Today was a recoup day for me. I spent most of the time sleeping until almost 5 pm. That may sound like a dream come true to some of you; but consider all the trauma I went through in my life to get to the point that I need that much sleep to recover.
Yesterday I attended three psych classes in our local high school to talk about our life and DID. It’s something we have done almost every semester for about 10 years, ever since one of my offspring was a student in the class. The teacher was very gracious, the students attentive and interactive with questions, and I was again appreciative of the opportunity to do it.
The experience yesterday reminded me again that time is running out when the book I want/need to write will even be potentially published. I state this as only my perspective, but I believe there are two primary reasons time is running out. Please note I have no factual data to back my opinion, but other professionals in the field nod their heads in agreement when I state my reasoning. The first reason time is running short is financial – it costs a lot of money and commitment on the parts of both clients and professionals to treat DID. The second reason is the lack of ethics on the part of some professionals who have been highly respected and esteemed as authorities in the field. Accusations have been made (and I fear accurately in some cases) that professionals have actually taken advantage of the vulnerability of their clients to generate the creation of additional personalities to promote their own acclaim and financial gains. Because of the unethical actions of a few, the dedicated and honorable efforts of many others have been over-shadowed and dismissed. There is a new diagnostic handbook out this year for psychiatric disorders. I have not seen it or heard what it says about the diagnosis and treatment of DID; but I understand that this edition is drastically different from previous handbooks. I can’t help but wonder what they have done in response to financial pressures as well as questionable ethical treatment of DID.
