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Child sex
abuse hysteria and the Ellis case |
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The wisdom of
Gordon Waugh - Index |
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[Note:
peterellis.org.nz - the published letter was slightly abridged by the Times
Advertiser] It is cruel, offensive
and entirely unprofessional for a psychologist to claim, or even suggest,
that schizophrenia and similar psychotic disorders are caused by childhood
abuse. In your article
"Psychologist discusses effects of child abuse" that is exactly
what Dr John Read has done in his study of psychiatric patients. People become
psychiatric patients because they often have a less than firm grip on
reality. They are prone to adopting ambient social hysterias. During the
1950's mentally unwell patients reported persecution by communists. More
recently, some reported abduction by aliens. Childhood sexual abuse
is the current one. Self-reports of abuse by delusional psychiatric patients
are not credible unless externally corroborated. It is widely accepted that
psychotic disorders have bio-genetic causes. To justify his claim,
Read's "research" must meet elemental scientific standards by showing
clear proof through credible external verification, that patients studied
were in fact genuinely abused, and that no other possible cause of the
disorder existed. It must clearly distinguish between metaphor and reality,
and between cause and association. His pet theory is fatally flawed. It
failed on all these counts and wrongly assumed a causal link between abuse
and a mental disorder. Parents and families of
people suffering with schizophrenia will be distressed and disgusted to learn
that Dr Read continues to promote his unsubstantiated, daft and odious
gospel. |
