TV’s Split Personality

Apparently Showtime doesn't want to know the REAL facts about DID, and what a person who has DID struggles with on an hourly basis. I feel insulted to have received an obvious "form email letter" in response to my heartfelt email to Showtime. What I saw in the first episode, is that Mr. Spielberg is using "sex, sex, and more sex", to sell a series.

At least with the massive number of anti-Tara emails that Showtime obviously has received from DID sufferers, they have included an "informative" video from Dr. Kluft; however, even in his short documentary, he did not address the magnitude of the horrific childhood sexual abuse that causes Dissociative Identity Disorder. The so called "consultant" that the writer, Diablo Cody is conferring with, had DDNOS, not DID. Apples and oranges... sigh.

Imagine for a moment, if you can: A new Showtime series called, "The Deformed State of Tara" - a COMEDY about a girl who confronts comedic situations in her every day life revolving around her dealing with her inability to climb stairs, her sexual encounters, and her comedic experiences with people staring at her scarred and deformed face and arms. (As a child, her parents had physically abused her so intensely, that her repeatedly broken bones resulted in a leg amputation, and the repeated burns the parents inflicted on her arms and face resulted in grotesque scarring which made her face appear as almost inhuman.)

This scenario is NO DIFFERENT than creating a "COMEDY" about a person who suffers from a disorder caused by repeated, early childhood RAPE AND INCEST. One might say that the results of childhood physical abuse are apparent to outsiders, but the results of childhood sexual abuse resulting in Dissociative Identity Disorder are also readily apparent to others in public. Raping young children is NOT comedic.

Does this life seem like a comedy?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JZcEsOQFXc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5DEV6OqPJk

Multiple personalities are EXTREMELY rare, and there is discussion as to whether they truely exist at all, or are merely extreme compartimentalism of life, due probaly to emotional trauma. These personalities, are such, personalities, NOT identities. I really hope to God the show isn't calling it scizophrenia, which is an ENTIRELY different syndrome. In that affliction, the patient has a break from reality, not a division of personalities. Though probaly entertaining, no doutb Miss Colette has been a favorite of mine for years; Sixth Sense, Velvet Goldmine, Muriel's Wedding, Little Miss Sunshine. She is an extremely versitile actress. This has nothing to do with demons, its a way of coping; I wasn't the one being molested, it was my otherself. This is more a self denial than a true separation of awareness. The victim knows all along she and the mol,ested are one in the same, but is so traumatized she or he can't come to terms to speak about it. I suffered a permenant injury do to a prank that was essentially a pshyical torture (see Casino Royale), and I couldn't come to terms enough to talk about it and admit it happened for 25 years, inspite of moderate, daily, distracting discomfort. I just hope that the producers of this show put up a disclaimer in the beginning to assure people that this isn't actual medical, psychiatric, science.

Jeff Dranetz
Weymouth, MA

Multiple personalities are EXTREMELY rare, and there is discussion as to whether they truely exist at all, or are merely extreme compartimentalism of life, due probaly to emotional trauma. These personalities, are such, personalities, NOT identities. I really hope to God the show isn't calling it scizophrenia, which is an ENTIRELY different syndrome. In that affliction, the patient has a break from reality, not a division of personalities. Though probaly entertaining, no doutb Miss Colette has been a favorite of mine for years; Sixth Sense, Velvet Goldmine, Muriel's Wedding, Little Miss Sunshine. She is an extremely versitile actress. This has nothing to do with demons, its a way of coping; I wasn't the one being molested, it was my otherself. This is more a self denial than a true separation of awareness. The victim knows all along she and the mol,ested are one in the same, but is so traumatized she or he can't come to terms to speak about it. I suffered a permenant injury do to a prank that was essentially a pshyical torture (see Casino Royale), and I couldn't come to terms enough to talk about it and admit it happened for 25 years, inspite of moderate, daily, distracting discomfort. I just hope that the producers of this show put up a disclaimer in the beginning to assure people that this isn't actual medical, psychiatric, science.

Hello everyone. Can we all just get along? Interesting story and interesting comments. But most are busy arguing. Medicine does help people with mental problems. I've seen this first hand. Whether the medicine just masks symptoms or cures the disease it still debateable I guess. I am okay with science. Especially medical science. As for all science, as in the science that creates atom bombs that can destroy the world? Well I am not fond of that type of science. I guess all science is not created equal lol I believe in God. I believe people have souls. Is it energy? Maybe. To me personally, od is not a myth. God is the universal spirit. Children born with cancer? How sad. Bu maybe they are special souls that God wants with him sooner than later. I dunno. But God makes me beautiful. God makes me kind. God makes me forgiving. God makes me gentle. What is wrong with that?

From UF Lady Gator- There are a lot of people in the "dark ages" about mental illness and they stay that way until someone they love or care about is diagnosed with a mental illness. Do all of you know that the mentally ill used to be chained up in cells and displayed like animals in zoos? Do you know that the mentally ill used to be put in closed "hamster" wheels (no light) and the wheel was spun whenever the "keepers" wanted to do it. Do you know that the mentally ill were thrown in tubs of ice water (as a therapy) or even burned at the stake? Many were chained or tied to beds for years at the time.
Our bodies are made up of trillions of cells. Each cell has 1/2 of the genetic information from your mother and 1/2 of the genetic information from your father. Any illness or trait carried in that genetic material can be transmitted to the next generation.
My mother had bipolar disorder. My cousin had bipolar disorder, I have bipolar and my identical twin sister has bipolar disorder, I chose not to have children because my child could suffer from bipolar disorder.
I have this disease through no fault of my own. It has cost me thousands and thousands of dollars over the years. I take 5 medications proven to shorten my life. After teaching high school science for 20 years, my disease became so bad that I could not handle my job and the disease. I could not get away for appointments. Employers will not work with you. I am on disability. I hope I can return to work during the next school year. My psychiatrist says, "probably not."
I have this disease through no fault of my own. It is a biological condition. Anyone who believes otherwise should go to www.nami.org or www.dbsalliance.org.

paco050976 - this isn't it at all! I believe it is possible to contract a physical illness due to a spiritual problem - demonic possession, affliction, etc. It doesn't logically follow, though, that ALL physical afflictions have noncorporeal causes. If you are exposed to modest radiation over a long period of time, you will probably get cancer. If your blood is exposed to HIV, you will probably contract the virus. Our cellular machinery is by its very nature imperfect, and any number of unfortunate contingencies can cause cancers, infections, and systemic failures.

Whether some ailments are caused by simple human weakness or a more nefarious origin, I cannot say for sure. Alcoholism (and other addictions), for instance, might be completely physical. Having seen the effects of addiction on loved ones, though, it certainly *seems* as if they are battling a literal entity, albeit an unseen one. When somebody actually starts hearing voices or seeing figures that nobody else can see, or when they start acting like something else or blacking out for periods of time...well science and medicine have never satisfactorily answered that one. It seems like demons (or Satan or evil spirits or whatever you want to call it) to me! Our brain structure isn't set up to be able to handle multiple minds within one body, and sometimes we have trouble handling even that one mind!

Going to church or getting exorcised isn't going to heal you. I've seen miraculous healing before, it DOES happen, but just because you go through the motions or even just because you believe doesn't mean it WILL happen. God isn't some prayer-granting machine and is not beholden to us. And just because we've brought tragedy upon ourselves, or because our bodies fail us or the world breaks us, that doesn't mean God owes us anything. The question of evil does not seem comprehensible to humans, and perhaps it is not.

That you for your concern, paco050976. She is very well now, and praising the LORD continually.

Bimston - basically what you're saying is if drugs don't cure an illness, it isn't really an illness, but demonic influence? Is this true of cancer? vo1itw - Your story frightens me and I hope your ex-wife is alive and well.

"stresses the need to have positive portrayals of individuals with mental illness"

eh? There is positively no good thing for a person with mental illness or for those around them. What sort of fantasy is this? Such thinking falls in line with paco050976's quote from K.Marx: "The criticism of religion is, therefore, in embryo, the criticism of that vale of tears of which religion is the halo" The religion is science and poor things, hope is their un-won halo.

As I said, no one has any answers. No argument for success on either side.

like marx said:
Religion is, indeed, the self-consciousness and self-esteem of man who has either not yet won through to himself, or has already lost himself again. But man is no abstract being squatting outside the world. Man is the world of man???state, society. This state and this society produce religion, which is an inverted consciousness of the world, because they are an inverted world. Religion is the general theory of this world, its encyclopedic compendium, its logic in popular form, its spiritual point d'honneur, its enthusiasm, its moral sanction, its solemn complement, and its universal basis of consolation and justification. It is the fantastic realization of the human essence since the human essence has not acquired any true reality. The struggle against religion is, therefore, indirectly the struggle against that world whose spiritual aroma is religion. Religious suffering is, at one and the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness. To call on them to give up their illusions about their condition is to call on them to give up a condition that requires illusions. The criticism of religion is, therefore, in embryo, the criticism of that vale of tears of which religion is the halo

sooooo whats your solution vixterdaven???? lets all bring to church and try to excersize them,,, cause it will save theier souls....

righhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhht,,,, like its thier fault that they have this illness??? tell me cmoore13 and all you godfreaks,, what did these poor people do to deserve this illness???maybe you need to go thru what these people go thru on a daily basis and realiise maybe just maybe god may not be the answer to everything,, thats the difference between me an y ou,, im more of a realist and accept reality,, not higher gods or powers that simply put, do not exist or prove themselves physically,, prove to me phyically,,, scientificlly that god helps,, then maybe some of us none beleivers will believe your crap

I am of the firm belief that God helps those that helps themselves. There is no reason that a combination of conventional drugs/therapy and religious faith would not be more successful then either of those alone. God created man, who in turn created a lot of the medication used- that knowledge wouldn't have been given if it wasn't part of his plan. As for the argument that I already see coming- why does God allow man to create such things as the bomb, meth, etc- it's called free will. We still have to make the choices.

Well then guys we have our solution,,,,,,,, gods mercy,,,, instead of science and medicine,, lets all pray that the ignorance and uneducated individuals in this world dont ever come to power for all of civiilization is screwed if you think that gods mercy will cure all bipolars and people with mental illness,,,,,,,, these diseases are not to be delt with lightly,,, just a couple hundred years ago people were burned at the stake for saying and acting crazy and delusional,,,, now you say,,, 'oh, may the mercy of god cure us all,," then why doenst this so call god do so??? im prety sure ill get some bull like,,, ' oh well he challenges us all in different ways"" or some scripture justifying this challenge,, well i think its a crock and that unles you have cold hard physical evidence , your demons are all make believe and i hope that none of you crackpots try to prevent science from helping these poor people!

Demon theory is much more rational than the so-called scientific diagnoses of DID, schizophrenia, etc. If the problem was chemical, then pharmacological agents would cure the disorder. However, they more frequently (as vo1itw said) merely "mask" the problem - and not very well at that! Spiritual guidance from a pastor or right-minded therapist is often more effective than drugs and therapy that "conventional" psychiatrists burden us with. God doesn't burden us with tragedy; we bring it upon ourselves, and often must seek His guidance to be healed.

As for the existence of God and Satan, consider this: not only do more people believe in them, more people alive and dead have actually witnessed Him, spoken with Him, and been healed by Him than have ever even heard of the so-called father of modern atheism, Bertrand Russell. More people believe in demons and angels than in crackpot "scientific" theories like materialism. This isn't a scientific statement, per se, but a statement of faith and logical fact. Demonic influence both explains these disorders better than "science" and offers us insight into how to treat them.

Just because somebody is not familiar with something (God and/or Satan in this case), or doesn't understand it, or was never properly taught about it, or just simply chooses not to believe it, does not in itself make the something wrong or nonexistent.

I actually experienced this "mythology" first-hand a few years ago with my wife. When her "mood swings" became so intense that we ended up in divorce court and the judge ordered her to undergo psychiatric evaluation as part of the custody process, it was determined by the medical community that she suffered from either bipolar disorder or narcissistic personality disorder. She was prescribed medicine to "control" her condition. It wasn't until God (in His mercy) showed me in a dream one night the real cause of her problems that we were finally able to address the issue.

It's a very long story, but also a very real story.

Now do you see where the real problem lies? It is the media and education system that teaches us that certain things are true and other things are false that get us brainwashed into what is "real" and what is "myth".

demon theory. why demons? why not unicorns or leprechans? Or care bears? And of course, in your scenario God is responsible for all the good in he world but has zero responsibility for unjust occurances like mental illness or childhood inlficted cancers. Riiiiiiiiight. Your premise is illogical. Religion has done more to cripple peoples mental health than any "demon".