Ritual Abuse 101: Recognizing and Treating Survivors

Jean Riseman MSW

Topics include: what ritual abuse is, symptoms that survivors often display, and events that may trigger , flashbacks, or cult call-backs. Treatment issues covered: feeling overwhelmed, stabilization, teaching communication and reparenting skills, and issues around integration and medication. Therapists, survivors (including those not identifying as ritual abuse survivors), and their allies are welcome.

Resource List

BOOKS I urge therapists to read books written for survivors, and survivors to read books written for therapists. There is much to learn from everybody!

Note: Check Amazon for used books.

Ritual Abuse, Ritual Crime, and Healing (ra- info.org) has a large number of annotated bibliographies on various aspects of healing

An Introduction to Satanic Cults

Spencer, Judith, and Fowler, Austin. (1998) Satan’s High Priest. Pocket Books, Simon and Schuster, NY, NY. I recommend this for anybody not familiar with intergenerational Satanic cults. It tells one family’s story and explains the of each member’s behavior. What most struck me was the depth of compassion the author has for everybody, including perpetrators, who are usually presented as one-dimensionally evil. Books on Healing

Bass, Ellen, and Davis, Laura. (2008) The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of . 20th anniversary edition. Harper Collins, NY, NY. (Also available in Spanish.) A classic with invaluable information about many issues that arise in healing from childhood sexual abuse. Includes some material specifically about ritual abuse. Preview in Google books

Davis, Laura. (1990) The Courage to Heal Workbook: For Women and Men Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse. Harper Collins, NY, NY. Checklists, writing and art projects, open-ended questions, and activities. Topics include: the healing process, creating safety, crises, therapy, healthy sex, asking for help, breaking silence, letting go of shame, and preparing for family contact. Preview in Google books Davis, Laura. (1992) Allies in Healing: When the Person You Love Was Aexually Abused as a Child. Harper Collins, NY, NY. Written in the format of “The Courage to Heal,” this book covers topics such as communication, sex, emergencies, and interacting with the survivor’s family. Girlfriends, boyfriends, spouses, and lovers are all included. Preview in Google books

Oksana, Chrystine. (1994, 2001) Safe Passage to Healing: A Guide for Survivors of Ritual Abuse. Harper Perennial, NY. NY, and iUniverse, Lincoln, NB. Written in the format of “The Courage to Heal,” this is the first and still the best book on healing from ritual abuse. The chapter on the crisis phase is outstanding. If you can only buy one book, buy this one. No Google preview, but you can peek inside on Amazon. Miller, Alison. (2112) Healing the Unimaginable: Treating Ritual Abuse and Mind Control. Karnac Books, London, England. Invaluable information on working with various hierarchical systems of alters. Most chapters contain sections by survivors. Preview in Amazon

Miller, Alison (2014) Becoming Yourself: Overcoming Mind Control and Ritual Abuse. Karnac Books, London, England. With an emphasis on understanding and communicating with various parts, this book concentrates on working through traumatic memories and dissolving internal barriers. Issues covered include internal and external safety, dealing with being triggered, difficulties in therapy, sexuality, and spiritual abuse. Preview In Amazon

BLOGS Blogs contain a wealth of information, and those with comment sections provide an easy way to meet survivors. There are a great number of blogs on dissociation, PTSD, and all aspects of healing from child sexual abuse.

A majority of websites, including blogs, have been archived by the WayBack Machine at https://web.archive.org/ To search, type in the url you are looking for. Choose a year and click on a blue dot in the calendar. (Other colors indicate errors.) You may have to try several blue dots. You will find that many of the links on the page still work.

Informational blogs

Kate is Rising. Hundreds of resources on all aspects of healing from ritual abuse. http:// kate1975.wordpress.com/

Third of a Lifetime: curated PTSD resources by Sarah E. Olson contains an exhaustive list of blogs that were active a couple of year ago. Many still are! It’s a wonderful place to browse. https://web.archive.org/web/20160306120023/ http://thirdofalifetime.com/dissociation-blog- showcase-2/#R.

Ritual Abuse, Ritual Crime, and Healing has a somewhat outdated list of blogs. http://ra- info.org/for-and-by-survivors/blogs/

Extreme Abuse Survey’s blog contains news articles as well as essays on a number of different topics. https:// eassurvey.wordpress.com/

The Dissociative Initiative: For, by, and about people with multiplicity, dissociation, and . https://di.org.au/

A Sampling of Personal Blogs by Survivors

Jean Riseman’s blog, Ritual Abuse. Essays on healing from ritual abuse (both personal and general), plus information on the background of Satanic holidays, a ritual calendar, book reviews, some art and poetry, and more. http:// ritualabuse.wordpress.com/

Grace Uncensored. Essays on child abuse, healing, recovery seen from the client’s and therapist’s point of view, the big picture of organized pedophilia, by a ritual abuse and mind control survivor. http:// graceuncensored.blogspot.com/

Other blogs by Grace: The Dirtiest Secret Behind Child Abuse. http://thedirtiestsecret.blogspot.com The Art Journey of Grace. http:// graceartjourney.blogspot.com/ Know Dissociation. http:// knowdissociation.blogspot.com/ Understanding and Healing From Designer Dissociation. http:// forbiddentopic.blogspot.com/ . http:// believethechildren.blogspot.com/ GhostWolf - Out of the Abyss. Biography of a male survivor of ritual abuse (both “Magick” and Satanic), , and . http://www.nemasys.com/ ghostwolf/Bio/index.shtml

Discovering Serenity. A ritual abuse survivor shares her healing journey. https:// neloran.wordpress.com

Talk to J8. A Christian survivor writes for survivors of all (or no) faiths. /http:// thoughtsfromj8.com dialogues in realism. Essays and poetry about life after the cult. https:// dialoguesinrealism.wordpress.com

TREASURE TROVES

International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD) https://www.isst-d.org

Guidelines for Treating Dissociative Identity Disorder in Adults, Third Revision. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 12:115–187, 2011 https://www.isst-d.org/resources/adult- treatment-guidelines/

Guidelines for the Evaluation and Treatment of Dissociative Symptoms in Children and Adolescents. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, Vol. 5(3) 2004 pp 120 - 149. https://www.isst- d.org/resources/child-adolescent-treatment- guidelines/

Dissociation Screening Tools, Diagnostic Instruments https://www.isst-d.org/resources/

Find a Therapist https:// isstd.connectedcommunity.org/network/ network-find-a-professional Articles by Ellen Lacter, Ph.D. http://endritualabuse.org

Every single article is well worth reading!!

Full article index http://endritualabuse.org/full- article-index

Adult and adolescent indicators of ritual trauma. http://endritualabuse.org/adult-and-adolescent- indicators-of-ritual-trauma/

Some indicators of trauma-based mind control programming. http://endritualabuse.org/some- indicators-of-trauma-based-mind-control- programming-2/? fbclid=IwAR1ujbjyK02cu_B1DbhJ5Aij2RWe7 ZHntxc0yCBt8r7lbdRxo_PcuGCaT0U

Web resources: Ritual abuse and mind control. http://endritualabuse.org/links-references/

The following articles are really helpful for people who know they are still being abused (or are not sure.)

Seeing and Breaking the chains: Steps for Recognizing On-GoingAbuse and How to Break FREE. http://endritualabuse.org/seeing-and- breaking-the-chains-steps-for-recognizing-on- going-abuse-and-how-to-break-free/

Ritual Abuse and Torture-Based Mind Control: Reducing and Preventing Re-Contact with Abusers. http://endritualabuse.org/ritual-abuse- and-torture-based-mind-control-reducing-and- preventing-re-contact-with-abusers/