False Memory Syndrome Foundation - Vol 18 No 01 - 2009 winter

Magazine Overview

This issue of the False Memory Syndrome Foundation (FMSF) Newsletter, dated Winter 2009 (Vol. 18, No. 1), focuses on the ongoing controversy surrounding recovered memory and its related phenomena. The editorial highlights the shift in the climate surrounding recovered memory claims over the past 18 years, noting a greater level of skepticism.

Key Articles and Features

The Courage to Heal: 20th Anniversary Edition

The newsletter marks the twentieth anniversary of the publication of "The Courage to Heal" by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis, a book credited with spreading false memory syndrome. While the 20th Anniversary Edition has been revised to tone down its more extreme elements, particularly those that encouraged hate and anger, the authors still advocate for recovering repressed memories. The FMSF notes that the book no longer appears in the index and that some of the more sensational claims and advice, such as 'get strong by suing,' have been removed. However, the review points out continued instances of 'sloppy scholarship' and the book's continued emphasis on recovering memories without adequately warning readers that many scientists doubt the validity of such recovered memories.

Hell Minus One by Ann Johnson Davis

This section discusses Ann Johnson Davis's book, "Hell Minus One," which presents her story as a corroborated case of satanic ritual abuse. Davis recovered her memories in Salt Lake City in 1992, during the height of the recovered memory and satanic abuse craze. She asserts that her memories are not the result of FMS, partly because she recovered them at home. The book includes a signed confession from her parents, which the FMSF uses to raise questions about the notion of corroboration.

The article delves into the details of Davis's experience, including her therapy with LDS therapist Sterling G. Ellsworth, Ph.D., and her parents' eventual confession after being confronted by clergymen. The FMSF notes that despite the confessions and extensive investigation by the Utah Attorney General's office, no prosecutable cases resulted due to lack of evidence. The newsletter also touches upon Davis's perspective on why her case wasn't used in the final report and her views on FMS advocates.

Angel at the Fence by Herman Rosenblat

Berkley Books withdrew the Holocaust memoir "Angel at the Fence" by Herman Rosenblat due to factual inaccuracies. The story, which described a romance between Rosenblat and Roma Radzicki during his time in a Nazi concentration camp, was found to be fabricated. Scholars noted that the camp's construction would have made the alleged meeting impossible. Rosenblat confessed to fabricating the tale, which had previously been celebrated as a great love story and featured on Oprah.

The United States of Tara

The newsletter previews "The United States of Tara," a new television series on Showtime about a woman with multiple personality disorder (dissociative identity disorder). The FMSF suspects the show will spark discussion about the diagnosis and the challenges faced by individuals with DID and their families. The pilot episode reportedly focuses on the impact of the woman's behavior on her children and husband.

Witch Hunt: Documentary about John Stoll

The documentary "Witch Hunt," executive produced and narrated by Sean Penn, premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. It tells the story of eight parents in Bakersfield, California, who were falsely accused and convicted of child abuse in 1984. The film illustrates how power without oversight can lead to the loss of citizens' rights and features child witnesses recounting being coerced to lie. The filmmakers, Dana Nachman and Don Hardy, describe the project as a passion project driven by a desire to expose injustice.

Try to Remember: Psychiatry's Clash Over Meaning, Memory, and Mind by Paul McHugh, M.D.

This section reviews Paul McHugh's book, which critiques the "recovered memory" movement and Multiple Personality Disorder. McHugh describes how he became involved in the "memory wars" and how therapists, sometimes motivated by ideological zeal or financial gain, persuaded patients that their unhappiness stemmed from repressed memories of childhood abuse. The review highlights McHugh's service in describing the failure of self-criticism among doctors and therapists and warns of future episodes of popular delusion.

Research on Child Testimony and False Beliefs

Two studies are discussed regarding children's testimony:

• "Repeated questions, deception, and children's true and false reports of body touch" by Quas et al. (2007) questions the assumption that consistency indicates truth in children's accounts, finding that children who lied were more consistent than truth-tellers.
• "When and How Are More Important than How Many Times Children Are Interviewed" by Goodman & Quas (2008) examines the effects of repeated interviewing, concluding that the timing and manner of interviews are more crucial than the number of times a child is interviewed.

Another study, "Lasting false beliefs and their behavioral consequences for eating" by Geraerts et al. (2008), demonstrates how falsely suggesting a childhood event (like getting sick from egg salad) can lead to lasting behavioral changes, with subjects avoiding egg salad long after the experiment.

News from France

Claude Amblard provides an update on the FMS situation in France, noting that the phenomenon of false memory syndrome is growing there, about ten years behind the US. The "Alerted Faux Souvenirs Intuits Association" (AFSI) is working to gather information and support research in the area. Professor Brigitte Axelrad has written articles in French on the origins of false memory syndrome and mental manipulation.

The Seduction Theory and The Oedipus-Complex Theory

Brigitte Axelrad's articles, translated for the newsletter, explore the theoretical underpinnings of false memory syndrome. She traces its origins to Freud's Seduction Theory and its later abandonment for the Oedipus Complex Theory. Axelrad argues that these theories, which reduced psychological problems to infantile sexual abuse, fed into the feminist movement and the development of Recovered Memory Therapies (RMT). She questions the validity of recovered memories, noting that no external evidence has convincingly demonstrated that therapeutically recovered memories correspond to real episodes of sexual abuse.

Voluntary Submission, Condition for Mental Manipulation

This section discusses how patients can become susceptible to manipulation in psychotherapy, particularly in RMT. It highlights the patient's need for care and healing, which makes them vulnerable to the therapist's authority and suggestions. The process is described as a gradual trap, involving commitment, indefinite duration, and cost, with the patient feeling compelled to continue unless they actively decide to stop.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The FMSF Newsletter consistently adopts a critical stance towards the recovered memory movement and therapies that promote it. The editorial stance is one of skepticism towards claims of repressed memories, particularly those of satanic ritual abuse, and a concern for the potential for false memories to be generated and believed. The newsletter emphasizes the importance of scientific research, critical thinking, and corroborating evidence when evaluating such claims. It advocates for a more cautious and evidence-based approach to memory and trauma, warning against the dangers of unsubstantiated accusations and the potential for psychological manipulation.

This issue of the FMS Foundation Newsletter, dated Winter 2009, Volume 18, Number 1, focuses on the complex topic of memory, particularly false and recovered memories, and their implications in therapeutic and legal contexts. The newsletter features research findings, personal accounts, and resources related to the False Memory Syndrome.

Research on Recovered Memories

The newsletter presents findings from a 2007 study by Geraerts et al. that investigated different groups of individuals reporting recovered memories of childhood sexual abuse. The study classified subjects into four groups: spontaneously-recovered-memory, recovered-in-therapy, continuous-memory, and a control group. A false-memory test revealed that the recovered-in-therapy group made significantly more mistakes, suggesting that suggestive therapeutic contexts may be associated with false recall. The spontaneously-recovered-memory group did not show increased susceptibility to false memories compared to controls, but they did tend to forget what they had just remembered, possibly due to different contextual interpretations of the abuse over time. Richard McNally commented on these findings, noting that people can recover memories of abuse without them having been previously repressed. The researchers concluded that clinicians should carefully examine the context of memory recovery and its implications.

Sleep Loss and False Memories

Another section details research by Diekelmann et al. (2008) published in PLoS ONE, demonstrating that sleep deprivation impairs memory recall and increases false memories. Experiments involving subjects learning word lists showed that those deprived of sleep at the time of retrieval testing exhibited significantly more false memories. This effect was not observed when sleep occurred after learning but before retrieval. Interestingly, a strong cup of coffee before testing appeared to abolish the effect in sleep-deprived subjects. The researchers concluded that sleep deprivation is a critical factor that can distort memory retrieval, alongside other factors like suggestive interview procedures, and should be avoided in situations where memory accuracy is crucial, such as eyewitness testimony.

Apologies and Legal Liability

A significant portion of the newsletter is dedicated to the issue of apologies, particularly in cases of misdiagnosis and therapeutic abuse. Roma Hart, a retractor from Manitoba, Canada, writes a letter to the CEO of St. Boniface General Hospital requesting an apology for her misdiagnosis of Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) in 1986 by Dr. Colin Ross. She details how this misdiagnosis and subsequent therapy led to false accusations of abuse, destruction of her family, loss of her career, and near-fatal experiences. She also requests her hospital records be sealed. The newsletter references Manitoba's 'The Apology Act,' enacted in 2007, which allows individuals to apologize without admitting legal liability, a measure intended to encourage apologies in the medical field. The newsletter encourages readers to support Roma Hart's request by sending notes to the hospital.

Personal Accounts from Readers

The "From Our Readers" section features several personal letters:

• Children of the 60s: An individual celebrating their 80th birthday reflects on their daughter's struggles, possibly related to 'repressed memory' claims, and expresses hope for reconciliation.
• It Was Enough: A parent shares that their daughter's simple "I'm sorry" was sufficient for reconciliation after accusations.
• FMS Continues to Devastate Families: A parent describes the ongoing emotional and financial toll of their daughter's 'repressed memory' claims, which began in November 2006. They are seeking support groups and considering starting an online one.
• Perhaps There's Still Hope: A reader reflects on the 16 years since their daughter's accusations, the subsequent alienation from family, and finds encouragement in the FMSF newsletter's accounts of retractions and reconciliations.
• Don't Ask - Don't Tell: A parent describes the lack of contact with two adult daughters and their families, while maintaining a relationship with a third daughter, with the condition of not discussing the other daughters.
• The Good and the Bad: A parent recounts the difficult history with a daughter who made accusations 14.5 years prior, leading to suicide, a lawsuit, and eventual reconciliation with some family members, though two daughters remain estranged.

Resources and Information

The newsletter includes several resource sections:

• Tidbit from the Blogosphere: A case summary of 'People v. Bradley' involving a witness with alleged photographic memory in a child molestation trial.
• Hungry for Monsters: Information about a documentary available for purchase that explores a family's ordeal with memory-focused psychotherapy and accusations of sexual abuse.
• Web Sites of Interest: A comprehensive list of websites related to false memory, Satanic Ritual Abuse (SRA), and related topics, including links to researchers like Elizabeth Loftus and organizations like the Bobgans, Illinois FMS Society, and the Ross Institute.
• Legal Web Sites of Interest: A list of legal resources.
• The Rutherford Family Speaks to FMS Families: Mentions a DVD covering a family's story of accusation, retraction, and reconciliation.
• Don't Miss It!: Recommends the book "Try to Remember: Psychiatry's Clash Over Meaning, Memory, and Mind" by Paul McHugh, M.D.
• Recommended Books: Lists "Remembering Trauma" by Richard McNally, "Science and Pseudoscience in Clinical Psychology" edited by Lilienfeld, Lynn, and Lohr, and "Psychology Astray: Fallacies in Studies of 'Repressed Memory' and Childhood Trauma" by Harrison G. Pope, Jr., M.D.
• Bulletin Board: A directory of contacts and meetings for the FMS Foundation across the United States and internationally.
• FMSF Contribution Information: Details on how to donate to the Foundation and how to receive electronic versions of the newsletter.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the fallibility of memory, the impact of therapeutic interventions on memory formation, the distinction between genuine and false memories, and the legal and personal consequences of memory-related accusations. The editorial stance, as reflected in the content, is critical of certain therapeutic practices that may induce false memories and supportive of individuals seeking redress for misdiagnoses and abuse. The newsletter actively promotes resources and community support for those affected by false memory syndrome, advocating for a more scientifically grounded understanding of memory and psychological concepts like repression. There is a clear emphasis on the need for accountability and apologies in cases of therapeutic harm.