The Falsity of False Memory Syndrome

Why 'False Memory Syndrome' is an ill-conceived term: 

   In my personal opinion, the very reason why false memories attract my attention so much is the idea that this process that can affect people from minute details to whole identity crises is mundane and affects every one of us. It isn't some obscure mental illness which is only caused by extreme genetic abnormalities or situational factors. It is unavoidable and is the curious output of they way our brain innately makes mistakes.

   False memory syndrome, by Psychology's description, is a condition in which a person's identity or relationships are affected by factually incorrect memories that they invest strong belief in. The reason why I personally criticise this idea is that this description matches so closely to the definition of false memories themselves. Subsequently, if virtually everybody gets false memories then based on this idea, everybody suffers from false memory syndrome. I understand the premise that 'false memory syndrome' is supposed to be an extreme case of false memories however, I believe that when these false memories occur in a heightened sense, it is due to an underlying cause and anybody, when exposed to such a cause such as hypnosis or other mental illness, has the ability to form extreme memories.

   Peter J. Freyd was the founder of the False Memory Syndrome Foundation and originated the term itself in 1992. As a mathematician who was falsely accused of sexual abuse by his daughter as a product of false memories, the motivation of the foundation's creation came from a place of emotion and defence as oppose to education and qualified intellect. 

   False memories, aside from natural occurrences, can be triggered as a result of many things such as recovered memory therapy. Anybody can be exposed to triggers which cause this- it doesn't require any disposition in order to render a person full of false memories. Syndromes must, by definition, carry a set of symptoms. Symptoms are a physical or mental indication of a condition of disease. The 'symptoms' of false memory syndrome are experienced by everybody and therefore cannot be symptoms of disease as disease is an abnormal occurrence. 

   Though this is my personal evaluation of the term, it is pretty widely accepted that scientists, psychologists, and ordinary people also agree that it is not a syndrome for one reason or another. The ill-conceived jargon has had a downfall in popularity from the 90's and the term is not, nor has it ever, been recognised as a psychiatric illness.