One concrete way in which we all landscape our sanity is by having our experience of reality confirmed by others. When our experience of reality is disconfirmed by others, our confidence in our own sanity can be undermined. (page 125, Chapter 9, Graeme Galton)

~ Graeme Galton

Graeme Galton Confidence Doubt Experience Psychological Abuse Reality Sanity Self Confidence Self Doubt

In cases of organized and multi-perpetrator abuse when the abuse occurs in the context of rituals and ceremonies, some elements of the experience may have been staged specifically with the intention of encouraging the disbelief of others if the victim were to report the crime. For example, someone reporting such a crime may mention that the devil was present, or that someone well-known was there, or that acts of magic were performed. These were tricks and deceptions by the abusers-often experienced by the victims after being given medication or hallucinogenic drugs - that render the account unbelievable, make the witness sound unreliable, and protect the perpetrators. (page 120, Chapter 9, Some clinical implications of believing or not believing the patient)

~ Graeme Galton

Graeme Galton Abuse Abused Abusers Abusive Brainwashing Ceremonies Child Abuse Child Abusers Crime Criminals Cult Cult Abuse Deceptions Devil Disbelief Discredit Discrediting Dissociative Identity Disorder Doubt Drug Use Drugged Emotionless Hallucinate Hallucinogenic Lies Magic Multiple Personality Disorder Perpetrators Protection Ritual Abuse Secret Setup Staged Survivor Of Abuse Traumatic Tricked Truth Unrealiable Unreliable Witness Victim Witness

Some people with DID present their narratives of sadistic abuse in a quite matter-of-fact way, without perceptible affect. This may sometimes be done as a way of protecting themselves, and the listener, from the emotional impact of their experience. We have found that people describing trauma in a flat way, without feeling, are usually those who have been more chronically abused, while those with affect still have a sense of self that can observe the tragedy of betrayal and have feelings about it. In some cases, this deadpan presentation can also be the result of cult training and brainwashing. Unfortunately, when a patient describes a traumatic experience without showing any apparent emotion, it can make the listener doubt whether the patient is telling the truth. (page 119, Chapter 9, Some clinical implications of believing or not believing the patient)

~ Graeme Galton

Graeme Galton Abuse Affect Betrayal Brainwashing Child Abuse Cult Cult Abuse Disbelief Dissociative Identity Disorder Doubt Emotionless Feelings Multiple Personality Disorder Numb Protection Ritual Abuse Sadistic Abuse Survivor Of Abuse Tragedy Trauma Traumatic Truth Victim