Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 1788

Tonight's special guest is Ronald (Randy) Lail from North Charleston, South Carolina, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and the resulting PTSD. Randy says, "My story began when I was between 3 to 4 years old and ended when I was 14." He reports his abuse started with his father touching and playing with Randy and showing his son his own private parts while putting the young child to bed. Randy tried telling a close relative but his family did not want to hear, believe, or talk about this type of abuse (which he views as a very common reaction in the context of 1960's - 70's). By his early teens he was introduced to pedophile ography by his father and a female accomplice who conditioned Randy to submit to numerous adult partners of both sexes as well as engage in acts with other child victims. At age 14 Randy was admitted to a psychiatric facility after getting the idea to mimic paralysis symptoms from watching a TV show. While hospitalized he was diagnosed as having suffered "unknown severe trauma" and after being discharged his father ended the abuse. Randy then suppressed the horror of his memories of the abuse until 8 years ago when symptoms of his PTSD began. He has since undergone various therapies to treat the flashbacks, nightmares, depression, and a suicide attempt before taking part in an FDA clinical trial to test the use of MDMA (ecstasy) in combination with cognitive psychotherapy. This treatment was successful after only 2 sessions, and Randy now considers himself a healed survivor of CSA who is "at peace and getting on with my life." Join us as Randy shares his story of recovery for the first time with NAASCA.