Repressed Memories 2 There has been a huge, conflicted debate about whether or not repressed memories are actually real. Many people practice this therapy because according to Freud’s theory of “repression”, the only cure for neurosis is to make the repressed memories conscious (Skeptic’s Dictionary, 2014). Some psychologists say it can negatively affect the person both emotionally and mentally because it can make the effects of trauma worse (Novella, 2007). This repressed memory therapy does allow us to gather information and solve some case mysteries, but it also makes people wonder how much of it is actually authentic. One may also wonder if the repressed memories therapy should be
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Repressed memories are “memories of a traumatic event unconsciously retained in the mind, where it is said to adversely affect conscious thought, desire, and action” (Skeptic’s Dictionary, 2014). Sexual trauma in particular is more common for repressing memories. Another common thing that most often happens is that a person represses the memory for up to thirty years and then regains conscious of that repressed memory, usually during therapy. In some cases, the “repressed memories” could damage some families. Just like in a special court case, a twenty-seven year old woman from San Diego claimed that her father had abused her as a child after “regaining” back her repressed memories from a form of therapy. This woman had some specific details about her supposed abuse and claimed her father molested her continuously. Because of her regained memories, she filed a lawsuit against her father (Loftus, n.d.). The only evidence presented for this
Repressed Memories …show more content…
It is a technique many people decide to take, but people don’t actually know whether it helps them or hurts them even more. This technique has not only broken families apart, because of the accusations, but according to some patients, it has allowed them to cope with their disorders and understand where they came from. Although this technique has been very influential in some cases and has helped in solving them, many people also question the credibility of these “memories”. Because both the emotions and the violence can alter the memory, it is difficult to prove if the repressed memory is in fact real or not. Psychologists and therapist believe and argue that these memories are “real, vivid, detailed, and reliable” (Curtin 2013) because they claim to have witnessed their patients remember their repressed memories. On, the other hand, researchers tend to not believe in these memories because there isn’t sufficient scientific evidence that supports them (Curtin 2013). There isn’t really an exact way of knowing whether these memories are authentic or not. This is why this topic is such a conflicted debate, because of the lack of evidence and the people being torn between both sides of the argument. One side may be correct, but there isn’t telling which one just
Repressed memories are “memories of a traumatic event unconsciously retained in the mind, where it is said to adversely affect conscious thought, desire, and action” (Skeptic’s Dictionary, 2014). Sexual trauma in particular is more common for repressing memories. Another common thing that most often happens is that a person represses the memory for up to thirty years and then regains conscious of that repressed memory, usually during therapy. In some cases, the “repressed memories” could damage some families. Just like in a special court case, a twenty-seven year old woman from San Diego claimed that her father had abused her as a child after “regaining” back her repressed memories from a form of therapy. This woman had some specific details about her supposed abuse and claimed her father molested her continuously. Because of her regained memories, she filed a lawsuit against her father (Loftus, n.d.). The only evidence presented for this
Repressed Memories …show more content…
It is a technique many people decide to take, but people don’t actually know whether it helps them or hurts them even more. This technique has not only broken families apart, because of the accusations, but according to some patients, it has allowed them to cope with their disorders and understand where they came from. Although this technique has been very influential in some cases and has helped in solving them, many people also question the credibility of these “memories”. Because both the emotions and the violence can alter the memory, it is difficult to prove if the repressed memory is in fact real or not. Psychologists and therapist believe and argue that these memories are “real, vivid, detailed, and reliable” (Curtin 2013) because they claim to have witnessed their patients remember their repressed memories. On, the other hand, researchers tend to not believe in these memories because there isn’t sufficient scientific evidence that supports them (Curtin 2013). There isn’t really an exact way of knowing whether these memories are authentic or not. This is why this topic is such a conflicted debate, because of the lack of evidence and the people being torn between both sides of the argument. One side may be correct, but there isn’t telling which one just