Customer Reviews

Multiple Personality Disorder from the Inside Out

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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I personally think this is a wonderful book :) It's a collection of writing from 146 multiples and some of their significant others; lots of prose, some poetry and a little art.

The writing was sent in as a response to a questionnaire distributed to readers of <CITE>Many Voices</CITE> and members of ISSMP&D (now ISSD). It contained three open questions for multiples, and one for SOs. The multiple were asked what they wish they had known when they were first diagnosed, and what the would like therapists and SOs to know about MPD. SOs were asked what they would like to share with other friends and SOs of multiples.

From these questions there is is a huge range of responses. From people talking about the terror, or relief of their diagnosis as MP, to guidelines to prevent abuse in therapy, and for health workers dealing with multiples in the emergency room. It is this breadth that makes the book so valuable to me, I can go to it just wanting companionship in my fears, or looking for inspiration, or to help me find a solution to a problem in our inside work.

The book is divided into nine chapters; the first seven deal with the course of therapy (Diagnosis, Pain, Skeptics, Therapy Successes, Therapy Disappointments, Hope, Unification). The last two are about relationships, one (Families and Friends) talking about what the multiple wants from their relationships, the other (Other's Voices) a collection of writing by the SOs themselves, these are authored by many people, including a son, a daughter, a mother, spouses, partners and friends.

The main things I miss in it are writing by littles (I think there are 2 or 3 things, but I'd like to see more), writing by non-"host" alters in general (again there was a little, but not as much as I'd have liked) and writing by therapists.

All I can say in recommendation is that I've read it, I've loaned it to my SO to read, and my counselor read it cover to cover. I think it gave us all a little more hope, and understanding, something that we all so desperately need.

As someone who has DID/MPD, this is the best overall book I have read. It gives the perspective on MPD from those that know best, the people who have it. Being diagnosed with DID (the new name) is trauma in itself, let alone reading all the mis-information out there, and hearing the sensationalism. This book was like reading about myself. It validated my feelings and helped me not feel so alone and afraid. I still refer to parts of it for inspiration, information, and acknowledgment that I'm not crazy. I had my husband read the book, my therapist has read it, and anyone in my life that wants to be supportive also gets a copy. I am well on the road to recovery now, and I can truly say that this book helped me along the way.

This book was incredible. I wish I had read it when I was first diagnosed with the disorder, but I was well on my way into integration by the time I found it. Even still, it was helpful because I was able to see that others were feeling the same exact things I had felt and was still feeling. It validated my thoughts and feelings about every aspect of the disorder. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has been diagnosed with MPD, their therapists, their significant others and anyone else who knows someone with MPD and wants to understand what is happening to them.

I'm the significant other of a newly diagnosed multiple. And I'm hungry for information and understanding.

This book has helped me immensely in getting an idea of the subjective experience of having Dissociative Identity Disorder (or Multiple Personality Disorder), which has been valuable in understanding what my partner is dealing with.

However, it won't answer many practical questions about what MPD is, or how it's treated, or what to expect as therapy progresses.

The book is a collection of short passages written by people with DID, all organized loosely by subject. It's generally easy to read and understand, but as you might expect, some passages are very well written and very infomative and others are not so fluent. And, as at least one reviewer here mentioned, there's a great deal of poetry, which I mostly skipped over.

I cannot speak about what a newly diagnosed DID might take from this book, but I imagine it could be very reassuring in the early stages. But as a previous reviewer points out, there seem to be more passages about the very real pain and confusion of DID, and not so many about successful healing. That said, though, the book I think is realistically hopeful about treatment.

But I think this lack of focus on successful healing is a result of it being a compilation of passages written by people in the middle of the struggle, and not necessarily by people who've largely managed to complete the struggle. So readers might want to keep that in mind.

As the partner of a DID, reading this book helps me understand what's going on inside my partner's head. It has helped ease my mind somewhat, and it's pointed out aspects of her experience I wouldn't have known about otherwise. Every time I read from the book it makes want to hug her and protect her, and give her more of the love she needs.

This book was beneficial in assisting me with better understanding the experiences my clients live through with Dissociative Identity Disorder. Although not compiled specifically for clinicians, I found it gave me insight that I wouldn't have gotten in an academic piece.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who lives with DID, for their family and friends, and for Therapists and Case Managers who work with people diagnosed with DID (MPD). The book encourages empathy with, and greater understanding into, people living with this special coping strategy.

Finally something that explains how the diagnosis feels for the one experiencing dissociation. Unfortunately it does not fully explain the terrible trauma that causes it to occur. I am always concerned about the overdramatization of the diagnosis. Recovering from over use of this defense mechanism is a long and exhausting task and having to combat the prejudice that is associated with it by those with a complete lack of understanding is almost as traumatizing as the initial abuse. My hope is that those who read this book will read it with compassion and an open mind

This book is an extremely excellent read. Every person with multiple personality disorder and anyone who cares about and loves them needs to read this book. For the multiple this is a must read, I /we personally identified with most of the things the other multiples experiences were listed, it was alot of aha moments. Like wow I have experience this and identify with it. It made me feel not so alone or weird. For loved ones and friends this book should shed alot of light on how their multiple feels and what they go through regularly, it should give them a much better understanding. This book is written by multiples and edited by the professionals. It is a definate must read for everyone. I loved the book, better than any other I have read so far.

If your friend or loved one has MPD or DID, this book helps to understand them from the inside. It helped me understand better, the hell that my loved one is going through. It also gave me hope. If you are studing psychology this book will enhance your understanding.

This small book was one of the first of it's kind when I was first learning about my own personality disorder. Years later I was lucky enough to meet the editor, Lynn W who nows has ManyVoicesPress com that helps thousands each day find more answers. A great book to begin to understand trauma and it's effect on mankind.

If you are a multiple or a multiple's SO, this would be a great book for your collection. While it may not give any valuable tips to make life as a multiple easier, it is a collection of over 140 multiples' thoughts on a variety of matters--many of which may match your own. By reading this, you will learn that many of the things that are hard for you are hard for other multiples as well... and after all, misery loves company.