'Myth' of False Memory Syndrome, Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma
'Myth' of False Memory Syndrome. The Daily Mail (London, England) ; March
14, 2000
VICTIMS of childhood trauma who 'recover' memories in later life are
unlikely to be suffering from False Memory Syndrome, say psychologists....a
study in the British Journal of Clinical Psychology says as many as one-third
of
adults with recovered memories have already started to remember traumatic
events before seeing a therapist. It says memory recovery techniques are
far less likely to trigger recall than real-life events involving the
victim's own children or having a baby.
Dr. Bernice Andrews, senior lecturer in psychology at Royal Halloway,
University of London, who led the team involved, said there was consistent
evidence that False Memory Syndrome could not explain all or even most
examples
of recovered memories. 'In many ways recovered memories are similar to
those of victims affected by traumas that have never been in doubt, such as
the King's Cross fire,' she said. 'The memories were fragmented but detailed,
accompanied by high levels of fear as they relive the event. Between 40
and 50 per cent of adults who have recovered memories from events as children
have independent corroboration of them, she said.
_http://www.thefreelibrary.com/%27Myth%27+of+False+Memory+Syndrome.-a0109626781_
(http://www.thefreelibrary.com/'Myth'+of+False+Memory+Syndrome.-a0109626781)
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma - Editorial, Charles L. Whitfield
published in Whitfield CL: Adverse childhood experience and trauma.
American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14(4):361-364, May, 1998 "If the
trauma
is accepted as real and the victims' or survivor's experience is validated
and its expression supported, as happened in the Oklahoma City bombing
incident, its short-term effects, also know as acute traumatic stress
(American
Psychiatric Association 1994), can be expressed, processed, ameliorated, or
"metabolized" in a healthy way so that eventually few or no lasting
detrimental effects remain (Herman 1992). However, if the reality of the
traumatic experience is denied or invalidated by the victim-or by close or
important others, such as family, friends, or helping professionals-then the
person
may not be able to heal completely from the adverse effects of the trauma.
If the trauma continues, with still no validation and support in
expressing its associated pain, it may develop into post-traumatic stress
disorder
(PTSD), which Rowan & Foy (1993) and others believe is a core disorder among
unrecovered survivors of trauma." _http://www.cbwhit.com/ACEs.htm_
(http://www.cbwhit.com/ACEs.htm)
The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Study:
(Summary by Charles L. Whitfield MD)
Felitti VJ, Anda RF, Nordenberg D et al: The relationship of adult health
status to childhood abuse & household dysfunction. American Journal of
Preventive Medicine 14(4):245-258, May 1998
This important study was conducted on a large number of people (9,508
respondents of 13,494 [70.5%]). These were adults who were recently medically
evaluated and then completed a 68 question survey about 7 categories of
childhood trauma (adverse childhood experiences[ACEs]). The authors found that
a large percentage of this general medical population reported the
following traumatic experiences from their childhood....
Two Other Studies Show Similar Results
McCauley J, Kern DE, Kolodner K et al: Clinical characteristics of women
with a history of childhood abuse: unhealed wounds. JAMA 277 (17):
1362-1368, 1997
Here, 424 of 1,931 women surveyed (22%) reported physical or sexual abuse
during childhood or adolescence. When compared to the 88% who did not so
report, those with abuse histories had more: physical symptoms (p<.001) and
higher scores for : depression, anxiety (fear), somatization (physical
symptoms and problems) and low self-esteem (p<.001), and more likely to: abuse
drugs+/or alcohol, have attempted suicide, have a psychiatric hospital
admission, have difficulty in relationships and less likely to be married.
Half
of those abused as children reported being abused as adults.
Walker E, Koss M, Bernstein D et al: Long-term medical outcomes of women
with childhood sexual, physical or emotional victimization. Preliminary
data, 1997....
Child abuse was associated with : 1) worse self-rating of health, 2)
increased: * illness, * doctor office visits, * functional disability, *
sexual
and OB/GYN problems, *somatization, * dangerous risk taking (e.g. drinking
and driving, alcohol abuse, smoking, not using seat belts, unprotected sex,
promiscuity, overweight), and * current medical symptoms.
_http://www.cbwhit.com/ACEstudy.htm_ (http://www.cbwhit.com/ACEstudy.htm)
