Overview

This ground-breaking book examines the role of crime in the lives of people with Dissociative Identity Disorder, formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder, a condition which appears to be caused by prolonged trauma in infancy and childhood. This trauma may be linked with crimes committed against them, crimes they have witnessed, and crimes they have committed under duress. This collection of essays by a range of distinguished international contributors explores the complex legal, ethical, moral, and clinical questions which face psychotherapists and other professionals working with people suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder. Contributors to this book are drawn from a wide range of professions including psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, counselling, psychology, medicine, law, police, and social work.

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9781855755963

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'It is important to have a book that raises such complex and provocative questions as few professionals have received any adequate training in this subject.'Dr Estela V. Welldon MD DSc (Hon) F.R.C.Psych., Founder and Honorary President for life of the International Association for Forensic Psychotherapy'This is an excellent and groundbreaking collection of papers that dares to consider a subject that society finds too painful to consider. Extreme and sustained crimes against a young child, whether committed within the family or by organised groups, can have a shattering and far-reaching effect on their sense of self and capacity to form secure attachments to others. These devastating consequences are made worse if they also face public denial and disbelief when they dare to speak of the crimes against them. The international contributors to this volume have done a superb job of bringing understanding to this complex subject. A long-overdue and valuable book.' Sir Richard Bowlby

There are many reasons why professionals may be reluctant to acknowledge DID: it is, indeed, baffling, confusing and bizarre. But there are, perhaps, other reasons for the 'low popularity' of this condition. DID, like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), appears to be caused by trauma. But unlike PTSD, it appears to be caused by prolonged trauma, which had started in early childhood or infancy. Listening to accounts of people with DID is confusing, due to the multiplicity of speaker(s); but is also upsetting and unsettling. The traumatic content of the stories is upsetting. The un-proved claims about terrible crimes are unsettling. We are faced with very difficult legal, ethical, moral and clinical questions, not knowing how to respond, what to believe, how to think. This book will focus on the most unsavoury aspects of Dissociative Identity Disorder, namely, the forensic. It will explore the role of crime in the lives of people with DID: crimes committed against them, by them and crimes that they have witnessed.'It is important to have a book that raises such complex and provocative questions as few professionals have received any adequate training in this subject.'- Dr Estela V. Welldon MD DSc(Hon) F.R.C.Psych., Founder and Honorary President for life of the International Association for Forensic Psychotherapy'This is an excellent and groundbreaking collection of papers that dares to consider a subject that society finds too painful to consider. Extreme and sustained crimes against a young child, whether committed within the family or by organised groups, can have a shattering and far-reaching effect on their sense of self and capacity to form secure attachments to others. These devastating consequences are made worse if they also face public denial and disbelief when they dare to speak of the crimes against them. The international contributors to this volume have done a superb job of bringing understanding to this complex subject. A long-overdue and valuable book.'- Sir Richard Bowlby'This text is an absolute tour de force. It presents a wide ranging examination of the relationship between Dissociative Disorders - the effects of being exposed to a climate of extreme trauma and family violence - and forensic issues - relating to the court context. Perspectives from mental health, police, legal practitioners, and the voices of those suffering from the experiences provide important insights. The vexed issues of credibility, and responsibility for the 'en-actment' of violence perpetrated as a result of internalising 'malevolent' figures are not avoided. The field has been advanced through the work presented here.'- Dr Arnon Bentovim, Psychiatrist, Psychoanalyst and Family Therapist

'It is important to have a book that raises such complex and provocative questions as few professionals have received any adequate training in this subject.'- Dr Estela V. Welldon MD DSc(Hon) F.R.C.Psych., Founder and Honorary President for life of the International Association for Forensic Psychotherapy'This is an excellent and groundbreaking collection of papers that dares to consider a subject that society finds too painful to consider. Extreme and sustained crimes against a young child, whether committed within the family or by organised groups, can have a shattering and far-reaching effect on their sense of self and capacity to form secure attachments to others. These devastating consequences are made worse if they also face public denial and disbelief when they dare to speak of the crimes against them. The international contributors to this volume have done a superb job of bringing understanding to this complex subject. A long-overdue and valuable book.'- Sir Richard Bowlby'This text is an absolute tour de force. It presents a wide ranging examination of the relationship between Dissociative Disorders - the effects of being exposed to a climate of extreme trauma and family violence - and forensic issues - relating to the court context. Perspectives from mental health, police, legal practitioners, and the voices of those suffering from the experiences provide important insights. The vexed issues of credibility, and responsibility for the 'en-actment' of violence perpetrated as a result of internalising 'malevolent' figures are not avoided. The field has been advanced through the work presented here.'- Dr Arnon Bentovim, Psychiatrist, Psychoanalyst and Family Therapist

Author Information

Adah Sachs and Graeme Galton are psychoanalytic psychotherapists and registered members of the Centre for Attachment-based Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy. They both work as consultant psychotherapists at the Clinic for Dissociative Studies in London, a small specialist outpatient mental health service for people suffering from severe trauma and dissociation.

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