The Jekyll and Hyde Syndrome: What to Do If Someone in Your Life Has a Dual Personality - or If You Do [Hardcover]

Beverly Engel (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0470042249 | ISBN-13: 978-0470042243 | Publication Date: April 13, 2007 | Edition: 1

Beverly Engel brings her expertise to this important examination of the Jekyll and Hyde Syndrome—the first book to address this abusive syndrome. She discusses the origins of the disorder, names its seven major manifestations, explains how to identify Jekyll and Hyde behavior in other people and in oneself, and outlines clear steps for how to heal Jekyll and Hyde tendencies for good.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

While every person has a dark side, some people experience unpredictable or abusive mood swings that are more dramatic than average: the spouse or parent who is loving one minute and totally enraged the next, the friend whose personality changes dramatically after drinking alcohol or taking drugs, or the person who lives a double life, appearing to be the pinnacle of virtue in public while leading an entirely different existence—even maintaining a separate identity—in private. People like these suffer from what the internationally acclaimed therapist and emotional abuse expert Beverly Engel calls the Jekyll and Hyde syndrome. If you or someone you know is a Jekyll and Hyde, you know the distress, fear, confusion, and chaos that living with this behavior can cause.

In The Jekyll and Hyde Syndrome, Engel explains for the first time what the syndrome is and how to cope with the Jekyll and Hydes in your life. Engel identifies the seven types of Jekyll and Hydes and discusses the specific psychological conditions and childhood experiences that can create Jekyll and Hyde personalities. She explores the damage the syndrome can inflict on those who are close to a sufferer, such as lost self-esteem, confusion and disorientation, and the stress of "walking on eggshells" to avoid conflict. With the help of questionnaires and real stories from her life and psychotherapy practice, she gives specific information and techniques to help you recognize and deal with someone with a Jekyll and Hyde personality, including how to:

• Know whether you are in a relationship with a Jekyll and Hyde

• Overcome your tendencies toward denial, self-blame, and isolation from others

• Trust your perceptions and identify and confront Jekyll and Hyde behavior

• Determine whether the Jekyll and Hyde in your life has a personality disorder

• Decide whether to continue your relationship with a Jekyll and Hyde

• Identify Jekyll and Hyde behavior in yourself and take steps for change

There is no need to suffer silently from Jekyll and Hyde behavior. With Engel's eye-opening insights on dual personalities and her powerful prescriptions, you can begin to bring the healing benefits of understanding, empowerment, and change to your relationships with others and with yourself.

From the Back Cover

Praise for Beverly Engel The Jekyll and Hyde Syndrome

"Living with a Jekyll and Hyde, forever walking on eggshells, is no way to live. It takes its toll physically and mentally, whether the person's problem is Borderline Personality Disorder or something else. In this exciting new book, Engel gives hope to millions by showing them how to get off the emotional roller coaster no matter what their situation is."
—Randi Kreger, coauthor of Stop Walking on Eggshells: Taking Your Life Back When Someone You Care about Has Borderline Personality Disorder and founder of BPDCentral.com

"Beverly Engel traverses a wide spectrum as she explicates The Jekyll and Hyde Syndrome. She boils down the common essences of various psychiatric disorders such as Borderline and Narcissistic Personality Disorders and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder to describe the conflicted bipolar Shadows of those whose expressions to the world vary so widely. Easy-to-understand explanations and advice in dealing with individuals with changeable personalities allow The Jekyll and Hyde Syndrome to describe the Yin and Yang of those engaged in this monumental human struggle."
—Jerold J. Kreisman, m.d. coauthor of Sometimes I Act Crazy: Living with Borderline Personality Disorder and I Hate You, Don't Leave Me: Understanding the Borderline Personality The Emotionally Abusive Relationship

"Beverly Engel clearly and with caring offers step-by-step strategies to stop emotional abuse . . . helping both victims and abusers to identify the patterns of this painful and traumatic type of abuse."
—Marti Tamm Loring, Ph.D., author of Emotional Abuse: The Trauma and the Treatment Loving Him without Losing You

"A powerful and practical guide to relationships that every woman should read."
—Barbara De Angelis, Ph.D., author of Secrets about Life Every Woman Should Know and How Did I Get Here?

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (April 13, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470042249
• ISBN-13: 978-0470042243
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #452,499 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #86 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Mental Health > Bipolar

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Jekyll and Hyde Syndrome, May 11, 2007

By 

Maggie - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Jekyll and Hyde Syndrome: What to Do If Someone in Your Life Has a Dual Personality - or If You Do (Hardcover)

What a lifesaver this book was for me for understanding the behaviors of some people close to me who seem to possess this syndrome as well as my reaction to them. Ms. Engel's compassion for both the victims of people with this syndrome as well as the Jekyll and Hydes themselves gave a wonderful perspective into understanding the thought processes that both parties must endure as well as the tools to cope with your Jekyll and Hyde's and/or your own behavior. I recommend this book to anyone who is dealing with someone who is extremely moody and has suffered the wrath of their sudden emotional outursts and personality changes as well as to anyone trying to understand their own behavior and how they affect the people in their lives.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Jeckle and Hyde Syndrome by Beverly Engel, October 11, 2009

By 

Mary Smith "Wife and mother" (Sumter,SC USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Jekyll and Hyde Syndrome: What to Do If Someone in Your Life Has a Dual Personality - or If You Do (Hardcover)

What an excellent, well-written, easy to understand and totally truthful book this is. I have lived with Mr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde for 46 years and only recently, with the enlightening information in this book , can say now I understand, and now I can know for sure that this is all very real. The greatest relief has come over me because I can finally put into words what I knew to be a fact all this time. I know that life is going to be better now, not perfect, but so much better. I have already seen some changes in Mr. Hyde, at least in his reactions to the way I respond to his abusive outbursts which seemingly come from almost nowhere. I understand now that confrontation will never change Mr Hyde and he may never fully admit to his verbal, psychological and emotional abuse. I do believe, however, that there is now real hope for a less stressful marriage and maybe one day he will read this book and discover a new life for himself. I have purchased a copy of this book for each of our four children, who are now grown with families of their own, knowing that they will be helped greatly in their understanding of their father and the life they lived with him growing up. I pray it will help them to guard against and end this cycle of abuse. God bless you Beverly Engel.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally!, February 15, 2008

By 

CTFemme (Wallingford, CT United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Jekyll and Hyde Syndrome: What to Do If Someone in Your Life Has a Dual Personality - or If You Do (Hardcover)

Finally, all of the unhealthy relationships I've been in make sense. This book is a must-have for anybody who has anybody in their life that seems to continually change. It helps the reader to understand the patterns of the person they are involved with as well as their own patterns and why they attract this type into their lives. If anybody you know has a Jekkyll and Hyde personality, this book is for you. Things will begin making a lot more sense by the first chapter. Excellent read.