Article summary on recovered memories and childhood abuse

Individuals who were sexually abused as a child generally have some sort of lingering, although inchoate, memories of the fact. The problem is, however, that some individuals may be particularly susceptible to suggestive memories and insist that they have memories when no abuse altogether existed. Innocent people can, therefore, be unjustly hurt and relationships ruptured on the basis of a client's supposed memories and on the basis of an unscrupulous and/or inexpert counselor's assistance.

The controversy of recovered memories devolves itself around two sides of the argument: There are those clinicians who, relying on long-term memory (LTM), assert that early traumatic memories are lodged deep into the unconscious in the storage of long-term memory, and being so discomfiting are, thereupon, blocked. Their blockage results in the phenomena of 'disassociation' or 'delayed memories' where early memories are either entirely forgotten or exist only in haphazard pieces. LTM is the unlimited capacity store that holds information over lengthy periods of time and, in fact, indefinitely. Psychoanalysis, and similar orientations, believe that long-term storage is permanent and that some disturbing memories are suppressed and can only be recovered by hypnosis and/or therapy. Most researchers, however, argue that concepts such as dissociation and unconsciousness, based on Freudian theories, are unverifiable and questionable.

Memory researchers and clinicians agree that memories of early childhood abuse have the same poignancy and impact as memories that have recently lodged in short-term memory (i.e. incidents that remain in the limited-capacity memory storage that contains information for approx. 20 seconds without rehearsal until 'dispatched'). Memories that are significant, or have had entrenching, enduring impact, lodge themselves in long-term memory; and incidents of child abuse belong to this category. Most individuals who were sexually abused as children do remember part or their entire trauma although they may not disclose or fully comprehend all that happened to them. The issue surrounds claims of memories of early childhood abuse that have been forgotten and then recovered later. Most clinicians agree that such happenings are rare, although they can still occur. Convincing psuedo memories of such events can, however, be constructed. The issue is to differentiate between genuine and constructed memories.

The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of choosing a credible psychotherapist for counseling and provides the criteria of such a therapist:

1. The therapist should be objective;

2. Not offer a simplistic instantaneous corroboration of alleged childhood abuse or, to the other extreme, perfunctorily dismiss the claims

3. Be a licensed, experienced practitioner who complies to all required guidelines

4. Stick to the present facts, and exclusively base corroboration, as far as possible, on evidence

The client, too, should be aware of the fact that contrary to popular media claims, no one particular set of psychological problems indicates existence of early childhood abuse.