Trauma and Dissociation

Abstract

The inauguration of this journal is the fruit of 20 years of modern study of trauma and dissociation that began with the publication of DSM III. Beginning with Janet and Freud, this editorial traces the growth of research, teaching and treatment in these fields and examines their close link to historic waves of social recognition and denial of child abuse in Western societies. Beginning with the women's movement of the 1960s that publicized rape and incest, followed by the undeniable traumas of American Vietnam veterans, we trace the blossoming progress of research, theory and treatment techniques in the fields of trauma and dissociation, of which this journal is one of the fruits. We note three generations of trauma treatment theory that have focused successively on abreaction, on the three-stage model of trauma treatment, and finally on integration of trauma-focused work with other theoretical models in the emerging post-memory-backlash era. As this journal is launched, our field stands at a point of unprecedented theoretical sophistication and burgeoning research on memory, trauma and dissociation to assist therapists in helping trauma survivors put their victimization in the past.

Key Words:

• Dissociation
• dissociative disorders
• dissociative identity disorder
• history
• child abuse
• psychological trauma
• post traumatic stress disorder
• recovered memory