Do No Harm: Q&A with Paul McHugh

Author of “Try to Remember”

Comments

psychoanalysis
Daniel Kupper

8/1/2009 11:01:30 PM

 I was honestly shocked to read Dr. McHugh's comments. His understanding of Freud and psychoanalytic treatment, in general, is quite limited and quite wrong. "Recovered memory" has nothing to do with psychoanalytic theory or practice. In fact, Freud turned away from his early attempts at trying to explain psychopathology as the result of toxic, repressed memories and toward a concept of the mind and memory that was more complex. He was and still is vilified for this by those who believe in a simplistic trauma model of psychopathology. A major reason for this was his realization that he had been subtley "suggesting" traumatic memories that never actually took place. If there was anyone acutely aware of the tendency of the realtionship between therapist and patient to construct reality, it was Freud. In fact, this tendency could hold true in any kind of therapy including CBT. All we know is that psychoanalytic therapy and CBT render equally positive results across many studies. But, it always alarming when misinformation, or is it more likely disinformation,is confidently put forward by someone with tremendous authority in mental health care.

multiple personalities(2)
Victoria Lytle

12/27/2008 6:58:48 PM

 It seemed as though when psychiatrists diagnosed multiple personalities it was a way of reconciling evil in otherwise benign subjects. I would be interested in hearing Dr. McHugh's theory on evil behavior and whether that is an excuse for giving people DSM disorders.

McHugh is wrong
Neil Brick

12/15/2008 9:21:15 AM

The research clearly shows that at least 10 percent of people sexually abused in childhood will have periods of complete amnesia for their abuse, followed by experiences of delayed recall.  Study after study has shown that high percentages of recovered memories have been fully corroborated. See: http://ritualabuse.us/research/memory-fms/recovered-memory-data/ 

The research also has consistently shown that false allegations of child sexual abuse by children are rare, as low as one percent in some studies. Also, when McHugh ran the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, doctors did not report the child abuse of later convicted child sex offenders. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/09/20/ED175849.DTL 

McHugh is also a founder and board member of the False Memory Syndrome Foundation, an organization that in part defends accused and convicted child molesters. http://www.fmsfonline.org/advboard.html

Repressed desires?
Lynn Murphy

12/9/2008 5:39:34 PM

How do we know for certain that a sexual abuse accusation is a “false memory” unless we see what kind of evidence there is to support the accusation?

Couldn’t the accusation also be based on repressed, disturbing desires? Memory researcher Dr. Elizabeth Loftus says in her 1981 textbook, “Thus a young woman who is sexually attracted to her father may try to repress her disturbing incestuous desires. But her behavior may indicate that these feelings are not completely forgotten. The woman may pause or fumble for words when discussing certain things about her father and she may show other signs of anxiety such as sweating or blushing” (Psychology, p. 203).

Try to Remember
Bonnie Zervas

11/21/2008 9:20:44 AM

 Our family has fallen victim to a daughter's repressed memory therapy through the therapy of body memories. I, myself, a Licensed Professional Counselor, and am second guessing psychotherapy in general, since it has fragmented my family with a hideously false accusation of childhood sexual abuse and other atrocities. No specifics have ever been given, only implied charges based not on cognitive memory, but on body memories. Where can we go from here to either receive support or give support to others in the same situation?