Re: Christian Symptoms of Abuse To: MIT.EDU!witchhunt You may remember that last week I po

Re: Christian Symptoms of Abuse

From: romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu!aol.com!NELSON1111
To: MIT.EDU!witchhunt

You may remember that last week I posted a note after meeting with one of the
leading Christian "memory experts," Mr. X.  Below are his lists of symptoms
which he uses to diagnose repressed abuse; (he says the Holy Spirit reveals
it to him as well, even by merely examining photographs).

I am soliciting scholarly responses to Mr. X, which I will deliver along with
my own, when I meet with him again in two weeks.  Some of you might want to
your address and phone number, as a sign of willingness to inform and educate
him (though it isn't necessary to do so).

Please do respond, and please remember that more flies are drawn to honey
than to vinegar.  Mr. X appears to be listening, so let's inform him, not
filet him (though I'm sure many of the witchhunt members have valid reason to
do so).


Here are Mr. X's lists:

LIST OF "CLEAR" SYMPTOMS OF CHILDHOOD ABUSE:

Feel unworthy of God's love
Feel "dirty"
Fits of rage
Lack of resistance
Memory gaps in childhood
Obsessive fear of rape
Same-sex attraction
Self-hatred
Uncomfortability with nudity in marriage

LIST OF "STRONG" SYMPTOMS OF CHILDHOOD ABUSE:

Compulsions
Downcast looks
Eating disorders
Fear of being alone
Fear of losing weight
Lack of trust
Migraine headaches
PMS
Uncontrollable anger
Undiagnosed pains, aches

LIST OF "POSSIBLE" SYMPTOMS OF CHILDHOOD ABUSE:

Abortion
Affairs during marriage
Alcoholic excess
Asthma
Childhood depression
Emotionally abused as child
Emotions suppressed in childhood
Guilt feelings
Hide real feelings
Low self-worth
Marital sexual disinterest
Mood Swings
Nudity forbidden in childhood home
Poor teenage opposite-sex relationships
Pornography in childhood home
Recurring bad dreams
Rejection feelings
Sexually abused or molested as child
Suicidal feelings
Teenage promiscuity
Tendency to overreact

Obviously nearly all of these "symptoms" of abuse, as arbitrarily assigned by
Mr. X, are completely devoid of any scientific basis.  Arguably, a few may
have some limited validity.  Certainly his "test" is useless as a diagnostic
tool.

I look forward to your responses.  If this turns out to be a popular project,
with many of you contributing letters to Mr. X, then I will post updates on
witchhunt; if it is less popular, I will post updates privately to
contributors.  Thanks.

By the way, the weather here in San Diego has been a little cold lately.  I
think it may have gotton below 60 the other day.  Last week we had killer 15
foot surf.  Oh well, someone has to live in paradise, and I guess it ought to
be me...

Eric L. Nelson, M.A.
Forensic Analyst in private practice
619-230-9170
P.O.Box: 15700
San Diego, CA 92175