Lived Experience Forum

[DoneInDialogue]

Hoping others can introduce me to other movies they have seen on DIDs (or Multiple Personality Disorder as it was once termed) and by discussing our thoughts on these movies we can come to a deeper understanding of ourselves and others.

"The Three Faces of Eve" 1957 was an early movie with Joanne Woodward based on a true story and she did a brilliant performance. It also shows the understanding in psychiatry at that time and I had to wonder at the reason given for this woman's dissociation...but that's my thoughts given my own understanding. It also made me think of the effect social repression has on the human psyche and just how much of this woman's 'disorder' was due to the image women had to uphold in order to be treated with respect as a 'good woman'...nowadays we all joke about the 3 aspects of womanhood within just one woman?

"All Around Town" was based on a fictional book by Mary Higgins Clark and had the lot....reason, trigger, treatment and solution. Very much inline with my understanding of DIDs but of course in real life a solution coming from appropriate treatment in the way that occurred in the movie is pretty rare! Have also found DIDs can occur not just to the traumatic experience but the social or parental reaction to the person. A young child who is unable to express themselves to their parents or have the trauma 'verified' and hence that part of them accepted is forced to hide that part of themself.

Should haved checked on Utube to see if these movies are available.....wll do so now for links.

The Three Faces of Eve - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-B0_m6fW94

All Around Town - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXsj8K7apRw

[Former-Member]

"United States of Tara" with Toni Collett & John Corbet (mini series)

"Cybil"

[Queenie]

A not so good representation is 'Me, Myself and Irene'. It is supposed to be schizophrenia, but they talk about split personalities and Jim Carrey's character often dissociates into an alter at times. 

[Maggie]

I have MPD. I haven't found any movies helpful as they seem to dramatise the disorder. I was diagnosed by my psych and at the time found it a hard one. The nurses said it didn't exist leaving me confused. My personalities are not violent, they are helpful. Wouldn't be without them. There is a book I found helpful though, Multiple personality disorder from the inside out by Barry M Cohen Ester Giller Lynn W

[DoneInDialogue]

Sybil remake 2007 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXsj8K7apRw

Tawny, had forgotten about the Sybil movies, thanks for reminder.

This also reminded me of the book 'When Rabbit Howls"......both women experienced severely abusive childhoods where many many personalities formed in order to cope.....where each personality froze at the time and a new one emerged....interesting concept of therapy in the Sybil remake where Jessica Lange takes Sybil, through hypnosis, through each stage and personality as step by step she integrates all into the present age.

Oh what a joy to have the one committed and caring professional! Not a common reality with most dealing with DIDs?...I had to get whatever help wherever I could find it and do the work myself....my rational intellectual self could only really do this so the feelings and fragmentation remain although I found by 'doing a ceremony' I brought all my young selves together and placed them in a safe room closed off in my mind - safe and protected and unable to influence the older selves....have found no means of integrating the major older selves and find living as a hermit the best way of 'being at peace'.....as I am older now and don't have to constantly deal with the world and survival and all the many people one encounters.....cheers

[DoneInDialogue]

Maggie.....agree about many not accepting the reality of MPD and seems to show the lack of any exploration of the mind and how it works.....an essential I would think in this day and age where the mind has been at the forefront of exploration!....as for psychiatrists, can be so dangerous when they don't know what they're doing!

As for dramatising - how I felt about the United States of Tara....was  glad to see the concept explored especially by Toni Collette.....yet how could she exist in such fragmentation when surrounded by knowledge of her many selves and a stable and caring family?....so much occurs only when under incredible stress and without the knowledge and support of others?

[DoneInDialogue]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRBZ0Kjisl4

Just found this discussion on the effects of the study of Sybil and it's repercussions within the psychiatric fields and the use by the media in MPD 'hysteria'....

Doctors forcing questions or diagnoses on patients is definite no-no...can be so incredibly dangerous and damaging.....in my experience a person's own psyche will bring matters to the fore WHEN they are ready to deal with them!

[Maggie]

I too live like a hermit. The one person who has helped me is my Social Worker. She knew nothing about DID until she met me, and together we have learned, laughed cried philosified etc. psychs seem to discard the whole thing and you end up feeling insane. I knew one other person with the disorder who also withdrew. Seems the only way to survive.

[Former-Member]

Withdrawing is the safest way. People don't understand & being in a fast world & dealing with the unknown (getting lost, memory gaps etc) is so frightening.