The advertising for General Hospital's segment on teen violence / teen dating abuse** caught my attention. I decided I would check out this "Must See Week!" since the topic is such an important one, especially after all the media coverage of the Chris Brown / Rhianna abusive incident. Today's teenagers do need to know about domestic violence issues, and I was hoping that General Hospital would do the topic … [Read more...]
Attachment to the Perpetrator
I saw another television documentary on Jaycee Lee Dugard - the young woman who was kidnapped at age 11, held captive for 18 years, and found alive, along with her two daughters on August 26, 2009. At the time of the documentary, Jaycee was about 40 years old. Jaycee spent 18 years held captive in the backyard of a registered, violent sex offender, Phillip Garrido. Garrido fathered Jaycee's two daughters, … [Read more...]
10 Life-Lessons I’ve Learned from Multiples, part 2
To continue the previous post, here are five more life-lessons I’ve learned from my years working with those with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID/MPD). By their life example, multiples have shown me: 6. Spiritual Strength even Under Persecution Most survivors with DID and long-term severe abuse have had various religious / spiritual connotations mixed in with that abuse, creating a version of … [Read more...]
Are Specialized Trauma Therapists Necessary?
What advantages are there to having a trauma therapist specializing in Dissociative Disorders? I am writing this post in response to a question asked by BehindtheCouch. BTC wrote, “do you think that a “trauma client” (ie one with PTSD or a dissociative disorder) should necessarily be treated by a specialised “trauma therapist” or, in your opinion, could any therapist who has the skills … [Read more...]
50 Treatment Issues for Dissociative Identity Disorder
"I have DID. How long will it take for someone with Dissociative Identity Disorder to feel better?" As a clinical therapist, I hear that question frequently. It's a reasonable question. I certainly understand that when dissociative trauma survivors are deeply hurting and struggling in their life, they want to feel better as quickly as possible. However, the clinical treatment for someone with Dissociative … [Read more...]