Letter: Real abuse

SO-CALLED false memory syndrome is a red herring ("Sex, lies and therapy", Section 2, 5 April). I grew up in a"trauma-organised" family, which means that victimising activities, whether physical, sexual or emotional, were justified as being caused (or deserved) by the victim. When those who confront their parents, as I did, are accused of having false memories, this pattern is repeated. My parents sent anonymous letters, isolated me from the rest of the family and gave press interviews saying I'd been brainwashed. But I've never had regression therapy, hypnosis or drugs and I'm not suggestible - I just realised that the way I'd been treated wasn't right and I didn't want to treat my children the same way. False memory syndrome is being used to discredit very real accounts of abuse.

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