Psychologists from across the nation weigh in their thoughts on
Elizabeth Smart's road to recovery—the Utah teenager is now
recovering after nine months in captivity. Here are their
thoughts:
Many are concerned about the role of the media, and the risk that
covering the story may bring further psychological damage to Elizabeth
Smart. "Rushing to turn this into a movie may not be in Elizabeth's best
interest. " surmises Marie Padveen, from Los Angeles, California.
It will be a long time before even experts can access the emotional
damage that has occured. Ronald Levine, Ph.D, of Van Nuys, California
makes a comparison with another case of infamous abduction:
"Elizabeth Smart has been through an ordeal no one should suffer,
let alone an adolescent. Patty Hearst was an adult when she was abducted
and it took her years to get over her experience. Elizabeth has had her
innocence shattered and her sense of self battered. She will need years
of love and undoubtedly competent and caring professional help to ensure
her complete recovery."
Jack Singer, Ph.D. from Niguel, California, agrees: "Don't be
surprised if she suffers periodic relapses into depression, anxiety or
anger, as well as re-living the experience in her mind. She may also need
to be shielded from the future legal proceedings."
Another major concern is the Smart family dynamic. The case is
certain not only to have traumatized Elizabeth, but the entire family as
well..
"The bitter truth," notes Susan D. Elsom, Ph.D., from Fremont,
California "is that the Elizabeth they knew and loved nine months ago may
indeed never return. This is not necessarily a disappointing outcome. In
some way, each family member will be transformed for better or
worse."
For the family to recover, they may have to go back to square one
and reestablish a new family dynamic. "The family should avoid
distractions and agitations by simplifying their lifestyle," says Craig
Polsfuss, from Edina, Minnesota, "They should enact healthy, functional
and comforting family rituals and encouraging Elizabeth to re-connect
with friends and social activities at her own pace."
Many worry that the worst is still to come for Elizabeth and her
family. The happy ending may be the beginning of a painful recovery.
Elisabeth Wassenaar from Monterey, California notes: "I work with anxiety
disorders. What concerns me most is that she is still acting "normal."
It's almost guaranteed that she will have a delayed onset of
post-traumatic stress. She was brainwashed by her captor, not unlike the
Patty Hearst case. She will have been traumatized from the experience of
being forcibly removed from her family home and brainwashed into
believing she was her captor's daughter."
A similar point was made by Joanna Poppink, L.M.F.T. of Los Angles,
California: "If I had the power and the resources to create the most
beneficial scenario I could imagine, I would make these recommendations:
First: Remove the entire family from all publicity. Second: Place the
entire family in a wholesome and beautiful environment far from their
current residence. Third: Provide compassionate and skilled psychotherapy
for everyone in the family. Fourth: Encourage the family to learn that
their relationships with each other are different now. "
The story for the Smart family may soon leave the front pages, but
for them recovery will be a long tem process. "Ms. Smart will be dealing
with the results of this horrible encounter and crime for the rest of her
life." says Jeffrey Kaye, Ph.D., from San Francisco.
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