Lost Memories: Recovered or Faking?

This article attempts to explain the validity of recovered childhood memories in the case of survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse. With the explosion of lawsuits initiated by survivors of CSA, the authenticity of recovered memories is often doubted. This study attempts to establish the basis for accepting the validity of such memories as well as explain why only some victims employ the defense mechanism of Dissociative Disorder while other victims have no problem in recalling the trauma of CSA. This article also attempts to describe the similarities and differences between Dissociative Disorder as a reaction to CSA and PTSD, as a result of other traumatic experiences.