Conference turris::womannotes-v3

    
    Yeah, she was on Oprah recently, and although she was talking about
    some REALLY harsh stuff (they really toned it down for the movie - some
    of the things her father did were totally cruel and sick), she managed
    to keep it together.  It was fascinating when she talked about herself
    in the plural (we, us), and discussed her family members as "the
    father", "the stepfather", "the mother"...etc....
    
    In addition, she discussed the fact that she doesn't WANT to integrate
    the 92 documented personalities because she feels that they were
    created by the mind in order to be kind to her and to schism the pain
    in many directions, so no personality had to bear more than anyone can
    bear without going crazy.  I mean, her psychiatrist said she's not
    crazy because she can function - and from what I saw it seems she can. 
    Sybil went through integration of her 16 personalities, and the book
    and movie focused on this.
    
    She has a book out on which the movie is based called "When Rabbit
    Screams" - not only because the only time a rabbit makes a sound is
    when it's in great pain or dying, but also because it's the kind of
    sound she says she and other dysfunctional people in therapy make when
    they're really in crisis, and really digging into the painful memories
    and stuff.....a kind of keening wail....
    
    -Jody
    

    Not only did I watch the show, but did so shortly after reading the 
    book "When Rabbit Howls" by the Troops of Truddi Chase - an almost
    overwhelming book.  Also, Truddi was on Oprah Monday afternoon, and
    my daughters and I were glued to the TV for it.   I would love to 
    see a repeat of both the movie and the show.
    
    BTW: I taped the movie, if anyone has a VCR, and would like to see
    this incredible story of the results of child abuse...   Unfortunately
    we did not tape Oprah.  
    
    The book, of course, goes into much more detail, as much of the abuse
    could only be alluded to on TV.  But the description of the many 
    personalities and their interaction is intense, and very interesting.
    I highly recommend it, but allow lots of time to read it.  I've always
    been one to read a book in one sitting if at all possible, but found
    that I *HAD* to put this down - to give myself a chance to breathe at
    times, and to absorb what I was reading, and sometimes to stop crying!
    
    Linda

    Is this the TV movie Shelly Long starred in?  I didn't see it, but
    read a review, and the reviewer didn't like it at all.  I can't
    remember if I read it in The Phoenix or where, but the review said
    that Long's acting was very poor.  Does anyone who saw it agree
    or disagree about her acting?
    
    Lorna
    

	Re: .1 (Jody)

    
>    to keep it together.  It was fascinating when she talked about herself
>    in the plural (we, us), and discussed her family members as "the
>    father", "the stepfather", "the mother"...etc....

	I thought that was fascinating, too.  Apparently, the "Truddi"
	personality died long ago as a result of all the abuse she suffered.
	The remaining personalities don't consider themselves at all related
	to Truddi, hence they refer to "the mother," etc., instead of "my
	mother."

>    She has a book out on which the movie is based called "When Rabbit
>    Screams" - not only because the only time a rabbit makes a sound is
>    when it's in great pain or dying, but also because it's the kind of
>    sound she says she and other dysfunctional people in therapy make when
>    they're really in crisis, and really digging into the painful memories
>    and stuff.....a kind of keening wail....

	She has a personality known as "Rabbit" also, although it doesn't 
	do anything but make that noise, and only comes out in very painful
	circumstances (i.e. the death of a personality).




	>>AL<<

    Actually, the book is entitled "When Rabbit Howls", authored by the
    Troops for Truddi Chase.
    
    This is about the most facinating case of multiplicity I have ever
    heard of.  When I saw her on Oprah W. yesterday, I counted 4 different
    people speaking.  My husband totally missed it.  But knowing that she
    is an unintegrated multiple, I figured that some of her more dominant
    people would speak during the interview.
    
    Anyone else notice that one of her people stutters when she speaks? 
    (It is one of the children, I am sure).
    
    
    Sue_who_is_half_way_thru_the_book_after_buying_it_at_6:30_right_after_Oprah

    re: .3
    
    I thought Shelly Long did a good job with the role.  I kept trying
    to decide what personality show more and I really did have a difficult
    time figuring it out.
    
    I missed Truddi on Oraph.  I really wish that I had been able to
    see it.  
    
    denise

I wish I had known about Oprah.  We watched the first half together, but
then I had my game-night last night so we taped the second half to watch
together tonight (actually we taped it all).  Watching the real person
sounds like it would have been (and was for you) fascinating.

       Carol

    Recent theory has changed regarding the treatment of MPD.  The t.v.
    show Sybil showed the process of integrating the personalities. 
    However, the thought is now that integration equates to death of the
    personalities and that course of treatment is thought to be very risky. 
    Cooperation among the personalities is now the goal, although there are
    therapists who still feel that integration is *the* treatment for MPD.
    Integration therapy can be met with great resistence because the
    personalities feel threatened.  This is a rather simple explanation of
    a *very* complex issue.
    

    I think I remember reading that Sybil's personalities dis-integrated a
    couple of years later.  She went back for more therapy and they were
    integrated again.  I think she wrote another book.  (??!)  I definitely
    remember that SOME famous multiple personality was integrated but it
    didn't "take."
    
    Truddi's decision not to integrate was fascinating.  Just because most
    people operate with one integrated personality doesn't mean that it has
    to be that way.  Wow.
    
    All the famous cases of multiple personalities seem to be women (Eve,
    Sybil, Truddi) -- is this true generally?  Any speculations on why
    girls use multiple personalities to deal with childhood trauma more
    often than boys do?
    
    Pam

    see also:
    
    self_help
    34 - multiple personality disorder
    
    psychology
    54 - multiple personality disorder
    60 - multiple personality disorder
    
    human_relations
    572 - multiple personality disorder
    
    -Jody
    

    I just finished her book, and I am still fascinated.  The decision not
    to intergrate was made by the different personalities.  The key with
    Truddi Chase is that the 'core' person (often referred to as the first
    born) died at the age of 2.  If the integration was attempted, there
    would be a key factor missing.  There is no 'central' personality left
    for the others to meld into.  One of her poeple, when discussing
    integration with Dr. Phillips, said "Who of us would you kill, in order
    to acheive intergration".  I found that statement fascinating!  
    
    Great (but very strange) book!
    
    Sue

    
    
    RE: .09 - I beleive that multiple personality happens more to women
    because women are abused more than men..
    
    I thought Shelly Long did a great job with the acting.  Unfortunately
    I missed the OW show.
    
    Kathy

    I am entering this note for a member of the community who wishes to
    remain anonymous:
    

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
	
    RE: 147.9
    
    There are cases of MPD in males.  The reason I suspect fewer cases are
    highlited is the difference in the causeative factors.  Most cases
    I am aware of the victims were were abused to the extreme when young.
    I mean specifically incest, physical abuse, and emotional abuse.  MPD is
    an internal coping mechanism that includes the ability to remain
    very emotionally elastic.
    
    I am not a multiple but I do experience some fragmentation of 
    personality. I include some explanation of how we all do this just
    a little...

    I experience something very close though not the same.  I shut down
    emotionally, many people do this at times of high stress.  An example
    might be a death in the famaly.  For most people this allows them to do
    what has to be done for a time and later the emotions catch up. I do
    it whenever the situation exceeds my ability to solve a particular
    problem be it personal or work related.  For me that leaves only the
    analytical part of me to work on the problem at the facts-only level.
    Works great to solving technical problems, but it comes up short when
    people problems are involved.  The fragmentation for me is the emotions
    remain seperate from the situation.  An example of how a coping 
    mechanism works.  I can understand how someone would/could create
    the internal person that has the strength or skills to cope with that
    situation. 
    
    I suspect that every one has a level that has to be exceeded by a	
    sufficiently big enough trauma when young to create coping mechanisms
    like MPD.  In the case of Truddi that level was repeatedly exceeded.
    

    re: .14  anonymous
    
    Thank you for writing.  
    
    A friend of mine was physically abused when he was a child.  His method
    of coping with emotional stress is to shut down and go to sleep.  
    
    The mind is an amazing thing.  
    
    Pam

    There was a well-publicized story of a male with multiple-personalities
    several years ago.  I read the book about him but don't remember the
    title or the man's name.
    
    There was a lot of publicity at the time because he had raped 2-3
    women.  It turned out that one of his personalities was a lesbian.  She
    had raped the women, supposedly from a desperate need for affection.
    
    His multiple personalities were used in the defense and he was found
    innocent by reason of insanity.  (I'm not positive on this - it's been
    a long time.)  
    
    
    Meredith
    

    Where can I find the book, When Rabbit Howls"
    
    Thanks

    I read "Sybil" years ago. Great book! I would like to read "When Rabbit
    Howls" also. Only MPS people I have heard of have been women. Many have
    had success with art therapy. 
    
    I've seen Ms. Chase before on other talk shows. Her daughter was on
    Oprah also. My mother told me as I could not watch it. Child abuse
    stories really get to me and I don't like for the kids to see me cry.
    Anyway, her daughter was raised by the father and seems fine.
    
    Can anyone else suggest any other books?
    
    Kate    

	I believe that the book that Meredith is talking about in .16 is _The
Minds of Billy Milligan_, by Daniel Keyes. Billy is supposed to have had 24
separate personalities.


	--- Shawn

    There was a male with MPD in the news a couple of years ago. We
    discussed the news item among ourselves at massage school - exploring
    the effect our consciousness can have on the body.
    
    It seems this guy had been injured while in one of his personalities -
    he'd been sliced pretty well with a knife on the arm. When in that
    particular personality, he had restricted movement of the arm (as you
    would expect with the severe tendon damage he apparently had); but when
    in the personalities that didn't know about the injury, he had full
    use of his arm.
    
    --DE
    

    Just to add to .13:
    
    According to the Dr. (psychiatrist?) on Oprah, MPD stems specifically
    from *early* childhood abuse.  Early here means before the child's 
    "own" personality has fully formed.
    
    Nancy
    

    A little more on Multiplicity.
    
    
    Multiplicity, in its truest form, will occur only when traumatic,
    sustained abuse occurs before the finalization of a personality.  This
    means that after age 6-9, the odds of multiplicy fall dramatically.  As
    it happens, when a child is exposed to traumatic abuse, the young
    personality cannot cope with the reality of what is happening.  The
    original personality will "split" (although this is a misnomer, it is
    more akin to "births") a new personality.  But the new personality is
    only as strong as the original, first born personality.  So, most
    often, this new personality will also birth; and the cycle continues
    until enough people are present to each bear a portion of the burden.  
    
    The fact is the MPD is so unknown, that there are probably thousands of
    people with it who don't have any idea that the are multiples.  The
    disorder is often misdiagnosed as schizophrenia, due to the closeness
    in symptoms.  
    
    All people fragment their personality to some degree or another.  There
    is a definite "side" to me that handles my anger.  And boy, is she
    hell-on-wheels.  Anger was not an emotion I was allowed to have, as a
    child, so "Sue" doesn't get angry.  The part of me that does is only
    "seen" rarely.  My husband, who has been the target of my anger once in
    6 years, says that the angry side of me is very different that the
    normal side of me.  I am fully aware of what I am saying and doing when
    I am angry, and the regular part of me sort of "gives permission" to
    the angry me to go ahead and blast away...not a pretty picture.  
    
    It has taken the mental health profession years to come to gripes with
    the reality of multiplicity, and all it implies as to the nature of
    child abuse.  It was once thought that if abuse occurred very young,
    and then was stopped early, the damage would be minimal.  Unfortunately
    the opposite seems to be true.
    
    I would highly recommend further reading on multiplicity to anyone
    remotely interested.  It is a subject that grabs you and often times
    doesn't let go!
    
    Sue
    
    P.S The book When Rabbit Howls is often in the Psychology Section of
    the bookstore, rather than the Biography isle.
    
        

    RE: .21
    
    I've heard of multiples with different physical problems before,
    including one personality who was *allergic* to things that the
    other personalities were *not* allergice to!
    
    Nancy

    A friend of mine has recently discovered her mother has MPD.  Did
    anyone tape the Oprah show, and would they be willing to lend it out?
    
    thanx,
    
    -Jody
    

    I went in search of When Rabbit Howls and was told that all the
    stores were completely and the publishers are reprinted the book
    again.  
    
    denise

    On Thursday (6.7.90) I saw several paperback copies of _When Rabbit Howls_
    at the Book Corner (in the Marshall's, Ames, Marketbasket shopping area
    on Amherst Street in Nashua - or is it Merrimack? - NH).  I'm thinking
    of driving down tomorrow to pick up a copy; would anyone else care for
    one?  Sorry, I don't remember the price.
    
    aq
    

    Excuse if this has already been mentioned, but I haven't read all the
    responses.
    
    There is another book out about MPD called "Katherine, It's Time",
    which I saw in the new book section of my library last night. It's the
    biography of a women who at least 5 separate and distinct
    personalities.
    

    if you're still looking, there are 6 or 7 copies of the book at Annie's
    Book Swap in Auburn, MA (near the Auburn Mall)...
    
    -Jody