A verified case of recovered memories of sexual abuse.
A case is presented that shows verifiable evidence of repression at work. Rachel, a 40-year-old woman with no history of mental illness and ten years of exemplary professional work, recovers memories of childhood sexual abuse by her father through a call from her youth pastor in whom she had confided as an adolescent. This reminder triggered a severe depression, suicidal action, and the need for hospitalization. Rachel's older sister, herself an abuse victim, had witnessed the abuse, yet Rachel had no memory of the events. No apparent causes of false memories are present, so a different mechanism than forgetting must have been at work.
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D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003289:Convalescence; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D011575:Psychoanalytic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D012094:Repression, Psychology