In this chapter I restrict myself to exploring the nature of the amnesia which is reported between personality states in most people who are diagnosed with DID. Note that this is not an explicit diagnostic criterion, although such amnesia features strongly in the public view of DID, particularly in the form of the fugue-like conditions depicted in films of the condition, such as The Three Faces of Eve (1957). Typically, when one personality state, or ‘alter’, takes over from another, they have no idea what happened just before. They report having lost time, and often will have no idea where they are or how they got there. However, this is not a universal feature of DID. It happens that with certain individuals with DID, one personality state can retrieve what happened when another was in control. In other cases we have what is described as ‘co-consciousness’ where one personality state can apparently monitor what is happening when another personality state is in control and, in certain circumstances, can take over the conversation.

~ John Morton

John Morton Alter Personalities Alters Amnesia Amnesiac Consciousness Diagnosing Diagnosis Diagnostic Criteria Did Dissociation Dissociative Amnesia Dissociative Disorder Dissociative Identity Disorder Dsm Dsm5 Exception To The Rule Forgetfulness Fugue Fugue State Memory Memory Loss Mental Illness Misdiagnosis Misunderstanding Mpd Multiple Personalities Multiple Personality Disorder Multiplicity Personality Switch Personality System Prejudice States Of Consciousness Stereotypes Stigma Switching

A more fundamental problem with labelling human distress and deviance as mental disorder is that it reduces a complex, important, and distinct part of human life to nothing more than a biological illness or defect, not to be processed or understood, or in some cases even embraced, but to be ‘treated’ and ‘cured’ by any means possible—often with drugs that may be doing much more harm than good. This biological reductiveness, along with the stigma that it attracts, shapes the person’s interpretation and experience of his distress or deviance, and, ultimately, his relation to himself, to others, and to the world. Moreover, to call out every difference and deviance as mental disorder is also to circumscribe normality and define sanity, not as tranquillity or possibility, which are the products of the wisdom that is being denied, but as conformity, placidity, and a kind of mediocrity.

~ Neel Burton

Neel Burton Biological Reductiveness Conformity Deviance Madness Meaning Mental Disorder Mental Health Mental Illness Psychiatry Sanity Stigma Wisdom

Attitude Is EverythingWe live in a culture that is blind to betrayal and intolerant of emotional pain. In New Age crowds here on the West Coast, where your attitude is considered the sole determinant of the impact an event has on you, it gets even worse.In these New Thought circles, no matter what happens to you, it is assumed that you have created your own reality. Not only have you chosen the event, no matter how horrible, for your personal growth. You also chose how you interpret what happened—as if there are no interpersonal facts, only interpretations.The upshot of this perspective is that your suffering would vanish if only you adopted a more evolved perspective and stopped feeling aggrieved. I was often kindly reminded (and believed it myself), “there are no victims.” How can you be a victim when you are responsible for your circumstances?When you most need validation and support to get through the worst pain of your life, to be confronted with the well-meaning, but quasi-religious fervor of these insidious half-truths can be deeply demoralizing. This kind of advice feeds guilt and shame, inhibits grieving, encourages grandiosity and can drive you to be alone to shield your vulnerability.

~ Sandra Lee Dennis

Sandra Lee Dennis Attitude Bad Advice Belief In Self Betrayal Blind To Betrayal Demoralizing Emotional Pain False Perspective Guilt Half Truths Insidious Intolerance Invalidation Loss Of Belief Mental Health Positive Attitude Ptsd Responsibility Shame Stigma Stigmatization Suffering Trauma Traumatic Traumatization Traumatized Unsupportive Victim Blaming Victimhood Victims

To not have your suffering recognized is an almost unbearable form of violence.

~ Andrei Lankov

Andrei Lankov Emotional Abuse Emotional Neglect Mental Disorder Bias Mental Disorders Mental Health Stigma Mental Illness Stigma Suffering Suffering Cruelty Suffering Quote Violence

With DID patients, if they feel hostility or aggression they take it out on themselves with self-harm... They’re self-destructive and repeatedly suicidal, more so than any other psychological disorder. So that's what's typical – not this wild aggression, or stalking women [or robbery].- Dr Bethany Brand, on Billy Milligan and Multiple Personality Disorder (DID)

~ Bethany L. Brand

Bethany L. Brand Billy Milligan Dissociative Identity Disorder Insanity Mental Disorder Mental Illness Misconception Misrepresentation Multiple Personalities Multiple Personality Disorder Self Harm Self Injury Split Personality Stereotypes Stigma Suicidal Suicidality Suicide The Crowded Room

Calling it lunacy makes it easier to explain away the things we don't understand.

~ Megan Chance

Megan Chance Bias Crazy Diagnosis Discrimination Explain Explanation Insanity Lunacy Mental Disorder Mental Health Stigma Mental Illness Mystery Prejudice Psychiatry Psychology Quotes Sane And Insane Sanity Stereotype Stigma Understand

...some patients resist the diagnosis of a post-traumatic disorder. They may feel stigmatized by any psychiatric diagnosis or wish to deny their condition out of a sense of pride. Some people feel that acknowledging psychological harm grants a moral victory to the perpetrator, in a way that acknowledging physical harm does not.

~ Judith Lewis Herman

Judith Lewis Herman Abuse Survivors Defeat Defeated Denial Healing Healing From Abuse Labeling Labelling Male Survivor Mental Disorder Mental Health Mental Health Stigma Mental Illness Political Refugees Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Powerlessness Prejudice Pride Psychotherapy Ptsd Recovery Self Stigma Stigma Therapy Torture Survivors Tortured Trauma Traumatic Experiences

You can't fight mental health bias if you label people based on a lists of symptoms and you have no medical degree to diagnose people. We all have crazy running through our blood and so many things trigger that. We all struggle with our anxiety and twisted issues. Defamation of character is not kind, nor Christlike. Because when you label people with self righteous vindication you open the door to the very idea that self righteousness is itself a disorder that we should all be afraid of. This doorway when left open too long gets people to pull away from Christ, not run to him.

~ Shannon L. Alder

Shannon L. Alder Add Anxiety Bias Cruelty Defamation Disturbing Fear Integrity John Green Labels Loving One Another Mental Health Misfits My Kind Ocd Out Of Control Sad Standing For Others Stigma Unchristlike Unkind

Stigma's power lies in silence. The silence that persists when discussion and action should be taking place. The silence one imposes on another for speaking up on a taboo subject, branding them with a label until they are rendered mute or preferably unheard.

~ M.b. Dallocchio

M.b. Dallocchio Controversy Crisis Isolation Mental Health Silence Stigma Taboo

...the issue becomes not whether a person has experience with a stigma of his own, because he has, but rather how many varieties he has had his own experience with.

~ Erving Goffman

Erving Goffman Identity Stigma

You are not your illness. You have an individual story to tell. You have a name, a history, a personality. Staying yourself is part of the battle.

~ Julian Seifter

Julian Seifter Assumptions Bias Diagnosis Identity Illness Mental Disorder Mental Health Stigma Mental Illness Stereotype Stigma

People say the darkness is where secrets are best hidden. Night time brings clarity and focus to owls, even if the aperture of this vision comes with a stigma.

~ Kimberly Morgan

Kimberly Morgan Clarity Night Owls Perception Secrets Stigma

It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.

~ Audre Lorde

Audre Lorde Difference Differences Discrimination Divided Divides Lack Of Understanding Prejudice Racism Rejection Sterotyping Stigma

Holding one's self responsible is a critical feature in stigma and in the generation of shame since violation of standards, rules, and goals are insufficient in its elicitation unless responsibility can be placed on the self. Stigma may differ from other elicitors of shame and guilt, in part because it is a social appearance factor. The degree to which the stigma is socially apparent is the degree to which one must negotiate the issue of blame, not only for one's self but between one's self and the other who is witness to the stigma. Stigmatization is a much more powerful elicitor of shame and guilt in that it requires a negotiation not only between one's self and one's attributions, but between one's self and the attributions of others.

~ Michael Lewis

Michael Lewis Bad Bias Guilt Judgmental Mental Disorder Mental Health Mental Health Stigma Mental Illness Prejudice Responsibility Shame Steroetypes Stigma Stigmatization Victim Blaming

Your hearing status doesn't make you a better person. Your humanity does.

~ Rosie Malezer

Rosie Malezer Audism Deaf Equality Stigma

Abstaining from sex, hitting the books, and wearing loose-fitting clothes are common ways that girls try to molt their slutty image. But more often their shame leads them to self-destructive behavior. They become willing to do things that they wouldn't have dreamed of doing before they were scandalized because they now feel they have so little to offer. Some girls do drugs or drink to excess in an attempt to blot away their stigma. Others become depressed and anorexic. And others think so little of themselves that they date boys who insult or beat them.

~ Leora Tanenbaum

Leora Tanenbaum Abuse Bullying Reputation Self Destruction Sexuality Slut Shaming Stigma

Survivors are damaged to different degrees by their experiences. This does not depend on what happened physically. A Survivor who has been raped will not necessarily be more damaged than a Survivor who has been touched. The degree of damage depend on the degree of traumatic sexualization, stigmatization, betrayal and powerlessness, the child has experienced. This in turn depends on a number of factors such as:* who the abuser was;* how many abusers were involved;* if the abuser was same-sex or opposite sex;* what took place;* what was said;* how long the abuse went on for;* How the child felt and how she interpreted what was happening;* if the child was otherwise happy and supported;* how other people reacted to the disclosure or discovery of the abuse;* how old the child was

~ Carolyn Ainscough

Carolyn Ainscough Abuse Betrayal Child Abuse Child Rape Damage Discovery Ptsd Rape Sexual Abuse Stigma Survivor Survivors Trauma Traumatization

Like a lot of people with mental illness, I spend a lot of time fronting. It’s really important to me to not appear crazy, to fit in, to seem normal, to do the things “normal people” do, to blend in. As a defense mechanism, fronting makes a lot of sense, and you hone that mechanism after years of being crazy. Fronting is what allows you to hold down a job and maintain relationships with people, it’s the thing that sometimes keeps you from falling apart. It’s the thing that allows you to have a burst of tears in the shower or behind the front seat of your car and then coolly collect yourself and stroll into a social engagement…We are rewarded for hiding ourselves. We become the poster children for “productive” mentally ill people, because we are so organized and together. The fact that we can function, at great cost to ourselves, is used to beat up the people who cannot function.Because unlike the people who cannot front, or who fronted too hard and fell off the cliff, we are able to “keep it together,” whatever it takes.

~ S. E. Smith

S. E. Smith Crazy Defense Mechanism Emotional Pain Faking Normal Faking Well Fitting In Hiding Feelings Keeping It Together Mental Illness Mental Illness Stigma Pretending To Be Ok Psychological Defense Putting On A Brave Face Stigma

Those with dissociative disorders face a big enough battle living as multiples and dealing with past trauma. Like everyone else, they deserve to be heard and recognised, not stigmatised.

~ Carol Broad

Carol Broad Anti Stigma Dissociation Dissociative Disorder Dissociative Disorders Dissociative Identity Disorder Mental Health Mental Health Bias Mental Health Problems Mental Health Professionals Mental Health Stigma Mental Health System Mental Illness Multiple Personality Disorder Multiplicity Not Being Heard Stigma Stigmatised

The stigma of mental illness is first and foremost a social justice issue!

~ Patrick W. Corrigan

Patrick W. Corrigan Discrimination Mental Health Stigma Mental Illness Mental Illness Stigma Prejudice Social Injustice Social Justice Stigma

At the root of this dilemma is the way we view mental health in this country. Whether an illness affects your heart, your leg or your brain, it’s still an illness, and there should be no distraction.– Michelle Obama

~ Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama Mental Illness Stigma

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

Unlike ‘mere’ medical or physical disorders, mental disorders are not just problems. If successfully navigated, they can also present opportunities. Simply acknowledging this can empower people to heal themselves and, much more than that, to grow from their experiences.

~ Neel Burton

Neel Burton Madness Medicine Mental Disorders Mental Health Mental Illness Psychiatry Stigma Treatment

Results of two independent factor analyses of the survey responses of more than 2000 English and American citizens parallel these findings (19,33):- fear and exclusion: persons with severe mental illness should be feared and, therefore, be kept out of most communities;- authoritarianism: persons with severe mental illness are irresponsible, so life decisions should be made by others;- benevolence: persons with severe mental illness are childlike and need to be cared for.World Psychiatry. 2002 Feb; 1(1): 16–20.PMCID: PMC1489832Understanding the impact of stigma on people with mental illnessPATRICK W CORRIGAN and AMY C WATSON

~ Patrick W. Corrigan

Patrick W. Corrigan Authoritarianism Benevolence Bias Blame Dangerousness Discrimination Exclusion Fear Mental Disorder Mental Health Mental Health Stigma Mental Illness Prejudice Rejection Severe Mental Illness Stigma

Several themes describe misconceptions about mental illness and corresponding stigmatizing attitudes. Media analyses of film and print have identified three: people with mental illness are homicidal maniacs who need to be feared; they have childlike perceptions of the world that should be marveled; or they are responsible for their illness because they have weak character (29-32).World Psychiatry. 2002 Feb; 1(1): 16–20.PMCID: PMC1489832Understanding the impact of stigma on people with mental illnessPATRICK W CORRIGAN and AMY C WATSON

~ Patrick W. Corrigan

Patrick W. Corrigan Bias Blame Childlike Dangerousness Discrimination Fear Media Bias Media Distortion Media Manipulation Mental Disorder Mental Health Mental Health Stigma Mental Illness Mental Patient Prejudice Psychiatric Community Sensationalism Stereotyped Stereotyped Prejudices Stereotypes Stigma Stigmatization

The Parents, as my mother and father refer to Mr. Finch and Mrs. Finch, are insisting it was an accident, which, I guess, means we're free to mourn him out in the open in a normal, healthy, unstigmatised way. No need to be ashamed or embarrassed since suicide isn't involved.

~ Jennifer Niven

Jennifer Niven All The Bright Places Mental Illness Stigma

No one would ever say that someone with a broken arm or a broken leg is less than a whole person, but people say that or imply that all the time about people with mental illness.

~ Elyn R. Saks

Elyn R. Saks Bias Diagnosis Humanity Mental Disorder Mental Health Stigma Mental Illness Prejudice Psychiatric Abuse Stereotype Stigma

I had people saying 'it's all in your head'. Do you honestly think I want to feel this way?

~ Sonia Estrada

Sonia Estrada Assumptions Bias Criticism Discrimination Mental Disorder Mental Health Stigma Mental Illness Stigma

Denial and minimizing is often seen in genuine PTSD and, hence, should be a target of detection and measurement.

~ Harold V. Hall

Harold V. Hall Denial Diagnosis Malingering Mental Disorder Mental Health System Mental Illness Minimization Minimizing Minimizing Issues Misdiagnosis Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Psychiatry Ptsd Stigma

1 in 5 people have dandruff. 1 in 4 people have mental health problems. I've had both.

~ Ruby Wax

Ruby Wax Bias Dandruff Discrimination Disease Fear Mental Disorders Mental Health Stigma Mental Illness Prejudice Rejection Stereotypes Stigma

Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, but stigma and bias shame us all.

~ Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton Bias Judgmental Mental Disorder Mental Health Mental Health Stigma Mental Illness Prejudice Steroetypes Stigma

The mentally ill frighten and embarrass us. And so we marginalize the people who most need our acceptance. What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, more unashamed conversation.

~ Glenn Close

Glenn Close Bias Discrimination Fear Mental Disorders Mental Health Stigma Mental Illness Prejudice Rejectional Stereotypes Stigma

This disease comes with a package: shame. When any other part of your body gets sick, you get sympathy.

~ Ruby Wax

Ruby Wax Bias Cruely Discrimination Disease Fear Lack Of Compassion Mental Disorders Mental Health Stigma Mental Illness Prejudice Rejectional Shame Stereotypes Stigma

Several themes describe misconceptions about mental illness and corresponding stigmatizing attitudes. Media analyses of film and print have identified three: people with mental illness are homicidal maniacs who need to be feared; they have childlike perceptions of the world that should be marveled; or they are responsible for their illness because they have weak character (29-32). Results of two independent factor analyses of the survey responses of more than 2000 English and American citizens parallel these findings (19,33):- fear and exclusion: persons with severe mental illness should be feared and, therefore, be kept out of most communities;- authoritarianism: persons with severe mental illness are irresponsible, so life decisions should be made by others;- benevolence: persons with severe mental illness are childlike and need to be cared for.- Although stigmatizing attitudes are not limited to mental illness, the public seems to disapprove persons with psychiatric disabilities significantly more than persons with related conditions such as physical illness (34-36).

~ Matthew W. Corrigan

Matthew W. Corrigan Discrimination Irresponsible Mental Disorder Mental Illness Prejudice Stereotypes Stigma Stigmatization

Severe mental illness has been likened to drug addiction, prostitution, and criminality (37,38). Unlike physical disabilities, persons with mental illness are perceived by the public to be in control of their disabilities and responsible for causing them (34,36). Furthermore, research respondents are less likely to pity persons with mental illness, instead reacting to psychiatric disability with anger and believing that help is not deserved (35,36,39).Understanding the impact of stigma on people with mental illness. World Psychiatry. Feb 2002; 1(1): 16–20.PMCID: PMC1489832PATRICK W. CORRIGAN and AMY C. WATSON

~ Matthew W. Corrigan

Matthew W. Corrigan Blaming Disability Disability Quotes Mental Health Mental Health Stigma Mental Illness Prejudice Severe Mental Illness Stigma

According to Hoge and colleagues (2007), the key to reducing stigma is to present mental health care as a routine aspect of health care, similar to getting a check up or an X-ray. Soldiers need to understand that stress reactions-difficulty sleeping, reliving incidents in your mind, and emotional detachment-are common and expected after combat... The soldier should be told that wherever they go, they should remember that what they're feeling is normal and it's nothing to be ashamed of.

~ Joan Beder

Joan Beder Combat Ptsd Mental Disorder Mental Health Mental Illness Military Ptsd Self Stigma Stigma Veterans

Stigmas speak to the idea of difference and how difference shames us and those we know.

~ Michael Lewis

Michael Lewis Bias Judgmental People Mental Disorder Mental Health Mental Health Stigma Mental Illness Prejudice Steroetypes Stigma

The unique stigma of PTSD. The stigma of PTSD remains one of the most formidable barriers to effective care.

~ Michael A. Cucciare

Michael A. Cucciare Mental Disorder Mental Illness Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Prejudice Ptsd Ptss Stigma Victim Blaming

People who live with mental illnesses are among the most stigmatized groups in society.Fighting the stigma caused by mental disorders: past perspectives, present activities, and future directions. World Psychiatry. Oct 2008; 7(3): 185–188. PMCID: PMC2559930

~ Heather Stuart

Heather Stuart Discrimination Mental Disorder Mental Health Stigma Mental Illness Prejudice Stigma
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