Date:   Mon Nov 21 1994  00:00:52
From:   Sheppard Gordon
Subj:   Dangers of memory

The dangers of memory
01/16/94
THE INDEPENDENT - London

   SUSIE hasn't spoken to her sister for weeks. "We were so close,
and she wouldn't even come to my parents for Christmas with me and
my brother. The last time I rang her was November 1st. Since then
she's changed her phone number." Susie blames herself. "I had been
depressed and had been helped by a wonderful hypnotherapist. I knew
she was unhappy, her marriage was in a bad way and I suggested she
try seeing one.
   "A few months later she called me and my brother together. She
told us that dad had abused her over 10 years of her childhood. I
can't tell you exactly what she said. It was disgusting, filthy. My
brother was so livid, I thought he was going to hit her.
   "My father would never do such a thing, never. I told her I
thought she was either mentally ill or had made a terrible mistake.
My parents are stunned and griefstricken, and sick at the thought
that she might spread these accusations."
   Susie's sister's hypnotherapy involved "regression" - going back
through the subconscious memory to try to confront and tackle
forgotten childhood incidents or traumas diagnosed as causing
problems in later life. It is a controversial journey to embark
upon. Increasing numbers of cases are emerging where delving after
old memories has lead to "repressed memory syndrome" (RMS) - or
"false memory syndrome" (FMS), as it is often called by its
detractors - where regression subjects have vivid images of
childhood sexual abuse, hotly denied by the accused parents. Most
of these cases are associated with some form of regression therapy:
either through hypnosis or by other psychotherapy techniques.
   The psychiatric use of regression was first popularised by Freud
in the 1890s - at first he used hypnosis on his patients, but
discovered that he could make them regress equally effectively by
talking to them. Today it is used for conditions including
depression and sexual dysfunction by psychotherapists,
psychiatrists, counsellors - and in particular hypnotherapists, for
whom regression is one of the main tools.
   "Someone in hypnosis will regress spontaneously to the roots of
their emotional problems," says R K Brian, chairman of the British
Hypnotherapy Association. "The hypnotherapist's main skill is not
inducing hypnosis, but having knowledge in understanding problems
and how to help."
   It is impossible to say how many hypnotherapists are practising
at the moment; the BHA refuses to release numbers of practitioners
registered with it, and there are no government regulations on who
may set up as one. Basingstoke MP Andrew Hunter was sufficiently
concerned by one of his constituent's experience of
hypnotherapy-related FMS to ask a question about this in
Parliament. "I felt that an external regulation system would
protect clients. The Department of Health believes self-regulation
is the way." He is currently compiling a dossier of instances of
hypnotism-linked FMS.
   THE idea that childhood memories of abuse could be uncovered
through regression therapies was first suggested in the US; many of
those who claimed to have done so were influenced by a book called
The Courage To Heal, published in 1988, which suggests that one in
three girls and one in seven boys have been sexually abused. The
book recommends confronting abusers and publicising their supposed
actions. A US backlash against recovered memories is already well
under way; concerned psychiatrists and psychologists, along with
accused families, responded by setting up the False Memory Syndrome
Foundation. The British False Memory Society, set up last April,
has already been contacted by 300 British families. Some women
"returners" are emerging, claiming that their "memories" were
fantasies encouraged by their therapists - a newsletter, The
Retractor, has just been launched in America.
   Among psychotherapists, regression is still regarded as a
valuable psychiatric technique by many reputable practitioners. "It
is quite possible for memories of abuse to be submerged," says Liz
Sayce, policy director of the mental health charity Mind. "We
believe regression reveals true memories - though there could be
occasional instances of unscrupulous therapists who look for it
when it's not there." She has more reservations about the use of
hypnosis. "I feel people should know exactly what's involved and
should give a very well-informed consent. It can be a very intense
experience. We would prefer to see hypnotherapists who also have an
accredited qualification in psychotherapy or counselling."
   SWINGING a watch and gazing mesmerisingly into the patient's
eyes has been abandoned by modern hypnotists in favour of relaxing
music and the consulting couch. "There are six billion ways to
regress people, because there are six billion people on the
planet," says Finchley hypnoanalyst and counsellor Georges Philips,
who trained with the Bournemouth-based International Association of
Hypnoanalysts (IHA). "My objective is to do it as calmly and
pleasurably as possible. I get people to relax physically, talk to
them, tell them to imagine they are in a garden or a park - then
they will start to see and remember events, feelings and emotions.
Hypnosis itself doesn't do anything - it puts the client in a state
where he's least critical of himself."
   He claims that "more often than not" he finds that clients in
regression have memories of sexual abuse - "maybe nine times out of
10. But nine out of 10 feel fear, nine out of 10 feel loneliness.
There's sexual abuse and sexual abuse." He is adamant that such
memories are spontaneous. "I would never lead a client - it has to
come from their own mind. Medical doctors and psychiatrists
recommend Valium, ECT, behavioural therapy. We use what is within
the unconscious mind. It's there for your survival and it certainly
won't harm you."
  Philips accepts as a matter of course that the memory can play
tricks. He believes that reality as perceived by his client is what
he should concentrate on. "I only deal with the client's truth -
not the reality of life. Sometimes you might think `did this really
happen?' Whether it did or not, letting out the emotion is what's
important."
   Hypnotherapist Margo Jackson is also an experienced counsellor
who believes regression is a vital part of her work. "I do it all
the time - most people need it. When people are depressed they say
`Could it be something from my childhood?' - I say `It might or
might not be - but even if not, let's have a jolly good look, and
at the least you'll be able to let off some steam.' "
   However, she believes that, while most women have memories of
intrusive sexual behaviour somewhere along the line, to suddenly
remember forgotten sexual abuse is "unlikely" and "bizarre". "There
is something definitely amiss with these girls," she says, "but
perhaps their memories have a symbolic sense. It's hard to believe
that anyone could forget years of satanic abuse into their teens."
She blames poor therapist technique - including asking leading
questions at the wrong moment. "The IAH method stresses minimal
therapist intervention. The problem with training to be a therapist
is that it's too easy to pass the exams."
   The British Hypnotherapy Association is also concerned about low
standards. Its own registered hypnotherapists spend four years in
training and abide by the BHA code of ethics. "We are worried about
the low standards of some people who call themselves
hypnotherapists," admits R K Brian. However, he condemns
"shock-horror journalism" and adds that the biggest risk with
hypnotherapy is "wasting time and losing money, if your therapist
does not treat your problem properly".
   Roger Scotford, director of the British False Memory Society,
believes the dangers are much greater. "Hypnotherapy is most
frequently involved in the cases we have analysed - over a quarter
of them - followed by psychotherapy, counselling, and then
psychiatry. Three families contacted me independently about one
consultant psychiatrist. No one is saying that all psychiatrists
and therapists are bad - just the wacky ones that think sexual
abuse is at the root of all problems." The BFMS has recruited an
advisory board of psychologists, psychiatrists and psychoanalysts,
and is seeking charitable status.
   RMS/FMS is currently being investigated by the British
Psychological Society. "Different therapists hold differing
opinions," says its working-group Chair Professor John Morton.
"About the effect of hypnosis and regression on recall, all the
evidence points to two things. You are more confident of the things
you remember under hypnosis - and you are more susceptible. The
combination can be dramatic. The deeper the hypnosis, the less
reliable the memory."
   He warns that memory is fragile. "Everything you recall is not
likely to be correct. There is a danger that people will elaborate,
fill in any incomplete bits to make a full story. The memory is not
like a tape-recorder or a video; claims such as `the body remembers
what has happened to it' mean nothing. The amount you can remember
before the age of four is small, before one is very small, and
before six months is negligible." Could someone recall having their
clitoris touched at the age of nine months, as one recent
regression therapy case-history suggested? "I don't believe that
people could remember such an incident. Some therapists argue that,
under analysis, inner reality is the important thing."
   He also believes that therapist suggestion can be misleading.
"Under the British Psychological Society code of practice, any
proper therapist will say that you should never suggest. It's quite
clear that in the States, quite a lot of therapists actively look
for levels of child abuse. Investigative journalists posing as
clients have had sexual abuse diagnosed in five minutes."
   Regression therapy will be finding itself on the couch over the
next few months. The inaugural meeting of the BFMS advisory board
takes place on 25 January, and Professor Morton's working group
hopes to publish a report in May, following a survey of several
thousand chartered psychologists. The IAH is holding a conference
next month in response to the "potential threat" from a
"substantial media attack against `uncovering' ".
   Margo Jackson plans to attend. "There's a lot of stupidity at
the moment. I think the IAH feels that it is on the `other side'
from the BFMS. I hope to see open minds, rather than a `let's
defend ourselves' mentality."

