Inside Karen’s Crowded Mind

To trevorg: Hopefully we truly HAVE heard the last from you, as your frequent posts have been some of the most nonsensical gibberish I've had the misfortune of encountering. Mind you, I deal with highly delusional and psychotic folks regularly, so this is truly high praise. To the rest of you, who have posted and shared stories about your own journeys through abuse recovery and healing, you have my most profound respect. It's your inspirational strength and change that keeps me in this profession after so many years.

Brain Stains, October 2007 in Scientific American Mind - if you haven't read it - you need to. Victimization comes in different forms. Sometimes, the 'abuser' is NOT your family... Seek more information. Dig deep. Iatrogenic possibilities run rampant.

Interesting to see a mainstream news magazine tackling, ever so gingerly, a topic aboud DID without screaming about false memory 'syndrome' or running on forever about the lack of ethics in the therapeutic ommunity.

I was diagnosed about ten years ago, after leaving a therapist who doubted my memories. My current therapist, a skilled trauma therapist with profound expertise in EMDR, has helped me come to terms with my abuse history. rather than seek pure integration, we have sought to improve internal communication and self respect, with the result that our daily lives are much, much easier. I lost count after 14 alters, and now simply deal with whoever is "up" in therapy. Unlike some DID, we have always remained coconscious, which helps in building those internal communciation lines. I've been able to "do my work" hwile remaining professionally functional, and am well-known and respected in my profession, viewed as a solid rainmaker by my current professional organization, where I hold a senior role in both management and service provision. I am happily married with a comapssionate wife whose trust and respect helped create a foundation for my personal healing journey.

I've always been fascinated with those who claim this condition is "rare"; via my support groups and via personal development retreats, I've run into many many folks with this condition. Most of us function damn well, doing jobs, raising families, contributing to our communities. I frankly think that DID, in various depths and permutations, is far, far more common than may be realized.

I also think that, as statistical data improves, the casual misunderstaning about who abuses who might change... In my groups, in the retreats I attend, it is clear that sexual abuse is "equal opportunity"; there are many like me who were abused by both genders.

I lost my best friend to DID and I have two requests:
To those who have been diagnosed: Please don't ever give up. Although at times it must feel like no one understands, please know that there are so many of us that love you. We just don't know what to do. Taking your life may end your pain, but for those of us who are left behind...
To the families of DID's: Be there for them. Don't hide, don't judge and just embrace. If you are scared and are questioning, just imagine what THEY are feeling. Love them, be there for them - they would do that for you.

Hey Rainstormangel! Holy crap! You stated that you are educated! My, My, if you haven't heard that the best sex center, like most centers, are in the BRAIN, then I guess you got an F in your testing!
Have you indeed ever seen a comatose individual being turned on with anything sexual being done to them physically?
Geez, Louise, when, people ,are you going to go to LOGICAL SENCE?????????????
Bye, Bye, you weirdos are simply too much for me to waste my time on!
Hope, someday you see the light of common sence and aren't brainwashed!

Yo Thomas H! What crap again! How do I know that the worse of the worse, a monitary quack therapist /psychiatrist or two are part of that scenario for OBVIOUS reasons, to discredit me and send these poor souls to years of none ending stupid therapy that will ONLY profit the money maker - until your client's money or insurance runs out???????????????????????????????????????????????????
IF and that's a big IF, are part of the medical system in any way, shape or form - SHAME ON YOU! for you have indeed broken your hypocratic oath "Above all, do no harm." Mental health therapy should never - Make individuals WORSE- by going backwards - a nowhere place, but, in a cognitive way, let's go forward and live the rest of our lives to the best and happiest of our ability.
Being HAPPY and Successful - IS the BEST REVENGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
These will be my last words on this subject as my dearly departed daughter and grandbaby truly want me to live my life in happiness until I join them, councience free an hopefully I left a message - PLEASE STOP USING THE ABUSE EXCUSE - LIVE YOUR LIFE IN A FORWARD MOTION - IN HAPPINESS - SURROUNDED WITH INDIVIDUALS OF LOVE AND CLEAR CLEAN MINDS - and not Quacks who will keep you in a HELL FOR PROFIT! Hugs and I wish you all the best! GOODBYE!

everyone with mpd or did needs a safe person whom they cn talk to withoput gettinbg belittled backstabbed, or ran over, our safe person is eperating herself from us for no reason, so serenity i think it would be nice to talk with you involving the we . everyone did sufferer needs someone they can openly switch with so it doesnt get cramped

serenity we are ther same in a way havent read all the comments and caught up, but most people with did, or mpd need a safe person and my safe person is seperating herself from me, so we need someone they can openly talk to

Without claiming to know the truth about DID, I have found it interesting that those who dispute its validity seem to be excessively attacking and aggressive. I presume you wish to convince others to consider your perspective, except it looks like you just want to perpetuate a divide, even with your superior spelling and punctuation. This is particularly interesting because you have chosen to attack those who already have a history of abuse. Nice way to join and help them consider your perspective! Remind me not to have you help me win an argument.

We loved this article...very sick.....
this made our stomachs turn, the way they abused her.
People need help.
We are Junior High School students and we just finished reading "A Child Called "it"
We loved it to
Thanks
Juan-ton Louiee

We thought this story was extremely sad and wrong all at the same time. The way they abused her made us literally sick. I know that it is not healthy to be sexually asulted. To us it seems people have PROBLEMS. Why in the world woud u do that to anyone..let alone your own child. I think it was very inter3esting to read about her multiple personalities but we feel sorry for her but over all GREAT ARTICLE!!!!

Juan-ton and Louiee

For treverorg,
I'm highly educated. Nursing and psychology are amongst my education. Body memories exist in numerous forms. They need not even take on a psychological component. "Body memory" is a necessary component of learning many skills (walking, other physical skills), the art of dance, ballet in particular. Repetition does not only help a person "remember" certain skills, but it builds "muscle" or "body" memory. The body's muscles and nerves can be taught certain pathways. It is this "memory" that contributes to phantom limb syndrome and phantom limb pain.
Phantom limb pain also can also have a component of nerve INJURY. Therapy and medicine are not always curative. Neither is time.
In HEALTHY sexual relationships, body memory can be created. Being touched by a person a certain way and having a certain experience, especially repeatedly, can create a reaction to that touch. The body may learn to respond to that past, positive experience. You can, then, be touched by a different person the same way, even in a non-erogenous zone, and your body responds sexually to what would ordinarily not be a sexual touch. It's not always pathological, and knowledgable physicians and psychiatrists ARE aware of it.

Hey Serenity, me/us and you're not a wacko? Get real! Do you have to pay more than (normally) for insurance policies? Have you a weight problem trying to feed everyone? Don't you see how brainwashed you are?
Geez Louise! Who helped your feeble mind conjure up such stupidity?

For trevorg....wackos? what is wrong with "you"? does this intimidate you is that what is wrong because I find your immature comments completely offensive but to personally attack you would be out of character for me/us. But I do think you need some "down" time. Your behavior and actions belong somewhere but just don't know where hopefully far away from those that want a better world for all. Bleck!

It is indeed so rewarding for both persons with DID and for those who are involved in treatment with persons who are victims of childhood sexual trauma to see a mainstream publication address this issue. I do wonder, however, how it is that Dr. Herbert Spiegel assumes that it is "rare." Given the epidemic of childhood sexual abuse that is now being reported in the media and abuse in a previous decades that was NOT reported openly, and if so, was attributed to "false memories" implanted by the treating professionals, is it no wonder that with pronouncements such as "it is rare", the condition is significantly missed? In circumstances with history that might strongly be a predictor of DID, might be more helpful to consider the condition as a differential diagnosis and rule it out (or in) with appropriate assessments rather than never consider the possibility of how young children defend against sexual trauma? Such a position would certainly seem to be a comprehensive and more effective way to initially approach therapeutic intervention with victims and survivors of trauma! I have been working with persons with DID since 1993 and not a single one has had any need to pretend or malinger! Way to go Newsweek! Keep the dialogue about reality going!
Delores DA