Treatment strategies for programming and ritual abuse.

Individuals being treated for dissociative identity disorder sometimes report childhood involvement in organized, multi-perpetrator ritual abuse and describe being "programmed" by the perpetrators, feeling this programming is beyond their control. The author presents treatment strategies based on therapeutic neutrality, applicable regardless of assumptions about memory accuracy. In such cases, "cult alters" express allegiance to perpetrators and their ideology, while the host personality often feels a helpless victim, creating a victim-rescuer-perpetrator triangle. Perpetrator introjects can be engaged in therapy and become allies in recovery and integration.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Individuals in treatment for dissociative identity disorder not uncommonly describe childhood involvement in organized, multi-perpetrator ritual abuse. They described being "programmed" by the perpetrators and feel that the programming is out of their control. The author has developed a set of treatment strategies and interventions for such cases. These are based on the principle of therapeutic neutrality and can be used no matter what assumptions the therapist makes about the historical accuracy of the memories and beliefs. In ritual abuse cases, there are commonly "cult alters" who express allegiance to and identification with the perpetrators, and who state the ideology of the cult as personal beliefs. Often, the host personality holds and expresses the opposite half of the ambivalent attachment to the perpetrators: the host takes the position of helpless, powerless victim of the cult alters and programming, and wants to be rescued and "deprogrammed" by the therapist. This is a victim-rescuer-perpetrator triangle re-enactment. The perpetrator introjects involved in the re-enactment can be engaged in the therapy, and can become allies in recovery and the process of integration. Techniques for accomplishing this are described.