Bennett Braun

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Bennett G. Braun (August 7, 1940 – March 20, 2024) was an American psychiatrist known for his promotion of the concept of multiple personality disorder (now called "dissociative identity disorder") and involvement in promoting the "Satanic Panic", a moral panic around a discredited conspiracy theory that led to thousands of people being wrongfully medically treated or investigated for nonexistent crimes.[1][2]

Braun was a co-founder of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation[3] and founded the Dissociative Disorders Program at the Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center.[4] Widely accepted as an expert in his field, he was a member of the DSM-III-R advisory committee on dissociative disorders.[3]

In addition, in the 1980s, Braun claimed that multiple personality disorder patients can exhibit significantly different health conditions unique to each distinct personality, such as patients requiring several different eyeglasses prescriptions for each personality, and one personality having a disease such as lazy eye, hypertension, color blindness, or diabetes while another personality doesn't. He claimed “If the mind can do this in tearing down body tissue, I think it suggests the same potential for healing.”[5][6]

Satanic ritual abuse theory

In the 1980s, Braun became a leading proponent of the satanic ritual abuse theory, and appeared on TV promoting it.[7] According to this theory, thousands of children were being subjected to organized acts of murder, torture, human sacrifice, cannibalism and sexual abuse throughout America, in elaborate ceremonies performed by Satan-worshippers.

The Satanic Panic lost momentum in the 1990s, as it became clear that the accusations did not stand up to investigation, and that the phenomenon had been a moral panic. A 1994 article in the New York Times stated that extensive investigation had shown that not one case of organized cult abuse was capable of being substantiated by investigating police, out of 12,000 documented accusations nationwide.[8]

In 1993, Braun was sued by former patient Patricia Burgus, who claimed that Braun had falsely convinced her that she had engaged in satanic rituals, cannibalism, and infanticide. The case resulted in a settlement of $10.6 million.The case made national headline news.[2][9] Braun subsequently sued his malpractice insurer for settling without his permission.[10][11]

Braun's medical license was suspended for two years by the State of Illinois in 1999, with the suspension to be followed by a five-year period of probation that would have stopped him from treating multiple personality disorder patients for seven years in total.[12] Braun was expelled from both the Illinois Psychiatric Society and American Psychiatric Association in 2000.[11]

Braun moved to Butte, Montana, and in 2003 the State of Montana granted Braun a medical license, allowing Braun to resume the practice of medicine in that state.[10]

In 2004, another former patient of Braun's, Elizabeth Gale, filed a lawsuit against Braun and another doctor, alleging that they and their colleagues convinced Gale "that her family indoctrinated her as a child so she would make babies for sacrifice in a satanic cult." The settlement in the malpractice suit amounted to $7.5 million.[13]

Braun continued to treat patients in his clinic until 2016, when he partially retired but continued to treat a limited number of patients at his home in Butte. Montana. He relinquished his controlled substances prescribing powers in 2017, before renewing his medical license in 2018.[14]

In January 2021, Braun's Montana medical license was revoked for unprofessional conduct.[14][15] The decision of the state of Montana to license Braun in 2003 in spite of the previous events elsewhere, elicited legal action[16] and criticism.[10]

Death

Braun died in Lauderhill, Florida, on March 20, 2024, at the age of 83.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Risen, Clay (12 April 2024). "Bennett Braun, Psychiatrist Who Fueled 'Satanic Panic,' Dies at 83". New York Times. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  2. ^ a b Hanson, Cynthia (June 1, 1998). "Dangerous Therapy: The Story of Patricia Burgus and Multiple Personality Disorder". Chicago Magazine. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  3. ^ a b Noll, Richard (2014-03-19). "Speak, Memory". Psychiatric Times. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  4. ^ Acocella, Joan. "Creating Hysteria: Women and Multiple Personality Disorder". archive.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  5. ^ Goleman, Daniel (1985-05-21). "NEW FOCUS ON MULTIPLE PERSONALITY". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
  6. ^ Goleman, Daniel (1988-06-28). "Probing the Enigma of Multiple Personality". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
  7. ^ Irvine, Martha (1999-03-07). "'Satanic Abuse' Disorder Pioneer Comes Under Fire". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  8. ^ Goleman, Daniel (1994-10-31). "Proof Lacking for Ritual Abuse by Satanists". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2018-05-21. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  9. ^ Barden, R. Christopher (2014-06-05). "Reforming Mental Health Care: How Ending "Recovered Memory" Treatments Brought Informed Consent to Psychotherapy". Psychiatric Times. Vol 31 No 6. 31.
  10. ^ a b c Anez, Bob (2003-10-15). "Psychiatrist gets Montana medical license". The Missoulian. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
  11. ^ a b "Lawsuit Raises Questions About APA Liability Insurance Program". Psychiatric Times. Psychiatric Times Vol 18 No 1. 18. 2001-01-01.
  12. ^ "Illinois-Wisconsin False Memory Syndrome Society; fighting for those hurt by recovered memory therapy". www.illinoisfms.org. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  13. ^ Dardick, Hal (February 13, 2004). "Psychiatric patient tells of ordeal in treatment". chicagotribune.com. Archived from the original on 2024-01-19. Retrieved 2019-08-20.
  14. ^ a b State of Montana Board of Medical Examiners (January 22, 2021). Final Order in the Matter of Bennett Braun [1]
  15. ^ Beit-Hallahmi, Benjamin (2023). Interpreting child sacrifice narratives: horror and redemption. New York: Bloomsbury Academic. p. 44. ISBN 978-1-350-23672-1.
  16. ^ Dunlap, Susan (2019-05-29). "Butte woman allegedly harmed by Butte psychiatrist wins legal step against state". Montana Standard. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
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