The existence and characteristics of multiple personality disorder (MPD) have been debated from the time of the first case reports in the 19th century. The dispute has never been resolved, and MPD has become the most controversial syndrome known to mental health professionals. Currently, very little balanced academic material on this disorder is available, and much of the literature aims to disprove its existence as a psychiatric disorder. In the past, general understanding of MPD was guided largely by this medical literature, but in recent decades the disorder has been widely exposed to both professionals and the public through the mass media. This timely work examines MPD from an empirical viewpoint, describing the research that has been done on the disorder, as well as providing in-depth analysis of how MPD has developed over the years in relation to the media. The book identifies the earliest origins of MPD in published literature and traces the course of its development as a concept to the present. Existing data on MPD are presented in a detailed review of the current state of knowledge of the disorder including clinical description, delineation from other disorders, family history studies, follow-up studies, and laboratory documentation. The authors also point out specific areas of research that is needed before psychiatry can consider MPD an adequately validated diagnosis. This critical approach is designed to provide direction to researchers in the pursuit of a better understanding of MPD and to provide clinicians with a valuable guide.

Geared to the needs of mental health practitioners unfamiliar with dissociative disorders, this volume presents a comprehensive and integrated approach to diagnosis and treatment. Each step--from first interview to final post-integrative treatment--is systematically reviewed, with detailed instructions on specific diagnostic and therapeutic techniques and examples of their clinical applications. Concise yet thorough, the volume offers expert advice on such topics as how to foster a strong therapeutic alliance, how to manage crises, and what basic errors to avoid.

The diagnosis of multiple personality disorder (MPD) entered the clinical mainstream with a rapidity and in a manner atypical for new descriptions of psychiatric illness. This book contains the most up-to-date information on MPD available written by experts in this field. The first section is a memorial to Cornelia B. Wilbur, M.D., a pioneer in MPD treatment. It is full of personal accounts from people who knew her well. The second section deals with general issues in the treatment of MPD. It discusses basic principles in conducting the psychotherapy of MPD, posttraumatic and dissociative phenomena in transference and countertransference, and treatment of MPD as a posttraumatic condition. The third section goes on to give case studies that illustrate the application of techniques, approaches, and insights that are considered important in the treatment of MPD patients but are difficult to learn because they have not been documented in detail in the literature. Methods discussed include the use of Amytal interviews, play therapy, egoûstate therapy, and the use of sand trays. The last section of the book discusses some of the contemporary concerns in the field (including consultation in the public psychiatric sector and the incidence of eating disorders in MPD patients), and on the recent history of the study of MPD.

This account of multiple personality disorder (MPD) and related dissociative disorders presents the latest findings leading to a new model of MPD and a new therapeutic approach to its treatment. The book examines the large cluster of symptoms and dysfunctions associated with MPD, focusing on diagnosis, clinical features, and the relationship of MPD to other diagnoses. Data and clinical evidence are presented for a widely-accepted, but as yet unproven hypothesis that MPD arises as a dissociative strategy for coping with severe childhood trauma, usually involving physical or sexual abuse.

Since the time of Mesmer, in the late eighteenth century, spectacular feats of hypnosis have been documented by respected scientific researchers, yet hypnosis has remained divorced from the main body of science. In this groundbreaking work, Dr. Eugene Bliss shows that the hypnotic capability of the mind is important to the theory and practice of psychiatry, and suggests that it deserves much more attention and research. In Multiple Personality, Allied Disorders and Hypnosis, Bliss explores both the nature of multiple personality and hypnosis, and discusses how an understanding of the latter can provide insight into the nature of certain psychiatric disorders. For instance, he views multiple personality as a form of self-hypnosis, an instance of learned schizophrenia rather than an organic disorder, as is generally thought. He outlines the trace elements involved in multiple personality and other psychiatric disorders, provides a fascinating history of the origins and current ideas about hypnosis, and gives a detailed account of the use of hypnosis in the treatment of multiple personality. Based on thirty years of clinical experience, and filled with insightful personal observations, Multiple Personality, Allied Disorders and Hypnosis is an informative, fascinating book for psychiatrists, psychologists, and anyone intrigued by hypnosis and its possible beneficial use.

By providing an in-depth examination of this complex illness, Dissociative Identity Disorder not only facilitates a deeper understanding of people who have used dissociation to cope with years of childhood physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, but also reveals new insights into many other psychiatric disorders in which dissociation plays a role. Like Multiple Personality Disorder, this updated volume is an authoritative and indispensable reference for psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, psychiatric nurses, social workers and other mental health professionals, as well as researchers in these fields.

Asked to search within themselves for hidden personalities, they came up with entire squadrons: children, harlots, angels, devils."--BOOK JACKET. "This book describes how a group of reckless therapists used hypnosis, drugs, and sheer persuasion to mold their patients' symptoms into multiple personality disorder."--BOOK JACKET.