Chapter 1. Repression

Short Description

Anna had always enjoyed pleasant memories of her childhood. But when she developed eating disorders, her deteriorating health led her to therapy. The psychiatrist asked Anna about her relationships with her parents, including whether she felt safe with her father. She answered affirmatively.

Long Description

Anna was admitted to an acute psychiatric ward where other patients were in the process of recovering memories of sexual abuse. Anna's disturbing dream about a male patient attempting to climb into her bed led her therapist to encourage her to keep dream diaries. Anna believes that the therapist saw her dream as evidence that she had been sexually abused as a child. He gave her The Courage to Heal, a book intended to help readers recover memories of sexual abuse. Anna became convinced that her current problems were the result of past abuse. She first accused her step-grandfather, and then her father, of abuse. Although at times Anna had doubts about the accuracy of her recall, her therapeutic team assured her that it was accurate. But they did not seek any corroborating evidence. Anna now claims that her therapist failed to provide adequate treatment for her eating disorders. In fact, she suggests that the therapy led to her abuse of drugs and made her suicidal. A working team of psychiatrists was appointed to address the controversy. Their inquiry led them to conclude that there is no evidence to support recovered memory theory. Specific guidelines now instruct therapists not to use memory recovery techniques intended to reveal evidence of past sexual abuse about which the patient has no memory. In addition, psychiatrists should alert patients to doubts about recovered memories. The psychiatrist who led the team inquiry goes even further and outright rejects repression and the notion of recovered memory. Clearly, not all agree with his assessment. Anna is now convinced she was never abused and members of her family are trying to rebuild their lives.

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