Autism Essay, Multiple Personality Disorder and SocializingWhere could anybody be without organizing their own thoughts(Slater 1)? Imagine living in a world where one could not communicate with anyone around them on a truly rational level, even though the individual is completely rational. Imagine feeling so frightened by life, that one escapes to an Alternate reality, where they become catatonic, or even take on forms of different personalities to deal with everyday situations. Try not being able to communicate through ones own words, only repeating what others have said in order to get along in life. This is what living with Autism is like. Autism, through the book definition is a complex developmental disabilitythat appears during the first three years of lifethe result of a neurological disorder that affects the brain.
(ASOA 1). Autism is often accompanied by Multiple Personality Disorder, which helps the person escape to a world, or situation where they can feel, so called normal. Multiple Personality Disorder is curable, and Autism is treatable, so with counseling and socialization with others, patients can be functiong members of society. Both disorders have to be treated, and worked at which is a form of re-socialization.
The autobiographical novel, Somebody Somewhere, by Donna Williams demonstrates the road to recovery by an autistic, with multiple personality disorder. Williams reveals her battle with day to day encounters with family, friends, colleges and aquantences, because she cannot communicate with them. Chris Slater, an 18 year old, recovering, socially functioning autistic explains autism as communication disorder. He feels that autistic people dont have the ability or the instinct to pick up on how to communicate with others(3). An escape from this is turning to alternate personalities, such as Williams did.
Multiple personality Disorder, (MPD) was first recognized in the 1700s but was not understood so therefore was soon forgotten. Many cases showed up during the years, but was overlooked, or misdiagnosed as either schizophrenia or psychosis. Many in the medical profession did not believe that a person could have more than one personality in a body, unknowingly, even after the 1950s. In 1993, records show that three to five thousand people were being treated for MPD, compared to the hundred cases reported ten years earlier.
The disease is commonly found in adults who were abused mentally, physically, emotionally, and or sexually as children, between birth to eight years of age. The child uses a process called disassociation to separate himself/herself from the abusive situation. This is when the child makes up a personality to take control of the mind and body. During abuse, usually there is a personality for every emotion and feeling when the abuse is taking place.
Symptoms of the disease include: amnesia, hallucinations, depression, and suicidal thoughts, and tendencies, and there can be anywhere from two to over a hundred different personalities. Usually each personality will fall into one of the following categories: host, core, child, teenager, artistic, adult, animals, intimate members, self-helpers, persecutor, rescuer and helper. The child is usually under the age of twelve, with according behaviors, such as thumb sucking, tantrums, crying whining, pulling hair, and eating cookies. The persecutor is self destructive including drug and or alcohol habits, they also take over and can become violent or angry.
The rescuer is logical, able proficient and responsible. The helper acts as medium for all personalities, almost like an all- knowing omniscient narrator. In Somebody Somewhere, Carol and Willie were Williams Escape. The alters helped her deal with everyday situations she could not deal with.
Williams would disappear into her world, while Carol or Willie took over. Carol would be the rescuer, always getting jobs, and laughing off jokes. She would meet new faces and become friendly with them. Willie was the persecutor, he would protect her when she was scared, or lonely; I was scared to walk alone now. It had been different when Willie was around.
I always knew Willie would take over if I couldnt handle things(7). Surprisingly enough, almost everyone has sub personalities, but those without the disorder know when the alternate is taking over. An example of this is when one encounters a new situation, and the individual have to act “accordingly. Although this is not the .
