Treating the Dissassociative Process in Adult Victims of Childhood Incest

Women victims of childhood incest are identified as suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome, with dissociative processes. They can be helped to deal with the problem in a long-term, open-ended group led by 2 female therapists. Symptoms & behaviors manifested by incest victims include suicide attempts. Dealing with the memory of the incest event evokes overwelming terror. The expressed wish to die is not suicide ideation but rather a desire to be freed of the terror & despair.