Chronic trauma (according to the meaning I propose) that occurs early in life has profound effects on personality development and can lead to the development of dissociative identity disorder (DID), other dissociative disorders, personality disorders, psychotic thinking, and a host of symptoms such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and substance abuse. In my view, DID is simply an extreme version of the dissociative structure of the psyche that characterizes us all.

~ Elizabeth F. Howell

Elizabeth F. Howell Anxiety Child Abuse Chronic Trauma Depression Development Dissociation Dissociative Dissociative Identity Disorder Eating Disorders Mental Health Mpd Personality Disorders Psychology Psychosis Schizophrenia Trauma Traumatic

Stern observes that unformulated experience is not only a source of defense, but also a source of creativity. We must allow the unformulated to organize itself.

~ Elizabeth F. Howell

Elizabeth F. Howell Creativity

Patients with complex trauma may at times develop extreme reactions to something the therapist has said or not said, done or not done. It is wise to anticipate this in advance, and perhaps to note this anticipation in initial communications with the patient. For example, one may say something like, It is likely in our work together, there will be a time or times when you will feel angry with me, disappointed with me, or that I have failed you. We should except this and not be surprised if and when it happens, which it probably will. It is also vital to emphasize to the patient that despite the diagnosis and experience of dividedness, the whole person is responsible and will be held responsible for the acts of any part. p174

~ Elizabeth F. Howell

Elizabeth F. Howell Complex Ptsd Dissociative Identity Disorder Mental Disorder Responsibility Responsible System Responsibility Trauma Therapy Traumatized

The road to Hell is paved with the best of conscious intentions.

~ Elizabeth F. Howell

Elizabeth F. Howell Hell Intention

Does the person report having had the experience of meeting people she does not know but who seem to know her, perhaps by a different name? Often, those with DID are thought by others to be lying because different parts will say different things which the host has no knowledge of.

~ Elizabeth F. Howell

Elizabeth F. Howell Alter Personalites Contradictions Dissociative Dissociative Amnesia Dissociative Identity Disorder Faking Liar Lying Mental Illness Multiple Personality Disorder Pathological Liar Stigma

...when different identity states convey contradictory information and then have amnesia for what the other identity states said, the patient may be thought to be lying. This can appear to be characterological mendacity when it is not.

~ Elizabeth F. Howell

Elizabeth F. Howell Alter Personalities Dissociative Identity Disorder Faking Liar Lying Mental Illness Misdiagnosis Pathological Liar Stigma

Being bound to one particular storyline such that one’s narrative is rigid, does not imply the need to avoid formulating particular other kinds of possibilities. Rather, it involves being stuck in one self-limiting, self-reinforcing set of possibilities.

~ Elizabeth F. Howell

Elizabeth F. Howell Possibilities Trauma