truly being molested....
The construct of PAS is unscientific, composed of a group of general symptoms with no empirical basis....
Major professional bodies, including the American Psychological Association, have discredited PAS on the grounds that it is misused in domestic violence cases and that there is no scientific evidence of such a "syndrome." The more recent APA Online document Issues and Dilemmas in Family Violence.... particularly Issue 5, describes the tendency of family courts to miminize a context of violence, falsely accusing the mother of alienation and granting custody to the father in spite of his history of violence.
The National Council on Juvenile and Family Court Judges' 2006 manual states that "parental alienation syndrome or PAS has been discredited by the scientific community" and "should therefore be ruled inadmissible" (p. 19). A number of prominent figures, including Dr. Paul J. Fink, past president of the American Psychiatric Association and president of the Leadership Council on Mental Health, Justice, and the Media, and Professor Jon R. Conte of the University of Washington Social Welfare Doctoral Faculty have also discredited PAS and its lack of scientific basis (see Bruch, 2001).
Because of the use of PAS as a tactic by many CSA perpetrators to influence decision makers and the court system, abused children have been placed in the hands of their abusers (Childress, 2006). It is estimated that "over 58,000 children a year are ordered into unsupervised contact with physically or sexually abusive parents following divorce in the United States" ( http://www.leadershipcouncil.org/1/pas/1.html ) and that PAS was used in a large number of these cases. [2]....
The DSM-5 editors could at any time have already struck PAS from their planned additions but have so far chosen not to.
If this alarms you, and especially if PAS has been used against you, please consider going to dsm5.org before their June 15 cutoff date for input from the public arrives, and send them your concerns. Please urge everyone else you can think of to do the same. The DSM-5 authors will do themselves and the manual's reputation no favors if they include PAS, and they need to hear from people whom the label has harmed.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/science-isnt-golden/201106/parental-alienation-syndrome-another-alarming-dsm-5-proposal
Using a medicalizing label to mask child sexual abuse
by Paula J. Caplan, Ph.D. in Science Isn't Golden
Using a medicalizing label to mask child sexual abuse
Among the scientifically unwarranted and socially dangerous proposals that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-5 authors have not yet seen fit to rule out is the addition of something its advocates call Parental Alienation Syndrome. This is a medical-sounding term for nothing more than "She's a vengeful woman who's trying to make her children tell horrific lies about their father."
When applied to a parent in a case involving an allegation of child sexual abuse, it is nearly always applied to a woman whose child is allegedly being molested by the father. Despite not yet being in the DSM, PAS has in some courts proven an astonishingly effective vehicle for deflecting the focus from the abuser and simply claiming that the woman must be lying, and coaching her children to lie, because she has the alleged mental illness of PAS. [1] The claim is that without cause, she wants to turn the children against their father.
What often gets short shrift, as a result, is even the consideration of the possibility that the children are truly being molested....
The construct of PAS is unscientific, composed of a group of general symptoms with no empirical basis....
Major professional bodies, including the American Psychological Association, have discredited PAS on the grounds that it is misused in domestic violence cases and that there is no scientific evidence of such a "syndrome." The more recent APA Online document Issues and Dilemmas in Family Violence.... particularly Issue 5, describes the tendency of family courts to miminize a context of violence, falsely accusing the mother of alienation and granting custody to the father in spite of his history of violence.
The National Council on Juvenile and Family Court Judges' 2006 manual states that "parental alienation syndrome or PAS has been discredited by the scientific community" and "should therefore be ruled inadmissible" (p. 19). A number of prominent figures, including Dr. Paul J. Fink, past president of the American Psychiatric Association and president of the Leadership Council on Mental Health, Justice, and the Media, and Professor Jon R. Conte of the University of Washington Social Welfare Doctoral Faculty have also discredited PAS and its lack of scientific basis (see Bruch, 2001).
Because of the use of PAS as a tactic by many CSA perpetrators to influence decision makers and the court system, abused children have been placed in the hands of their abusers (Childress, 2006). It is estimated that "over 58,000 children a year are ordered into unsupervised contact with physically or sexually abusive parents following divorce in the United States" ( http://www.leadershipcouncil.org/1/pas/1.html ) and that PAS was used in a large number of these cases. [2]....
The DSM-5 editors could at any time have already struck PAS from their planned additions but have so far chosen not to.
If this alarms you, and especially if PAS has been used against you, please consider going to dsm5.org before their June 15 cutoff date for input from the public arrives, and send them your concerns. Please urge everyone else you can think of to do the same. The DSM-5 authors will do themselves and the manual's reputation no favors if they include PAS, and they need to hear from people whom the label has harmed.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/science-isnt-golden/201106/parental-alienation-syndrome-another-alarming-dsm-5-proposal
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Survivorship ritual abuse webinars - Inner Structures and Self Care
OUR NEXT WEBINAR
Saturday, June 25
12 noon Pacific Time
Trish Fotheringham
"Inner Structures - Settle In and Get Comfortable: Part 2."
Trish was born into a female-only matriarchal healing cult and an ancient patriarchal family clan who were connected to a variety of organized crime groups, including a group of wealthy political elite and their child pornography rings and child sex slave trafficking network. She is a 50-year-old Canadian Survivor of extreme abuse and trauma that included MKUltra-style ritual abuse, torture, mind control, and experimentation.
This webinar will continue with the material Trish presented on March 26, but in greater depth. The focus will be on safely creating, adapting, and demolishing inner structures. There will be plenty of time for questions. If you did not attend the first webinar, we suggest that you listen to the transcript on the Survivorship website.
COST
Last year, Webinars cost $20.00. Now we have changed to a sliding scale so that each person can pay what they are able to. The scale starts at $50.00 and, in $5.00 increments, goes down to $0.00 (full scholarship). There is no longer any need to request a full or partial scholarship -- you make the decision yourself. (Please factor in the cost of a telephone call to the East Coast.)
We do ask you, if you have a full or partial scholarship, to help publicize our Webinar series.
The PayPal button is under the description of the Webinar at http://www.survivorship.org/webinars.html
REGISTRATION
Registration closes Thursday evening June 23. If you wish to pay by PayPal, go to http://www.survivorship.org/webinars.html Otherwise, send your check to:
SURVIVORSHIP
Family Justice Center
470 27th Street
Oakland, CA 94612
To reserve a space in the Webinar, e-mail Shamai at shamai@survivorship.org and give her this information:
1. Your name
2. The Webinar you wish to attend: "Inner Structures - Settle In and Get Comfortable: Part 2" on June 25 and/or one Lily Field
's webinars on July 30
3. Amount and method of payment (check, PayPal, money order)
4. Your preferred e-mail address (so we can send you instructions)
5. The name you will be using for the Webinar. (This does not have to be your real name or your message board screen name.)
FUTURE WEBINARS
Saturday, July 30
noon Pacific TimeLily Fields
"From Self-Preservation to Self-Celebration - Self Care for Ritual Abuse Survivors."Lily Fields, a survivor of ritual abuse and government-sponsored mind control projects, is a 28-year-old psychology student and musician. She has worked with Randy Noblitt in educating students at Alliant University and maintains a commitment to speaking the truth and empowering other survivors as well as herself.
The webinar focus will be on basic self-care information -- such as nutrition, hygiene, and body care -- with special tips and thoughts for survivors of ritual abuse, as well as on regaining/reclaiming self-care skills we may have discarded along with the abusive situations.
PAST WEBINARS
Survivorship members may listen to past Webinars for free in the members’ section. (For information on joining Survivorship, go to http://www.survivorship.org/about/membership.html
Complete details on all our Webinars are at http://www.survivorship.org/webinars.html
We hope that you join us!
Survivorship Webinar
Coordinating Team
Saturday, June 25
12 noon Pacific Time
Trish Fotheringham
"Inner Structures - Settle In and Get Comfortable: Part 2."
Trish was born into a female-only matriarchal healing cult and an ancient patriarchal family clan who were connected to a variety of organized crime groups, including a group of wealthy political elite and their child pornography rings and child sex slave trafficking network. She is a 50-year-old Canadian Survivor of extreme abuse and trauma that included MKUltra-style ritual abuse, torture, mind control, and experimentation.
This webinar will continue with the material Trish presented on March 26, but in greater depth. The focus will be on safely creating, adapting, and demolishing inner structures. There will be plenty of time for questions. If you did not attend the first webinar, we suggest that you listen to the transcript on the Survivorship website.
COST
Last year, Webinars cost $20.00. Now we have changed to a sliding scale so that each person can pay what they are able to. The scale starts at $50.00 and, in $5.00 increments, goes down to $0.00 (full scholarship). There is no longer any need to request a full or partial scholarship -- you make the decision yourself. (Please factor in the cost of a telephone call to the East Coast.)
We do ask you, if you have a full or partial scholarship, to help publicize our Webinar series.
The PayPal button is under the description of the Webinar at http://www.survivorship.org/webinars.html
REGISTRATION
Registration closes Thursday evening June 23. If you wish to pay by PayPal, go to http://www.survivorship.org/webinars.html Otherwise, send your check to:
SURVIVORSHIP
Family Justice Center
470 27th Street
Oakland, CA 94612
To reserve a space in the Webinar, e-mail Shamai at shamai@survivorship.org and give her this information:
1. Your name
2. The Webinar you wish to attend: "Inner Structures - Settle In and Get Comfortable: Part 2" on June 25 and/or one Lily Field
's webinars on July 30
3. Amount and method of payment (check, PayPal, money order)
4. Your preferred e-mail address (so we can send you instructions)
5. The name you will be using for the Webinar. (This does not have to be your real name or your message board screen name.)
FUTURE WEBINARS
Saturday, July 30
noon Pacific TimeLily Fields
"From Self-Preservation to Self-Celebration - Self Care for Ritual Abuse Survivors."Lily Fields, a survivor of ritual abuse and government-sponsored mind control projects, is a 28-year-old psychology student and musician. She has worked with Randy Noblitt in educating students at Alliant University and maintains a commitment to speaking the truth and empowering other survivors as well as herself.
The webinar focus will be on basic self-care information -- such as nutrition, hygiene, and body care -- with special tips and thoughts for survivors of ritual abuse, as well as on regaining/reclaiming self-care skills we may have discarded along with the abusive situations.
PAST WEBINARS
Survivorship members may listen to past Webinars for free in the members’ section. (For information on joining Survivorship, go to http://www.survivorship.org/about/membership.html
Complete details on all our Webinars are at http://www.survivorship.org/webinars.html
We hope that you join us!
Survivorship Webinar
Coordinating Team
Multiple Personalities Documentary, residents in dark about child abuse
"They seemed like nice people. I'd wave to them."
neighbor describing couple accused of severe abuse
Multiple Personalities Documentary
In early times, evil spirits were thought to possess people and make them act in strange and frightening ways. By the 1800's, the study of this hysteria led some doctors to believe one person could have separately functioning personalities.
In this rare research film from the 1920's, a woman has different personalities who believes they are separate people. One is a male that is not comfortable in women’s clothes. Another is a small child. The affliction has been known by different names, but recognized for centuries. Today it is called multiple personality disorder.
Why have they become tormented and broken into different personalities? What is the childhood pain that lies buried in the unknown depths of their mind? How can they search for the deadly memories that holds the secrets of their paths and the promise of their healing? http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/multiple-personalities/
Gloucester residents in dark as child abuse came to light
By Joanne Kimberlin The Virginian-Pilot June 5, 2011
GLOUCESTER COUNTY
This rural community isn't used to making headlines, especially the kind it's had lately....perhaps the worst case of child abuse ever in these parts - one that speaks volumes about what can hide behind closed doors. On April 28, deputies checking a home for stolen goods discovered a naked, starving little girl inside a filthy, makeshift cage. Under a shed nearby, they found the remains of a baby....
Up until a few weeks ago, the trailer was home to Brian and Shannon Gore. Both have longtime roots in the area and no record of trouble with the law. Shannon, 25, worked at the Bojangles restaurant in nearby Yorktown. Brian, 29, listed his occupation as "HVAC Service Tech" on a Gloucester High School reunion website.
On a video posted to their Myspace pages, the Gores look like any other young couple. It was taken in 2008 on Shannon's birthday, the day Brian got down on one knee and proposed to her in a crowded restaurant. Shannon beams, hugs Brian and admires her new ring. Family and friends ooh, ahh and applaud.
But behind that happy moment, the couple already had dark secrets: two children, both born at home, with no medical assistance. One was hidden away; the other was buried in the yard - dead from causes that, so far, remain a mystery.
Ron Smith, one of Shannon Gore's attorneys, has told media that the couple concealed the pregnancies because they weren't married, though no one has explained how they hid Shannon's swollen belly in small-town Gloucester....
Edwards, who has three kids of her own, said the couple strolled the neighborhood with their new baby, who appeared well-cared for.
"I didn't know either of them very well," Edwards said, "but she sent over bottles and pacifiers when my baby was born, and I'd see him out cutting the grass. They seemed like nice people. I'd wave to them."
Despite the thin walls and cramped space of trailer park living, "None of us knew they had a daughter," Edwards said. "We never heard her cry or anything. Not even people who've been inside their house."
It all came to light when a burglary investigation led Gloucester detectives to the Gores' trailer. Shannon Gore was suspected of selling about an ounce of stolen gold to an auction house - bars of bullion that had been swiped from a home in the county.
http://hamptonroads.com/2011/06/gloucester-residents-dark-child-abuse-came-light
neighbor describing couple accused of severe abuse
Multiple Personalities Documentary
In early times, evil spirits were thought to possess people and make them act in strange and frightening ways. By the 1800's, the study of this hysteria led some doctors to believe one person could have separately functioning personalities.
In this rare research film from the 1920's, a woman has different personalities who believes they are separate people. One is a male that is not comfortable in women’s clothes. Another is a small child. The affliction has been known by different names, but recognized for centuries. Today it is called multiple personality disorder.
Why have they become tormented and broken into different personalities? What is the childhood pain that lies buried in the unknown depths of their mind? How can they search for the deadly memories that holds the secrets of their paths and the promise of their healing? http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/multiple-personalities/
Gloucester residents in dark as child abuse came to light
By Joanne Kimberlin The Virginian-Pilot June 5, 2011
GLOUCESTER COUNTY
This rural community isn't used to making headlines, especially the kind it's had lately....perhaps the worst case of child abuse ever in these parts - one that speaks volumes about what can hide behind closed doors. On April 28, deputies checking a home for stolen goods discovered a naked, starving little girl inside a filthy, makeshift cage. Under a shed nearby, they found the remains of a baby....
Up until a few weeks ago, the trailer was home to Brian and Shannon Gore. Both have longtime roots in the area and no record of trouble with the law. Shannon, 25, worked at the Bojangles restaurant in nearby Yorktown. Brian, 29, listed his occupation as "HVAC Service Tech" on a Gloucester High School reunion website.
On a video posted to their Myspace pages, the Gores look like any other young couple. It was taken in 2008 on Shannon's birthday, the day Brian got down on one knee and proposed to her in a crowded restaurant. Shannon beams, hugs Brian and admires her new ring. Family and friends ooh, ahh and applaud.
But behind that happy moment, the couple already had dark secrets: two children, both born at home, with no medical assistance. One was hidden away; the other was buried in the yard - dead from causes that, so far, remain a mystery.
Ron Smith, one of Shannon Gore's attorneys, has told media that the couple concealed the pregnancies because they weren't married, though no one has explained how they hid Shannon's swollen belly in small-town Gloucester....
Edwards, who has three kids of her own, said the couple strolled the neighborhood with their new baby, who appeared well-cared for.
"I didn't know either of them very well," Edwards said, "but she sent over bottles and pacifiers when my baby was born, and I'd see him out cutting the grass. They seemed like nice people. I'd wave to them."
Despite the thin walls and cramped space of trailer park living, "None of us knew they had a daughter," Edwards said. "We never heard her cry or anything. Not even people who've been inside their house."
It all came to light when a burglary investigation led Gloucester detectives to the Gores' trailer. Shannon Gore was suspected of selling about an ounce of stolen gold to an auction house - bars of bullion that had been swiped from a home in the county.
http://hamptonroads.com/2011/06/gloucester-residents-dark-child-abuse-came-light
Monday, June 6, 2011
Op-Ed Columnist - An Archbishop Burns While Rome Fiddles
Op-Ed Columnist An Archbishop Burns While Rome Fiddles By MAUREEN DOWD June 4, 2011
THE archbishop of Dublin was beginning to sniffle.
He could not get through a story about “a really nasty man” — an Irish priest who sexually abused, physically tortured and emotionally threatened vulnerable boys — without pulling out his handkerchief and wiping his nose.
“He built a swimming pool in his own garden, to which only boys of a certain age, of a certain appearance were allowed into it,” Archbishop Diarmuid Martin told me recently. “There were eight other priests in that parish, and not one of them seemed to think there was something strange about it.”
Two years after learning the extent of the depraved and Dickensian treatment of children in the care of the Irish Catholic Church — a fifth circle of hell hidden for decades by church and police officials — the Irish are still angry and appalled.
The only church leader who escapes their disgust is the no-nonsense, multilingual Martin. He was sent home to Dublin in 2003 after 27 years in the Vatican bureaucracy and diplomatic corps and found the Irish church in crisis, reeling from a cover-up that spanned the tenures of four past Dublin archbishops....
The frustrated Martin has criticized the Vatican’s glacial pace on reform and chided the church: “Denial will not generate confidence.”
He has mourned the lack of faith among young people in Ireland, where fewer than one in five Catholics go to Mass in Dublin on Sunday. (A victims’ support group is called One in Four, asserting that’s how many Irish have been affected by the sexual abuse scandal.)
In return for doing the right thing, he has been ostracized by fellow bishops in Ireland and snubbed by the Holy See.
Showing again that it prefers denial to remorse, the Vatican undermined Martin’s call for accountability. In 2009, after the Irish government’s 700-page Murphy report on sexual abuse came out, Pope Benedict XVI refused to accept the resignations of two Irish bishops who presided over dioceses where abuse cases were mishandled.
The following year, when Martin expected to be named cardinal, the pope passed him over.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/05/opinion/05dowd.html
THE archbishop of Dublin was beginning to sniffle.
He could not get through a story about “a really nasty man” — an Irish priest who sexually abused, physically tortured and emotionally threatened vulnerable boys — without pulling out his handkerchief and wiping his nose.
“He built a swimming pool in his own garden, to which only boys of a certain age, of a certain appearance were allowed into it,” Archbishop Diarmuid Martin told me recently. “There were eight other priests in that parish, and not one of them seemed to think there was something strange about it.”
Two years after learning the extent of the depraved and Dickensian treatment of children in the care of the Irish Catholic Church — a fifth circle of hell hidden for decades by church and police officials — the Irish are still angry and appalled.
The only church leader who escapes their disgust is the no-nonsense, multilingual Martin. He was sent home to Dublin in 2003 after 27 years in the Vatican bureaucracy and diplomatic corps and found the Irish church in crisis, reeling from a cover-up that spanned the tenures of four past Dublin archbishops....
The frustrated Martin has criticized the Vatican’s glacial pace on reform and chided the church: “Denial will not generate confidence.”
He has mourned the lack of faith among young people in Ireland, where fewer than one in five Catholics go to Mass in Dublin on Sunday. (A victims’ support group is called One in Four, asserting that’s how many Irish have been affected by the sexual abuse scandal.)
In return for doing the right thing, he has been ostracized by fellow bishops in Ireland and snubbed by the Holy See.
Showing again that it prefers denial to remorse, the Vatican undermined Martin’s call for accountability. In 2009, after the Irish government’s 700-page Murphy report on sexual abuse came out, Pope Benedict XVI refused to accept the resignations of two Irish bishops who presided over dioceses where abuse cases were mishandled.
The following year, when Martin expected to be named cardinal, the pope passed him over.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/05/opinion/05dowd.html
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