Customer Reviews

Silencing the voices: one woman's experience with multiple personality disorder

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Even today, Multiple Personality Disorder(MPD) challenges psychologists and health care practitioners. One common denominator MPD patients seem to share is childhood trauma, usually sexual and/or physical abuse. Children use the natural human ability to "disassociate" when the pain or trauma becomes more than they can bear. After the body has been hurt, the child may no longer feel the pain because the mind has found "a safer place to be." In MPD "alters" or "other personalities" emerge; they may be male or female, child or adult, extrovert or introvert. This book is the journey of Jean Darby Cline from childhood abuse at the hands of her father, verbal abuse in her first marriage, and diagnosis as a "multiple" to therapy and healing with the help of Jack M. Reiter, M.D.,P.S.

As the book will reveal, the healing process can be as painful as the childhood abuse. During therapy, the patient often relives the memories and pain of the abuse. Often MPD patients are not aware, prior to therapy, of the multiples living inside them. They may realize there is a problem but not know exactly what the problem is. Jean Darby Cline exposes her feelings, fears and pain, and gives the reader a true account and inside view of what it is like to live with MPD. In her case, she had three alters, but it is not uncommon for patients to have many, many more as was the case in the book, "Sybil."

If you want to learn more on MPD, I would highly recommend "Silencing the Voices" as well as, "First Person Plural" by Cameron West(see my review.)Both are excellent books on the subject.

As the spouse of a multiple I found this book to be very informative in the area of how the multiple personalities process in their mind the abuse they are put through. I noted many similarities from my own observations. One of my wife's personalities wants to read the book but I've cautioned her about the potential triggering portions but also stated that she might find the description of the road to integration to be encouraging. Congradulations to the author. I have an understanding of the strength it took to write this book.

In doing research about Dissociative Identity Disorder I was referred to this book. It clarified so many things about the disorder, how it works, how if affects everyone from the patient to the family and how it can be cured. I highly recommend this book! It's a wonderful story of support and recovery and also gives a graphic depiction into the mind/life of an abuser; through her father's actions. Jean has done a good job of relaying her experiences to the world.

As a multiple, I found this book informative about MPD. I also liked the fact that the author was a very high functioning individual who was able to behave just like everyone else for most of her life--just like most of us do. It protrayed her struggles with her multiplicity in an easy to read format. She was telling her own story. If you are a survivor, be careful because there can be quite a few triggering scenes of her abuse. You will relate to at least some of it. However, what she told, needed to be told for the reader to fully understand the severity of her abuse which led to MPD. I wish there was more about how and when her alters were formed. The integration seemed too simple considering what the priocess entails and the length of time it takes. But I'm not sure any of this can fully be explained by anyone. You just have to live through it and she did. It was a very hopeful book and that was the best part. It was not an easy book to read, but one that should be read if you are familiar with MPD.

A very realistic witnessing of what sexual abuse means to a child, and a very vivid description of MPD. What I find also very interesting is the description of the mother's attitude of not willing to believe that this all has happened. This book certainly required an unbelievable courage to her author. By the way : easy to read, even if one is not a native speaker of English

While I must say I was very impressed with the author's determination and ability to write about her ordeal - I felt the book really lacked an insider perspective. It seemed to be about the challenges of life rather than what was going on inside of her (feelings, understandings, fears) - I guess I was dissatisfied with the emphasis of the book on the "real life" stuff and not enough on the process of therapy and self-discovery. Also I was very concerned about the author's children. Not enough was said about them and their welfare in the midst of the chaos imposed by the MPD and the abusive father. One last thing - although this woman's last husband was clearly open-minded and supportive - what about his kissing JD (a child)? I felt like there wasn't enough consideration for the reality that this couple had a child in their bed sometimes. Perhaps JD was able to take care of herself and "go away" as was suggested - but I found that so simplistic. In my opinion this book was not written for others like the author - but for people who don't understand MPD and what's it like to live with it. (which clearly is important, too.)

Jean Cline's recounting of her horrific experiences with her twisted father took courage. She does not back away from her experiences in retelling them in this book; she confronts them and by setting an example encourages others to do likewise.

Jean Cline developed three distinct personalities to cope with her overwhelming life conditions. Like most persons with DID/MPD, she was highly creative, artistically talented and suffered horrendous abusive childhood experiences. She gives a fresh voice to this now recognized condition and it is through her perseverance that she is able to "integrate" her "alters" and become a core. She is Gestalt; the whole person is greater than the sum of her parts (alters). Like a shifting kaleidoscope, Jean Cline shifts into various patterns of behavior and appearances. Like a kaleidoscope, at no time is she ever the same. Once integrated, she is able to make peace with herself.

Here is a true sucess story and proof to men and women that they can recover despite the cruel and painful reality of the past. This true story is consistent with the lives of many of the women that I have met at the domestic violence shelter where I am an intern. Last summer Jean shared her story with the residents at the shelter. The women were left with the hope of the present as we listened to her story.
The trauma of sexual abuse destroys the lives of too many individuals. Most go on to marry abusive partners, as if it were normal to be put-down, called names, and isolated from family and friends. Their lives are threatened to keep the silince. Over time, they feel as if they deserve this treatment. Jean Darby Cline revealed her story as she was crazy because of the mysterious entanglements that were parts of her reality. Her beliefs were reinforced each time she was misdiagnosed and returned to a mental hospital.
As one women stated she "treated me like an equal." This was perhaps the first time she had been treated as such.
Because of Jean's recovery, she was able to weave humor into her presentation that helped me to understand that there is always room for faith, even after such an abusive life. I rate her book and presentation a ten.

This is a very well written book and worth reading. It is a documentation of incest and all of its painful ramifications on the survivor, their future health and happiness and their families. This book reveals to the reader the horrifying experience a child faces when subjected to incest, how the adult of incest can overcome the experience with the help and support from friends, family and good psychiatrists.

As the spouse of someone with MPD, I have searched in vain for information and even support in dealing with this disorder on a daily basis. At last I found someone that describes the things my spouse went through and shows me that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you so much Jean!!!