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The study of trauma in sexual and domestic life becomes legitimate only in a context that challenges the subordination of women and children.
Trauma and Recovery
Judith Lewis Herman
Then came what’s known as the “memory wars” — a pushback from leading psychiatrists against therapy that encouraged patients to unearth memories of sexual abuse. The criticism often zeroed in on Dr. van der Kolk, who served as an expert witness in high-profile cases, and Dr. Herman, whose work on dissociation was regularly cited by defenders of repressed-memory therapy.
Dr. Herman shrugged off this critique as “predictable,” the same resistance that Vietnam War veterans and rape victims had encountered when they came forward. “You know, history is a dialectical process,” she said. “When you have a movement that challenges the power structure, you’re going to have a backlash.”
Some clinicians did go overboard, Dr. van der Kolk said. They “started talking about satanic ritual abuse, kids being sacrificed in altars,” he said. “It got a little bit weird. Judy and I never went with that crowd. But they were part of our crowd.”
She Redefined Trauma. Then Trauma Redefined Her. - The New York Times
Ellen Barry
I guess spending less mental energy fretting and freaking out leaves extra space and juice for the good stuff. Like new creative interests and hobbies (or a return to old ones). And more lively and connected socializing, plus the ability to better appreciate and hold close the amazing people in my life.
What Happened When I Started Taking an Antidepressant
Cornelia Dolian
...catch up on these, and many more highlights
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