Jaycee Lee Dugard's story has placed the city of Antioch, CA on the map, though not in a good way. Kidnapped at age 11 in South Lake Tahoe, found on Wednesday in Antioch, seeing her mother for the first time since June 1991 on Thursday, can she, now 29, ever have a normal life?While imprisoned in the compound in the backyard of kidnapper Phillip Craig Garrido, 58, and his wife Nancy, 55, Jaycee Lee Dugard's story includes giving birth to two daughters, now aged 11 and 15, fathered by Garrido. Likely, she spent much of her life terrified and abused. Given thay, she is experts in child psychiatry and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) say her recovery is just beginning.
When asked about the Jaycee Dugard story, Paula Fass, a history professor at UC Berkeley and author of the book "Kidnapped: Child Abduction in America" said:
"Someone asked me if I think she'll ever have a normal life. I'm not sure 'normal' is the word. But let's hope she can still live decently and reconnect with that earlier life. The challenge will be to try to integrate these two parts of her life - before she was taken, and her children now - in a way that can be meaningful."
Despite the abuse, Jaycee Dugard's story almost certainly has a component of Stockholm syndrome, a condition in which captives become sympathetic to their captors. In fact, Dugard's stepfather, Carl Probyn, has told media outlets that Jaycee has expressed guilt for bonding with Phillip Garrido.
Stockholm Syndrome is not uncommon in these types of cases. She also probbably suffers from PTSD, as well.
Those issues, and the added complication of her children, could make recovery more difficult. In fact, while many are focusing on Jaycee Dugard's and recovery, let's not forget the children. Some compare their behavior at U.C. Berkeley, which eventually led to the capture of Phillip Garrido, to "Stepford Wives." They have reportedly never attended school or seen a doctor.
It is possible, according to experts, that the children will give Jaycee Dugard a focus for the future, and perhaps gave her a focus during her captivity as well, a reason to live, so to speak, and others to worry about besides herself.
One wonders, however, how long it will take before the media steps back so she and her family can pay attention to recovery, and not the press. We can only hope, also, that Hollywood will give her a chance to recover, before assailing her with offers for the "Jaycee Dugard Story" movie you know is coming.
