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Sez. generale - Studi e ricerche

N. 50 (2022)

Esperienze traumatiche e ricordi: implicazioni in campo clinico e legale

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3280/qpc50-2022oa14085
Inviata
11 luglio 2022
Pubblicato
28-07-2022

Abstract

L’articolo ha l’obiettivo di fare il punto su quanto sappiamo sulla memoria traumatica e sull’eventuale possibilità di alterarla producendo “falsi ricordi”, dal punto di vista sia della psicologia clinica che della psicologia giuridica. Negli ultimi anni ci sono state molte pubblicazioni e ricerche su come le esperienze traumatiche sono immagazzinate e codificate in memoria e sulle reazioni post-traumatiche che presentano le persone esposte a situazioni da stress estremo. Questo ha avuto un effetto importante nel campo della psicoterapia e del trattamento dei disturbi post-traumatici, contribuendo alla loro comprensione e dando strumenti utili per la loro risoluzione. Allo stesso tempo, negli anni ’90 è nato un movimento opposto, chiamato “false memory syndrome”, dove spesso gli psicoterapeuti venivano accusati di produrre falsi ricordi di abusi sessuali nei loro pazienti. Sotto accusa erano finiti metodi come l’ipnosi, le terapie di gruppo, le tecniche di immaginazione guidata o di interpretazione dei sogni: ma in generale sotto accusa era finita l’attività psicoterapeutica in ogni sua forma. Ad oggi il dibattito continua, sollevando dubbi specie sulle psicoterapie mirate alla risoluzione degli esiti post traumatici. L’articolo percorre i vari aspetti di questa diatriba e cerca di fare luce sulla comprensione degli aspetti clinici particolarmente complessi di situazioni traumatiche croniche, rispondendo agli autori che sostengono che la psicoterapia può creare falsi ricordi.

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