Diversity in All Forms! discussion

Please suggest books for the Bonus Read topic: Multiple Personality Day.

You have till 2/22/20 :)

Set This House in Order

A Fractured Mind: My Life with Multiple Personality Disorder by Robert B. Oxnam

I just was wondering if we could use/why we aren't using Dissociative Identity Disorder? It hasn't been called MPD since the DSM III in 1980 and some patients find the term multiple personality, and the connotations/jokes that come with it, problematic. Not that everyone agrees, of course. I just wondered, since most multiples I've met prefer DID.

Either way I am very excited for this reading. I suggest Living with the Reality of Dissociative Identity Disorder: Campaigning Voices compiled by Xenia Bowlby, it's a variety of stories from survivors that the authors have put together to reflect the lives of survivors and the nature of the disorder.

There are some really good books out there one of the first I ever read is When Rabbit Howls. I've read A Fractured Mind: My Life with Multiple Personality Disorder it is good. I cant remember all the names and I donated many of my books to the reading room at the mental health clinic. I lent others out and the were never seen again.

Most books out there are cases of extreme trauma which can be confussing for newly diagnosed who experienced trauma but not anything that severe.

If we are to read a book about people with MPD, it means more than likely the book will feature descriptions of extreme trauma, whether it does so briefly or in depth. MPD does not usually happen unless extreme trauma was experienced. If people are newly diagnosed, and are still suffering violently from PTSD, they should avoid this particular book topic at all costs.

Apparently a majority wanted to read about MPD or DID. Whatever. I assume voters knew what kind of traumas are likely to be discussed. But, if you are unaware. MPD happens to people usually who as children experienced horrific abuses, worse than normal abuses.

When they become adults they may beginning remembering parts of stuff that happened to them as a child that they today have absolutely no memory of until these bits and flashes start happening. The problem which handicaps people who have classic MPD is these folks buried such memories inside "alters", who remember every second, but kept it from the person, or other alters, from remembering. Maybe the person is not at the stage, if ever, that they ever remember the past, but the alters get triggered into coming out and take over. Some alters know each other, some alters have no idea they are sharing a life with alters.

It makes for a chaotic life for people with MPD or DID.

DID is an umbrella term - the spectrum of disassociation. MPD is a more particular form of DID. It is like people can be on the autism spectrum, or can have a specific form of autism called Asperger's.

If a reader is sensitive or suffering from PTSD, they should absolutely not participate in this selection. Again, I presume voters knew or want to know about this mental condition.

'Set This House in Order', which I have recommended above and have read, if I remember correctly, did not go into graphic details. It only demonstrated through two characters what living with MPD is like. It is novel of fiction which uses real symptoms as told to the author.

Claire wrote: "I just was wondering if we could use/why we aren't using Dissociative Identity Disorder? It hasn't been called MPD since the DSM III in 1980 and some patients find the term multiple personality, an..."
Yeah, same here. I'm honestly kind of disturbed that this misleading name for a psychiatric disease is still in the name of an international "holiday".

In addition to warnings about most books on this topic involving trauma, several memoirs make fraudulent claims. "Sybil" is the one that comes to the top of my mind:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sybil_(...

aPriL does feral sometimes wrote: "If we are to read a book about people with MPD, it means more than likely the book will feature descriptions of extreme trauma, whether it does so briefly or in depth. MPD does not usually happen u..."

Hi April,

So, MPD is not a sub-disorder/more specific "type" of DID. DID stands for Dissociative Identity Disorder and is the proper, clinically used term for what most colloquially call multiple personality disorder. This term became obsolete in the 1980's and is largely seen as offensive by those with DID. DID (and thus "MPD") are part of the Dissociative Disorders category of the DSM, other dissociative disorders including dissociative amnesia, depersonalization disorder, etc. Otherwise yes, it is typically prompted by severe, most often repeated/long term abuse. DID is especially prevalent in survivors of religious or sexual abuse.

Asperger's is also not used anymore clinically, as it was not different/clinically differentiated from autism, but rather one possible presentation of the same neurotype.

Just wanted to clarify these things as I do not know if your info is from the book or elsewhere or when that novel was written, but things have changed considerably over the years in terms of classifying, diagnosing, and treating dissociative disorders.

Sarah wrote: "Claire wrote: "I just was wondering if we could use/why we aren't using Dissociative Identity Disorder? It hasn't been called MPD since the DSM III in 1980 and some patients find the term multiple ..."

My highschool intro to psych (special senior year class) teacher taught the entire dissociation disorders unit based on the movie Sybil. I was dating a multiple at the time and was not particularly thrilled lol.

Claire wrote: "aPriL does feral sometimes wrote: "If we are to read a book about people with MPD, it means more than likely the book will feature descriptions of extreme trauma, whether it does so briefly or in d..."

I was in therapy for twenty-five years: one helped me for twenty years and she retired, two were more recent. The two before that met me in the 1970's/ 1980's and were very confused.

I am a survivor of severe child abuse. My info comes from the three psychologists - Ph.D.s - who most helped me explore my past and helped me live with my memories.

I am very familiar with the various DSM changes throughout the last fifty years, as well as flashbacks, nightmares, etc. and probably most recovery techniques - fads and real. I have seen confident young doctors and police who lost their sh*t when faced with genuine evil, and old psychiatrists who hoped despite changes of words in various techniques and psychiatric descriptions something would help.

My first therapist (1970's) was a terrified student - he lasted one visit - not because of me but he couldnt bear hearing about my childhood. My second was a Freudian - he was old (1980's, a recommendation -terrible) He was very sympathetic, but the worst kind of treatment. After that (1990's) I was able to find an experienced middle-aged woman - the best. She was very flexible in trying new things, kept up with conferences, DSM reversals of thought.

I kept trying because PTSD was awful. But deductions, gender prejudices and treatments took awhile to catch up to treating accurately to the problems - strangely, older era psychologists tried to fit patients into the DSM, not actually observe the patient.

I am fine now - no more psychologists needed. I barely have flashbacks, and when I do, it is without emotion except curiosity. So nobody please be concerned. However, I have become somewhat, idk, exasperated? with people who go by the DSM only. The DSM has changed two times in my lifetime.

I'm not gay, but the DSM used to consider homosexuality a perversion to be cured.

Here is the poll: https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...