Ritual Dreams

by Hadena James

  Many people who suffer horrific abuse as children do indeed repress memories that they may not think of again until 20 or 30 years later, when the memory is triggered by something. Even when they are “recovered,” the memories are often incomplete.

  It is very difficult to determine if a repressed memory is real or not. The best clue is the trigger. Scent is deeply tied to all our memories. Scent is also the best trigger for a repressed memory. If someone was molested by a person that smoke cigars, then the smell of cigar smoke can trigger the return of the memory, most likely not completely though. There will be parts of it that the brain just can’t remember. It has worked very hard to destroy the memory after all. Some parts are probably still missing.

  Because sexual crimes are devastating to the psyche, this type of abuse is the most common cause of repressed memories and incomplete memories. A person who is raped may remember how the attacker smelled, what they sounded like, but not have a clue what the face looked like, even if the victim had to stare at it for a long time.

  These missing memories are not a sign that the attack or abuse didn’t happen, it’s a sign that the brain has tried to insulate the person from the attack. For the last 13 books, Aislinn has believed she survived her encounter with Callow without damage to herself.

  I’m sure the readers have noticed this lie a few times. She did experience dissociative amnesia by forgetting that the FBI agent was there during her imprisonment. Memory problems, keeping track of linear things like time, and feeling emotionally distant are all symptoms of Antisocial Personality Disorder, but they also accompany post traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD, shell shock, etc.), and dissociative identity disorder as well.

  Furthermore, Aislinn has commented multiple times that she does not recognize her reflection or feel that it is her. While this is common with ASPD with sociopathic and/or psychopathic tendencies, it is also common in people with DID.

  That was probably the most surprising thing I discovered in researching Melissa/Amber/Caroline/Martha/Brexton. Many of the fundamental symptoms associated with ASPD are also common, fundamental symptoms of DID (with or without alters).

  I mentioned full alters such as Amber, Caroline, Martha, and Brexton are rare. They really are very rare. Most alters do not have “names” or completely different mannerisms, speech patterns, or the switching of dominant hands. Most are only partial alters. People with DID are often described as being moody, because many times an alter is associated with an emotion. One alter may come out only when the person feels angry (think The Hulk) or one may only appear when a person is happy.

  Partial alters serve the same function as full alters. It is there to insulate the person from trauma. Anyone who has experienced true rage, knows that rage can be a scary emotion all on its own and it is hard to accept and deal with.

  I rarely feature killers with mental illnesses, because I personally do not like the stereotypes that mentally ill people are crazy, violent, and out of control. Most people who suffer from mental illnesses are a danger to themselves more than other people. Even psychopaths and sociopaths who are very destructive to the people around them, are still not prone to become physically or sexually abusive towards others. I left out emotionally abusive because most psychopaths and sociopaths love to inflict emotional abuse and manipulate people to their will, it’s their thing.

  If you suspect a loved one or friend of having an issue that is not ASPD with psychopathic and/or sociopathic tendencies, the best thing you will ever do for that person is listen to them as they try to cope and support them if they want to seek help. Perhaps encourage them to seek help if they are open to the idea. Encouraging a mentally ill person to seek treatment, can be tricky. Most of us do not want to admit that we have a problem we can’t solve. And there are still many stigmas attached to mental illness, making some people very uncomfortable with the idea of seeking treatment. However, do not forget yourself as you assist someone with a mental illness. Yes, that person may need you, but you also need yourself. You are no good to them if you have reached your “I’m done point” with their problem or them. And it does happen often. We tell people to be supportive, but we rarely mention that it’s hard. If you are not taking care of your own mental health as you provide emotional support to someone with a mental illness, you are likely to fall down the rabbit hole and chase your own mental health as it disappears into oblivion.

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  Also by Hadena James

  Dreams and Reality

  Tortured Dreams

  Elysium Dreams

  Mercurial Dreams

  Explosive Dreams

  Cannibal Dreams

  Butchered Dreams

  Triggered Reality

  Summoned Dreams

  Battered Dreams

  Belladonna Dreams

  Mutilated Dreams

  Fortified Dreams

  Flawless Dreams

  Demonic Dreams

  Ritual Dreams

  Anonymous Dreams

  Dysfunctional Dreams

  Buried Dreams

  Nephilim Narratives

  Natural Born Exorcist

  Oh My Wizard

  Demon Boxes

  Movement in the Shadows

  The Brenna Strachan Series

  Dark Cotillion

  Dark Illumination

  Dark Resurrections

  Dark Legacies

  The Dysfunctional Chronicles

  The Dysfunctional Affair

  The Dysfunctional Valentine

  The Dysfunctional Honeymoon

  The Dysfunctional Proposal

  The Dysfunctional Holiday

  The Dysfunctional Wedding

  The Dysfunctional Expansion

  Standalone

  Terrorific Tales