Jed Shlackman, LMHC, is a holistic psychotherapist working with clients in the Miami/South Florida area. Jed's services include effective techniques and resources for helping heal trauma and dissociation.

The subject of dissociative identity disorders, including multiple personality disorder, has been a controversial one in the psychological sciences and mental health treatment field. There are multiple factors contributing to the common bias against recognizing and suitably treating these issues. One factor is the lack of understanding of the nature of personality and consciousness that pervades these professional disciplines. It's just hard for many people to believe that an individual human body can be directed by more than one personality - and when more than one personality appears those who accept this may have limited ideas or beliefs about what phenomena could account for what is observed. Another difficulty is the reality that some individuals may fake dissociative symptoms to feign insanity, avoid responsibility for actions they have taken, or even to gain attention. These feigned cases, however, are a small minority of cases and can generally be screened out by using thorough assessment and modern biofeedback technologies to distinguish genuine personality shifts from contrived acting.

The most troubling obstacle to the recognition of dissociative phenomena lies in the fact that people dissociate in response to severe trauma and abuse - and memories of these experiences can expose the perpetrators, who are often "respected" and prominent members of society. It is also documented that government agencies and prominent hospitals and universities have been involved in deliberate traumatization of persons for purposes of researching dissociation phenomena and in some cases deliberately using such techniques to facilitate "mind control" programming for cult, military, and espionage agendas. Some persons claim to be victims of "satanic ritual abuse," which may involve physical and sexual abuse starting from a young age as well as witnessing torture or murders of animals and/or human beings as part of cult ritual. The popular use of the term "satanic" comes from a Judaeo-Christian religious frame of reference, while the actual focus of worship and rituals in these cults may vary and be of limited import to the nature of trauma experienced. It is the subjective experience that fosters dissociation, not the objective details of the occurrences. Given all these circumstances, it is understandable that various persons and institutions would be motivated to deny or avoid acknowledging the reality of dissociative identities and the crimes being reported by those who are affected with DID/MPD.

Spectrum Of Dissociative Phenomena

The spectrum of symptoms and severity of dissociative phenomena can vary greatly. Even in other forms of psychological disturbance there is an element of dissociation involved, as the individual defends the "self" from trauma and psychological or physical pain. The schizophrenic retreats into a form of escape where he/she becomes overly focused on the inner world of the mind and spiritual phenomena and has difficulty relating externally to others in the social setting of the physical environment. The post-traumatic stress sufferer will shift into an altered mental state upon being reminded of a past trauma in even a slight way. A normally calm, collected person may suddenly become anxious or withdrawn when faced with a phobia provoking stimulus. In these cases there is a self-defense mechanism that is called upon to respond to a stress-inducing environment. With fully developed dissociative disturbances, the self-defense mechanism becomes partially or fully "split" from the core personality. Thus, the core self may become unconscious while a specialized defense or coping mechanism comes forward. Depending upon how fully unconscious that core aspect of self becomes, there may be an amnesia about what has occurred when the core self regains conscious control. In some cases, a multitude of personalities or personality fragments (think of a fragment as a program developed for a specific task or skill that doesn't require an entire personality and personal history) may have been developed. These are often called "alters." In deliberate mind control programming, individuals may have specific patterns, programs, and triggers set up in their personality system so that someone familiar with the programming could almost literally control the individual like a slave or robot. This could be used for espionage or criminal activities, since the controlled person would have no memory of actions carried out or information received while in a personality alter once switched out of that personality. I have heard this "programmed" type of dissociative syndrome referred to as "structured multiple personality." Multiple personality disorder is generally used to refer to individuals who have distinct separate personalities that operate independently of one another. Dissociative identity may involve more fragmentary forms of alternate personalities and less compartmentalization of the alters - there may be some overlap of consciousness between personalities. Ultimately, the naming of the phenomena is less important than the understanding of the processes involved as well as exploring any means of helping heal the individual's alters and fostering a process of integration (or re-integration, depending on how one defines this) that strengthens the core self.

Healing from MPD/DID typically involves learning to cope with stress and anxiety with new resources and awareness, allowing one to stay centered in the "whole" self rather than fragmenting. This may include using spiritual sources of energy and power, energy balancing methods, expressive skills, social support systems, body awareness, and nourishing diet and drug-free lifestyle. Know that if you are challenged with MPD/DID you are not alone - not only are there many others facing similar challenges, but there are people and resources available to help you feel whole and integrated again, ready to face and embrace life, to handle both the dark and the light aspects of human existence. When we recognize that we are truly "at one" with the Divine Source we can let go of any shame or fear, and live life in a more balanced and conscious state.

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Resources For Multiple Personality & Dissociative Identity Disorders

Note: I offer these resource lists for your examination and exploration. I do not necessarily agree with all the views presented on various WWW sites or in books. Read, explore, and come to your own conclusions! Additionally, information related to this topic can be upsetting to some people and can be particularly disturbing to persons who are dissociative and those with a history of severe trauma. If you are not prepared to handle exposure to material of this nature then reading about it independently is discouraged. Otherwise, bring yourself into a calm, centered, and neutral psychological state to examine resources about this subject. Also, feel free to report if you find a dead link... some sites on this topic have disappeared off the Internet and links could need updating.

International Society For Study Of Trauma & Dissociation

Wikipedia Discussion Of MPD/DID

Colin A. Ross Institute For Psychological Trauma: Info About Abuse, Trauma, & Recovery

Colin Ross, M.D. Presentation - YouTube

Trance-Formation: Mind Control & Project Monarch

Brice Taylor's MK-ULTRA Story & Info

S.M.A.R.T. - Advocates For Survivors Of Ritual Abuse

50 Voices Organization

Free Your Mind Conference - Watch Online Free Educational Workshop Videos

Americans For A Free America - Exposing Mind Control

Expansions: Stewart & Janet Swerdlow (Support For De-programming & Recovery)

Sidran Institute: Resources For PTSD & Dissociation Survivors

Dissociation Info

Discussing Dissociation Blog

Multiple Personality Disorder and the nature of reality

End Ritual Abuse - Ellen Lacter, Ph.D.

International Tribunal For Natural Justice: Human Trafficking And Abuse Survivor Tesimonies

Books on Trauma and Dissociation

MPD/DID/RITUAL ABUSE BOOK RESOURCES

Please check the Bookshelf Section of the Sidran Institute Website For Books About Healing Trauma
Multiple Personality Disorder From The Inside Out, edited by Barry M. Cohen, Esther Giller, & Lynne W.
Healing Trauma by Peter A. Levine
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk
Bluebird: Deliberate Creation Of Multiple Personality By Psychiatrists, by Colin Ross, M.D.
The Great Psychiatry Scam, by Colin Ross, M.D.
The Trauma Model, by Colin Ross, M.D.
Trauma Model Therapy: A Treatment Approach For Trauma Dissociation and Complex Comorbidity, by Colin Ross, M.D.
Military Mind Control: A Story Of Trauma And Recovery, by Colin Ross, M.D.
Light Emerging, by Barbara Ann Brennan
Human Energy Fields: A New Science & Medicine, by Colin Ross, M.D.
Satanic Ritual Abuse: Principles Of Treatment, by Colin Ross, M.D.
Minds In Many Pieces: Revealing The Spiritual Side Of Multiple Personality Disorder, by Ralph Allison, M.D. & Ted Schwarz
Trance-Formation Of America, by Cathy O'Brien & Mark Phillips
Thanks For The Memories: The Truth Has Set Me Free - Memoirs Of Bob Hope's & Henry Kissinger's Mind-Controlled Slave, by Brice Taylor
The Control Of Candy Jones [Famous CIA Mind Control Victim], by Donald Bain
Coming Out Of The Dark: A Memoir of Dissociative Identity Disorder, Self-Acceptance, and Healing, by Pat Suzie Tennent
Healing The Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors: Overcoming Internal Self-Alienation, by Janina Fisher
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: Interventions for Trauma and Attachment, by Pat Ogden Ph.D. & Janina Fisher
Journey Into Madness: The True Story Of Secret CIA Mind Control & Medical Abuse, by Gordon Thomas
The Franklin Cover-Up: Child Abuse, Satanism, & Murder In Nebraska, by Former State Senator John DeCamp
13 Cubed: Case Studies In Mind Control & Programming, by Stewart Swerdlow