The Bifurcation of the Self: The History and Theory of Dissociation and Its Disorders (Library of the History of Psychological Theories)

Few disorders are so shrouded by myth and distortion as MultiplePersonality Disorder (MPD), now known as Dissociative IdentityDisorder (DID). That so many people are under the impression thatthe disorder, while a real one, is far more widespread than it actuallyis no doubt stems from the treatment it has received in the media.Those responsible for perpetrating the myth that this is a widespreaddisorder or exaggerating the implications of the handful of cases thathave been documented do not only include writers of popular fictionor movie makers, who might be expected to shun science in favor ofsensation, but also self-declared authorities, therapists of variousstripes, and researchers whose methodology is, to be polite, ratherquestionable. This book is intended as a corrective, an attempt to setthe record straight, offering as it does an examination of the bestknowncases from the nineteenth century on as well as a discussion ofhow a few of these cases—notably Sybil—have been exploited to fuelsome disturbing social phenomena. Were cases of MPD/DID solelythe concern or the purview of psychologists and academics, or appropriatedfrom time to time by enterprising novelists or filmmakers, itmight not be necessary to revisit it now. For more than a hundred years, dissociative states, sometimes referred to as multiple personality disorder, have fascinated the public as well as scientists. The precise nature of this disorder is a controversial one, dividing clinicians, theorists, and researchers. Challenging the conventional wisdom on all sides, Robert Rieber’s Bifurcation of the Self traces the clinical and social history of dissociation in a provocative examination of this widely debated phenomenon. At the core of this history is a trio of related evolutions—hypnosis, concepts of identity, and dissociation—beginning with nineteenth-century "hysterics" and culminating in the modern boom in Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) diagnoses and the parallel rise in childhood abuse/repressed memory cases. Rieber does not argue the non-existence of DID; rather he asserts that it is a rare disorder exaggerated by dissociation advocates and exploited by the media. In doing so, he takes on some of the most difficult questions in the field: - How crucial is memory to a person’s identity? - Can two or more autonomous personalities actually exist in the same body? - If trauma causes dissociation, why aren’t there more DID cases? - Why are DID cases prevalent in some eras but not in others? - Does dissociative disorder belong in the DSM? The book is rigorously illustrated with two centuries’ worth of famous cases including Christine Beauchamp, Ansel Bourne, Eve Black/Eve White, and most notably the woman known as "Sybil", whose story is covered in depth with newly revealed manuscripts. And Rieber reviews the current state of DID-related controversy, from the professionals who feel that the condition is underreported to those who consider it a form of malingering, so that readers may draw their own conclusions. For more than a hundred years, dissociative states, sometimes referred to as multiple personality disorder, have fascinated the public as well as scientists. The precise nature of this disorder is a controversial one, dividing clinicians, theorists, and researchers. Challenging the conventional wisdom on all sides, The Bifurcation of the Self traces the clinical and social history of dissociation in a provocative examination of this widely debated phenomenon.At the core of this history is a trio of related evolutions-hypnosis, concepts of identity, and dissociation-beginning with nineteenth-century "hysterics" and culminating in the modern boom in Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) diagnoses and the parallel rise in childhood abuse/repressed memory cases. Rieber does not argue the nonexistence of DID; rather he asserts that it is a rare disorder exaggerated by dissociation advocates and exploited by the media. In doing so, he takes on some of the most difficult questions in the field: How crucial is memory to a person's identity? Can two or more autonomous personalities actually exist in the same body? If trauma causes dissociation, why aren't there more DID cases? Why are DID cases prevalent in some eras but not in others? Does dissociative disorder belong in the DSM?The book is rigorously illustrated with two centuries' worth of famous cases including Christine Beauchamp, Ansel Bourne, Eve Black/Eve White, and most notably the woman known as "Sybil," whose story is covered in depth with newly revealed manuscripts. And Rieber reviews the current state of DID-related controversy, from the professionals who feel that the condition is underreported to those who consider it a form of malingering, so that readers may draw their own conclusions. For more than a hundred years, dissociative states, sometimes referred to as multiple personality disorder, have fascinated the public as well as scientists. The precise nature of this disorder is a controversial one, and Rieber traces the clinical and social history of dissociation. At the core of this history is a trio of related evolutions -- hypnosis, concepts of identity, and dissociation -- beginning with nineteenth-century "hysterics" and culminating in the modern boom in Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) diagnoses and the parallel rise in childhood abuse/repressed memory cases. Rieber asserts that it is a rare disorder exaggerated by dissociation advocates and exploited by the media. The book features famous cases including Christine Beauchamp, Ansel Bourne, Eve Black/Eve White (Chris Costner-Sizemore), and most notably the woman known as "Sybil."