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False Memory

No Thanks for the Memories

Provided by Psychology Today

Victims of childhood sexual abuse have long had support groups. Now there's an organization to aid the victims of imaginary memories of incest and abuse.

As the awareness of childhood sexual abuse has grown, so have false accusations of abuse--often the result of misguided therapeutic programs. Philadelphia psychologist Pam Freyd, Ph.D., decided to combat this trend and set up the False Memory Syndrome Foundation. In its first year alone, over 1,200 families made contact all with heartbreaking claims to defend themselves over accusations from one of their own.

Many psychologists have seen families torn apart by false memory syndrome and place much of the blame on a new type of therapist, the "traumatist." Encouraged by popular notions of victimization and prime-time disclosures of all kinds of abuse, the traumatist urges patients to remember sexual abuse or violence in childhood--whether it happened or not. False Memory Syndrome is now so prevalent that Paul McHugh, M.D., director of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins, compares the situation to the Salem witch trials.

At issue are the methods used to elicit memories, namely hypnosis and "narcoanalysis," employing agents like amobarbital sodium. Instead of unearthing genuine memories these therapies may make patients so suggestible that they misinterpret fantasy as reality. A therapist searching for clues of abuse could be planting the seeds of false memories.

The American Medical Association deems hypnosis a valid therapy--but not a reliable "means to refresh memory." In fact, the AMA declared hypnotic recall "less reliable than nonhypnotic recall," and cautioned that its use may result in "confabulations and psuedomemories."

All the traumatists are doing is spreading misery, says Freyd. Those accused face enormous emotional stresses and legal problems Accusers risk losing their families and wasting time in misdirected and painful "therapy." And the genuine victims of abuse have a tougher time persuading others to believe their charges.

Originally published by Psychology Today:Jan/Feb 93