Inside Karen’s Crowded Mind

I have bipolar disorder, and although I know it is not D.I.D (or MPD--whatever the appropriate term is), sometimes I feel like 2 different people! But reading about the kind of pain these people have been through, and how they continue to suffer...just makes me so grateful for the life I have had.. Although it has certainly not been all roses (whose life is?!), I cannot begin to understand that hurt. God bless all of you.

I know there is truth behind repressed memories. There are some things in my life that I didn't remember till something reminded me of them. I know I was sexually abused in a very minor way (my father looking at me naked down there while giving me "the talk" when I was 11 and asking me if I wanted him to show me how his genitalia works. I said no and he did accept it there) I had not realized that this was sexual abuse till 9th grade health class. I have never seen a psychiatrist and don't feel I need to because I have worked everything out on my own.

In response to "flibidyflob"s comment about ADHD being a parenting problem. Far be it from me judge, however, you fail to actually recognize the aspect of the problem. I personally was diagnosed at eight years old with Hyperactivity Disorder. Of course, back then, there was no euphamism for it. Hyperactivity is just that ... Extra energy that someone cannot expend properly. I agree with you on the parenting issue to an extent. Lately, if children arent paying attention, or are acting out, all of a sudden, that child has ADD/ADHD, and no one looks to see if proper parenting skills are being enacted. However, as in my case, my mother did one hell of a job raising me on her own. I feel I turned out to be a fine young man, and yet I'm still labled with ADHD because my mind races. So because I truly have an abundance of energy and trouble concentrating, my mother was a bad parent? I think not. People generalize WAY too much, and then suddenly the problem is ONLY the child, or ONLY the parent. When there's a problem with a child, be it ADD/ADHD, MDP, or even just a bad kid... It's the parents job to deal with it. The problem there, is that not all parents know how, because it's been so generalized.

Meds aren't always the answer. Yes, I was on Ritalin as a child, and it helped me immensely. Now as an adult, I have a basic grasp on controlling my Hyperactivity without meds. I refuse to be labeled ADHD, and I am irate that someone would even begin to think that my mother's parenting is the reason I'm hyperactive. Take a deep breath and realize that your OPINION is just that... An opinion. And just like everyone else, you're entitled to one, but don't generalize a condition (hyperactivity, not the euphamism ADHD) that has been proven to exist. Not by people like you, who have read a few books, but by people like the doctors that treat it, or the people like myself who live with it.

To add my two cents on the discussion of MDP itself, I've met an MDP sufferer, and to be honest with you, I feel it does exist to an extent. People dissassociate themselves everyday... Perhaps these people just happen to take it to extremes. I'm definitely no doctor, nor am I a medical professional in any sense, but you don't need to have a PhD in order to notice someone has issues.

I can see joanastrid has never dealt with PTSD or MPD before. If she (or he) had he would be a believer. I still deal with it and they are not created or anything else. They are real.

I am a 34 year old female, I experienced very severe physical abuse until I was about 15. I never formed DID
to deal with this problem. I am not saying that someone cant form other personalities. I am not sure what type of person I would be if I had experienced the abuse this lady did. The things that were done to her I cant imagine. It is very hard to say rather this lady could have demons or not. Just because we feel sorry for someone doesnt mean that they cant be demonic. I am by no means saying this lady was. It is however possible. She is the victim and this however dosnt mean that there are things that happen to her she had no control over. Just as she had no control over the abuse she most likely has no control over the deomns if she even has any. The abuse did happen over religious rituals and that would be the receipe for it. Someone doesnt have to welocme a demon to be overpowered. There are some cases of demons in the bible some are very
strong powers where as a few people are described as "being sound in mind again" . I am not a doctor nor are we disciples of Jesus with abilities to exple demons. This lady did suffer things I cant even relate too, and I think God for that. But I do think that we all have the power to overcome anything if we want and it sounds as if she is on the right path to recovery. Some of us have the ability ot recover very successfully while others fall apart, my mother would be the latter. So for anyone to dismiss either case would be very
hasty. I hope this lady finds piece of mind and some happiness. Abuse can be overcome without medication.
Which didnt seem to help her at all. There is true mental illness in the world. There are demonic people. We should just be a little careful how we say some things.

Its sick how disgustingly terrible some of the people commenting here are being. The human mind is deep and very shrouded against our knowlege. Psychology is a psudo-science! All if it is theory. Whose to say that a mental disorder is a disorder at all. It could just be the way a person is supposed to be!. Either way, there have been clear, indisputable cases of DID that are extremely apparent in making its symptoms known. Sybil may have been a holywood dramatization but it is still based on a true occurance! Its a defencive technique used by the mind to handle extreme stress. Our minds can fathom unbelievable illusions given the fuel and condition to do so. Those of you posting that DID isnt real are pompus, ignorant, arrogant people. I seriously doubt that you have experianced this phenomenon, nor have you really studied it thuroughly enough to have any kind of ethos (aka, persuasive discourse by the means of being credible in what your speaking/writing about) when making your comments! Keep your bull to yourself, thats all im asking. DID is definitly real, think what you want, but thats a fact.

Its sick how disgustingly terrible some of the people commenting here are being. The human mind is deep and very shrouded against our knowlege. Psychology is a psudo-science! All if it is theory. Whose to say that a mental disorder is a disorder at all. It could just be the way a person is supposed to be!. Either way, there have been clear, indisputable cases of DID that are extremely apparent in making its symptoms known. Sybil may have been a holywood dramatization but it is still based on a true occurance! Its a defencive technique used by the mind to handle extreme stress. Our minds can fathom unbelievable illusions given the fuel and condition to do so. Those of you posting that DID isnt real are pompus, ignorant, arrogant people. I seriously doubt that you have experianced this phenomenon, nor have you really studied it thuroughly enough to have any kind of ethos (aka, persuasive discourse by the means of being credible in what your speaking/writing about) when making your comments! Keep your bull to yourself, thats all im asking. DID is definitly real, think what you want, but thats a fact.

I agree with the fact that you must find God in order to begin again and begin the healing process. For those who have not endured the pain of being sexually assaulted or tortured as a young child, you may not understand that forgiveness is not the only step to recovery. I was sexually assaulted as a young child and there is not much that God can do for your psyche... Cognitive damage and physical damage is done in a situation of that kind, and although God can help the healing process, there are some scars that never disappear!!!

I seem to have the opposite problem. I am a college educated women who likes jeans, horses and basketball. I also like fashionable dresses, heels and jewelry. Am I split? I just think I am balanced, but my husband, my children, my grandchildren, fellow teachers all have different visions of what I should be...none of which are the two aspects of my personality that I have described above. I can not and will not be someone else just to fit their ideals. In my opinion, it is this kind of personal pressure that can lead to multiple persohality disorder . As for sexual abuse of children, look up Bikers Against Child Abuse, an organization that provides both therapy and protection from their perpetrators when governmental agencies and private doctors simply cannot. I am not a biker, and refuse to ride a motorcycle, but I do support this group with in art and public speaking. Check it out.

I believe in MPD. I think that if a person has not gone through a traumatic experience can't really have a much to say about it. I have had horrible things happen to me as a child and well into my adulthood and the hand of family members and family friends. There has been times when I've lost track of time or just can't remember certain times in my life. I've noticed that things have been getting really bad when my daughter turned 3. I find myself being so afraid and not wanting my children out of my sight. I have been having nightmares and visions of a little girl being hurt by an adult. I don't know if these visions are of something that has happened to me or something else. I never noticed dreaming in color until recently, I can smell and feel things as well. I find myself becoming more and more afraid and depressed. I have to be strong for my children. I think it is a shame when people passed judgement upon someone because they don't understand or just don't know enough about it. Most of the time people fear the unknown, so don't let fear keep you ignorant to what is going on with people in this crazy mixed up world. A mind is an amazing thing and I think that whatever bad things happen to us our minds allow us to remember when the time is right.

MPD is the mind's way of dealing with trauma. The mind splinters into different personalities to protect itself. Karen's reports of child abuse fit with this. "Claire", her 7-year-old personality, was most likely the part of her that was tortured and victimized as a child. She no doubt has a strong, assertive personality (or personalities) that "take over" when something unpleasant, like arguments, or emotionally charged, like sex, happens. It's basically a defense mechanism to keep the mind from worse emotional damage.

I've been out of the loop for a long time. I was also diagnosed around 1990. The diagnostic DSMV 4 it known as DID or Dissociative Identity Disorder. I am poly-fragmented. That means having over one hundred parts or altars. The difference is a fagment dosn't have a history just a small piece of one of your memories. I was in therapy for 12 years. I also did a survivors group for 6 years then became a peer facilitator for 2 years. Our group also faced men in prision who were there for incest, rape and child molesters. The women in our group had our own support person and the prison psychiatrist. it helped me immensely to heal. I feel Karen is a survivor and sounds like she has moved on. We will always remember but it is in the past. Joann Kanter - JOANDKANTER@hotmail.com

Without books written on a subject manner, we would only be left with what Hollywood portrays with limitless drama. The human mind is amazing and frighteniing all at the same time. I don't think the Author of this book is trying to be disgusting at all, it seems as though he's just trying to inform the public as to how far the mind can go to allow one to cope with horrific trauma.

Hello. This is definately a cry for help for my sister. My sister lives with my mom who is looking after her, but my mom, while she has the compassion and decation required, she does not have the time and money to find someone who can treat my sister. Both my sister and my mom are skeptical of those professionals in the medical profession. My mom suspects that my sister was submitted to Electric Shock Therapy, by the doctors whom my sister was under is care. The side effects that my sister exhibited are the reasons why my mom and myself highly suspect EST was used on my sister, and without consent and more than once.

Can anyone help...this would be a charity case, at for the first couple of years. My mom is wearing herself out trying to work, and look after my sister and deal with everything in trying to find help for my sister that my mom can afford and is reasonable driving distance.
email:tdenayc@yahoo.com

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Without books written on a subject manner, we would only be left with what Hollywood portrays with limitless drama. The human mind is amazing and frighteniing all at the same time. I don't think the Author of this book is trying to be disgusting at all, it seems as though he's just trying to inform the public as to how far the mind can go to allow one to cope with horrific trauma.