News 2,500 personalities? Is this even possible?

[whiteraven]

His attitude was that her DID was not by any stretch a ‘mental illness’. He said that in her case? It was a brilliant adaption that resulted in a woman not only able to cope with unfathomable trauma, but also a absolutely remarkable memory.

I kind of agree with him generally. It is only, in my opinion, an "illness" if it significantly affects the functioning or emotional life of the host.

 

[HealingInProcess]

Amazing she could access them.

 

[Justmehere]

I’m a little leery of any therapist who wants to speak to the media about a traumatized client. In this case, the client has varying levels of amnesia and has to separate into alters to testify to a being a victim of a crime...showing it’s still not something she can even handle in an integrated fashion, it’s still super stressful to remember it... and he asks the client for permission to release very private mental health info to the general public so that she can possibly be confronted with this at every turn?! She just went through the stress of the trial. Is he trying to increase symptoms by throwing her to the wolves of public opinion and debate about her trauma and condition? 0.o Did he ask all 2,500 personalities for permission to do to this? If she was pushing for this release, he could have said no but he didn’t.

It is possible that she has a handful of full alters and so many experiences that are disorganized and fragmented, that the therapist possibly ran with it a bit and decided to label every fragment and experience a personality because it gets better attention. Or that the Daily Mail did... which just goes back to my questioning the judgement of any therapist eager to talk to the media about a client going through one of the most stressful experiences out there.

 

[Sideways]

Or that the Daily Mail did... which just goes back to my questioning the judgement of any therapist eager to talk to the media about a client going through one of the most stressful experiences out there.

The interview I saw with him he seemed like a pretty level guy. It would surprise me if he approached the media, since she’s had a lot of control about how much of her story has been publicised or not.

I think perhaps that the daily mail was ‘throwing her to the wolves’ rather than anything else. She was the one who asked (is my understanding) both her pdoc and the lead detective to speak to her interviewer. Both were very supportive, and seemed to think she was an intelligent person who had a lot of insight into not only her condition, but what was going on.

My guess would be that there was a limit to what they agreed he could say, since I’ve only seen him give the one interview, and it was the same one that she and the detective appeared in.

Her pdoc said very little about her. He spoke mostly about what DID is (and isn’t).

 

[Ronin]

Did he ask all 2,500 personalities for permission to do to this?

It might be their collective consensus is different in what is, and is not, private information, though, and what violates their consent.

May be talking to media is, for whatever reason, not on their high to guard priority list, thus no violation occured whatsoever.

In this case, the client has varying levels of amnesia and has to separate into alters to testify to a being a victim of a crime

It may also well be the varying levels of amnesia are just their natural & what holds them functional, & having enough of control TO testify is fairly lot of team work / being grounded & balanced already.

I.e. not a sign of MORE dysfunction, but less.
Just with a different neurotype, being D.I.D.

 

[Sideways]

I definitely think that if her pdoc hadn’t publicly confirmed she has 2,500 alters - nobody would believe her.

 

[Sideways]

For anyone who has been following this, he’s been sentenced to 45 years. Given his age, he will most likely die in prison.

In Australia terms, that’s a pretty epic sentence. It also means that Jennifer won’t have to relive her trauma at parole hearings.

I understand that she has plans to travel the world.

Hope is eternal.

 

[Ronin]

Now that is some amazing news, @Sideways. Thanks for the update.

 

[Teasel]

What an incredible woman, watching the video of her statement after sentencing, so pleased for her getting him put away ???

 

[blackemerald1]

She stood outside the court full face to the media, after sentencing. Well done :)

 

[Mee]

I know nothing about DID. I think this woman must be astounding. It’s also occurred to me to wonder whether anyone with significant number of alters challenges Dunbar’s numbers theory (Something I also know very little about but have had interest in for personal reasons) .

In any case, my curiosity is less important that her survival and I am awed by how her mind coped.

 

[Freida]

I don't know much about DID but my therapist was telling me one day about a patient she once treated (not identifying patient, using broad experience it to help me understand parts) that had "groups" of alters, and each "group" had sub alters. It was amazing to think that people have the ability to create a process like this to keep their sanity.

I'm glad her doc talked to the media. It makes DID more... realistic? Or more....oh crap whats the word I want? You know, when someone has done something amazing but it's not "normal" so people question it? Then someone "professional" comes along and validates that it is a real thing?