Behind Closed Doors: The Correlation Between Multiple Personality Disorder And Child Abuse

Behind Closed Doors: The Correlation Between Multiple Personality Disorder and

Child Abuse


         "Each day that we pretended,

        we replaced reality

        with lies, or dreams,

        or angry schemes,

        in search of dignity…

        until our lies

        got bigger than the truth,

        and we had no one real to be"


                From  "For Children Who Were Broken"


        by Elia Wise


Have you ever wanted to be someone else?  Throughout history the idea of not

being just us has intrigued everyone from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde.  But imagine

having no control over who you are.  Imagine having 30 people inside of you, and

every one of them wanting to be in control.  This is the case with Multiple

Personality Disorder, and it effects thousands of people in the United States

alone.  But why does MPD fascinate us?  It has often been found quite

interesting.  Movies, books, and even talk shows have been made trying to show

the harsh reality of the disorder, but how seriously are we expected to take

Truddi Chase and the "Troops" when they are on The Oprah Show?  How worried are

we for Sybil when we remember Sally Field as Gidget?  As grim as this disorder

is we often don't realize the severity unless we hear it from "the voices."


Using the psychoanalytical approach, I will show how past abusive experiences

have driven some to MPD.  Citing case studies from such books as When Rabbit

Howls, The Truddi Chase Story, Sybil, and Jennifer and Herselves the correlation

between MPD and abuse will be made.  There are more similarities to these

examples than just MPD, all were driven to MPD due to excessive physical,    ual,

or emotional abuse from a parental figure.  Also, each of these studies show the

cause and effects this disorder has on      .


Most MPD sufferers are      , in fact female MPD sufferers outnumber men by a

ratio of nine to one (Hales, 1993).  This may be true because       will keep

their feelings of hostility toward others to themselves, whereas men would be

more likely to lash out in random acts of         .  For instance, Anna doesn't

want to believe that she is getting beaten, so she believes if she becomes

someone else, it is not really her that is taking the abuse.  However, it is

only a matter of time before the abuse increases or takes another form.  The

effect compounds, one more personality develops, and so on until "the voices"

have consumed Anna and left her broken, with every facet of her personality now

being an independent mind.


With statistics showing that some form of abuse happens to as many as one out of

every four     s (Hales , 1993) it is almost impossible not to understand why so

many are affected by MPD.  Not every form of abuse causes as dramatic of results

as MPD.  Children who survive less personal traumas, such as concentration camps,

are far less likely to develop the disorder than someone who is suffering at the

hands of a loved one.  Since 1970, the reported rate of growth in multiples and

incest cases has been parallel.  Almost as if when the bond breaks, the

personality shatters.  The alter personalities create a safe haven where the

pain cannot reach.  Each personality is specially equipped to deal with a

specific type of crisis, depending on whatever was happening when they came into

existence.  The make-up of most multiples is usually the same.  Each body

generally consists of the same people.  There is a small child, who was born

when the abuse started.  A flirtatious side who exhibits the repressed    ual

feelings.  A male, who is either protector or abuser.  A strong female, who

doesn't need anyone, and assorted other personalities.


But are the personalities just personalities?  Not in their mind.  Multiples

believe that they are all different people, they just happen to be sharing the

same body, they can be brothers, sisters, or just close friends.  As strange as

it sounds, this statement may have some bearing.  Psychologists haveThis is ONLY a preview of the article. If you would like to view the entire document, you must subscribe to Electronic References. Please register below now!


Get This Full Article After Registration



When you subscribe to Electronic References, you get complete access to the meta-collection of full text articles and papers written by researchers and students spanning the last 5 years. For $19.95 a month, you will receive unlimited access and the ability to expand your research opportunities and knowledge.

This subscription package includes:

24-hours-a-day, 7 days a week unlimited access on any computer with Internet access
Complete access to all 60,000 articles, essays, and research papers
Ability to view, save, print and download any document you find
Ability to browse through perfectly arranged catalog of articles
Superior search and relevancy ranking techniques using our optimalized search engine
Instant access to the online database after registration


You can pay by credit card or checking account. You get instant access after registration:




1 Month ($ 19.95)
3 Months ($ 29.95)
6 Months ($ 39.95)





You will be billed $19.95 every 30 days or $29.95 every 90 days (recurring billing) starting on the day you subscribe.

Your credit card or checking account will automatically be renewed for your convenience until you cancel.