Sunday, September 15, 2019

BOOK REVIEWS

Impact of common
Psychoanalytic Therapy Techniques
Review:   Try to Remember
        Dr. McHugh was busy as Department Chair of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins. When asked to help with a court case he declined. Anyone could see the false memory based accusations were too ludicrous and absurd to be true. Cages with children being abused by large machines in their cellar? The couple did not even have a cellar!  Dr. McHugh was certain the legal team could do without him. Later that year Judge Elizabeth Dolan of Massachusetts found the elderly innocent couple guilty and had them arrested. Dr. McHugh was stunned.  He changed his course and thousands of innocent people were able, based on his expert testimony illuminating the travesty of "recovered memory" based accusations, to avoid prison. It took time and it was a long struggle. This book is his personal account of what happened in the 1980's-90's when he helped prevent misinformed zealots, suggestive clients and manipulative therapists from imprisoning innocent people and destroying families. A very informative account of the struggle against false accusations fueled by false memories.

Review:   Second Thoughts
       The book is written by an expert therapist Dr. Paul Simpson who once used "Recovered Memory Therapy" and came to recognize that false memories were being produced.  Unlike many of his peers he became alarmed and contacted patients to let them know that the search for memory may have produced false memories.  Dr. Simpson then speaks about the horrendous impact of self help therapy books, blackouts, body memories, flashbacks, trances, hypnosis and memory recovery among friends that yield vivid but false memories and all of the harm that follows. Dr. Simpson has since dedicated his career to saving those trapped and victimized by what he came to see as "mental health fraud".

Review:   The Broken Brain
       The book is written by Dr. Nancy Andreason who is a psychiatrist, author of widely used psychiatry textbooks, Chair of Psychiatry at The University of Iowa College of Medicine and winner of numerous awards for both her research and public advance that mental illness has physiological roots. 
       The book does not directly address the sources of false memories but it does maintain that the problems and issues that plague those with mental illness are physical.  The thesis dispels the notion that mental illness is the outcome of a person who has experienced "abuse" (which may or may not be imagined) or has "traumatic memories"  (which may or may not be real events).
       This book supports the idea that many vulnerable persons experiencing symptoms of mental illness  such as high suggestibility, delusions, paranoia, hallucinations, rage, or despondency may go to a therapist that never evaluates the physiology that may be at the source.  The outcome of a mentally ill person experiencing "recovered memory" with suggestions of events may create false memories that yield so much harm for the client and those they accuse. 
Review: Suggestions of Abuse
       The book, written by an expert in hypnosis, who believes in the possibility of repressed memories explains how the therapist and external sources can act on a client to create false memories thought to be "repressed memories". Suggestive questioning and statements of an authority (book or therapist) act to nurture false memories. The book reveals a survey of over a thousand therapists who he admits are clearly uninformed about how hypnosis (entranced states) and memory actually create false memories. In fact the level of ignorance by those who counsel is shocking. The book ends by detailing real examples of false memories and suggests steps that various people can take to help stop the damage and tragedy of pseudo memories.

       This is my personal review of the book by Loftus and Ketchum. This book is informative, moving and personal. It is a broad examination of what "repressed memories" are claimed to be along with interviews and true stories. Innocent people are accused, jailed and even murdered due to memories that did not actually happen. The book include summaries of experiments, widely ranging interviews and data that investigates if "repressed memories" actually are what they are claimed to be. A must read for those victimized by this myth.

       The book includes accounts and interviews of those who actually suffered incest abuse, those falsely accused, supporters of those who are accusing, therapists who believe in "repressed memories" with no corroboration, therapists who undue the damage from false memories and retractors. A feature unique to this genre of books is that the author seeks out and interviews those who believe in "recovered memories" in order to understand their perspective more fully.
       The book includes accounts by accusers, retractors, those accused, and family members all victimized by "recovered memories." The book provides accounts that answers the question often posed by "recovered memory" believers: "Why would anyone believe anything so painful as being sexually abused by a parent if it weren't true?" There are 16 different answers using evidence provided by the text. Accusers that have retracted and have not retracted explain the reasons themselves.
       A collection of accounts. Some accounts were by the siblings of accusers who know the accusations are false (but may at one time thought the accusations were true). Other accounts are related by those accused.  Nine retractors provide accounts that detail the creation of the false memories and how they came to retract the accusations.  There are also accounts of the children and parents of the accused.

Review: Lost Daughters
       This a true story is of a devoted and loving father accused decades later after his daughter takes "gender studies classes at college" and finds "repressed memories". His wife at first believes all repressed memories are true and divorces the author. Later the daughters accuse the mother of abuse and the mother then thinks that not all repressed memories are real. Book also explains how "recovered memories" are created and the impact on society.

Review: My Lie
       Her accusation ...caused her sons to grow up without their only grandfather, divided a family, and led her to isolate herself on "Planet Incest," where "survivors" devoted their lives, and life savings, to recovering memories that never occurred. Meredith Maran is a professional author and well known feminist writer. Her sharing of her personal story has been a shock to many in the "recovered memory community" and an inspiration to many family members hurt and distressed by the false accusations.

       This book presents a careful examination of the philosophical, cultural, psychological, therapeutic and legal analysis of the discredited memory recovery therapy. These authors have a deep understanding of the childhood sexual abuse, based on the genuine experience of uncovering true perpetrators.  They detail their actual experiences in unveiling actual child abuse perpetrators and compare that to the false accusations that they saw overwhelming the system and culture.   These are the perfect authors to expose the destruction brought on but what they saw as the fraud called "Repressed Memory."
       Scientific research regarding memories by numerous experimental and clinical experts (with credentialed degrees). No experimental evidence of repressed memories found despite extensive efforts since the dawn of psycho-analysts in the 1800's. The is a textbook with most recent research and reviews of research at the graduate level of social science. The book carefully selects studies that are peer reviewed and agreed upon. The last study is not a study but actually is a theoretical treatment explaining the political and social factors for "repressed memories" with no supporting specific verifiable examples.
       This is is authored by a preeminent scientist and woman who is an internationally recognized expert in memory. She has been frequently summoned to analyze court cases involving claims of incest, abuse and repressed memories. This is actually a collection of reviews that include an expert clinical psychologist, former "memory recovery" patient, innocent people who suffered through accusations, family members aware of the accusations and highly rated reviewers.

       Excellent comprehensive review of the trends in Mental Health that confirm the tragedies wrought and the tragedies still to come. The recovered memory therapy is referenced throughout the book as an example of the dysfunction of the American Psychological Association. The APA was more focused on the ramifications of the feminist political movement at the time than on the truth. The consequences were imprisoned innocents and fatherless families.

       Personal account that takes place from 2010-13 detailing how recovered memory therapy is used with typical results of humiliation, estrangement and impoverishment. In the end the accuser is getting more ill and the estrangement becoming more permanent. The family is distraught but have basically given up on the accuser. The accuser writes one last letter requesting financial assistance but the accused has decided not to continue meeting demands for financial support.

Review: A book wounds?
       Testimony detailing results of "Do it yourself therapy book" or known by some as "The Courage to Hate" is documented to create "memories" wrongly labeled "retrieved". Authors get rich. Readers experience tragedies and imprison thousands of innocents. Authors run out of money then reprint book. One author, a former junior high school creative writing teacher, uses the same techniques in creative writing to create memories. When authors want more money they reprint what has been discredited for over 30 years. The book continues to destroy families and influence the vulnerable. The book that allows reader to blame "predators" and "perpetrators" lifts any sense of personal responsibility for life's disappointments and personal bad decision making. It also allows the reader to become a victim with sympathy and support that a victim always provides.

       Programs protected from lawsuit for malpractice include religious programs. Widespread reports that this book was yielding pseudo memories is confirmed after reading the content. Eventually the author comes to admit that he believes in "repressed memories" long discredited by research psychologists and informed professional therapists and counselors who are insured. The religious nature of the approach provides a legal cover that make lawsuit difficult due to "freedom of religion". The clients, the accused and the families are not protected however and tragedy is often reported where this book is read and used.

       The child protection and legal system is structured to assume all accusations of abuse are true. This book clearly details the systemic assumption of guilt for those accused of child sexual abuse. The book further details how memories are created and reinforced in children by a parent to gain advantage in custody claims, by a therapist to continue counseling income, by a social worker to enlarge agency budgets, by police to gain credit for finding more criminals and by prosecutors to win easy emotionally charged cases requiring no physical evidence. A variety of techniques are used to manufacture the false memories often used to disable the spouse's ability to obtain custody in divorce.
 
Review: Innocence isn't Enough
          A teacher falsely accused after a guidance counselor helps 2 ex students recover "repressed memories" (teacher and counselor had a public disagreement over a union strike earlier). This 25 year dedicated teacher lost his job, depleted his savings and pension for legal expenses, was identified as sexually assaulting students in the media and isolated in his community. He was legally exonerated of all charges, after a long legal struggle, five years later. He provides a first hand account of how our legal system and media unleash the power of the state, creates a hysteria that makes the innocent guilty based on accusations (even those bizarre, unfounded and untrue) alone. Great insights for aspiring teachers to protect themselves from future accusations (in his case the accusations were up to 20 years later).

Review:   Nutrient Power
       The book is written by Dr. William Walsh who is a researcher and electrochemist by training. He has numerous publications that detail the interaction between diet, physiology and mental illness.  He lays out the data that identifies metals and proteins that appear to influence emotions, thinking and behavior. 
       The book does not directly address the sources of false memories but it does maintain that the problems and issues that plague those with mental illness are physical.  His thesis dispels the notion that mental illness is the outcome of a person who has experienced "abuse" (which may or may not be imagined) or has "traumatic memories"  (which may or may not be real events).  He cites his work with hundreds of violent prisoners who with treatment for metal imbalances reduced recidivism in violent crime by 80%.  His work showed amazing success helping children who were failing in school by performing a diagnosis for nutritional needs and targeting nutritional supplementation to meet those needs.   
       This book suggests that mental illness may largely be the outcome of inherited biological traits and unmet nutritional needs.   
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Location: Walla Walla, WA, USA

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