Four Pictures in a Room: A Story of Dissociative Identity Disorder and the Power of Friendship

My story about Betsy and our unusual friendship is true ... all of it.When Betsy first befriended me in early 1983, she had carried secret traumas alone for more than 40 years. She knew she had a problem, but didn't know what to call it. We had never heard about multiple personality disorder (MPD) or dissociative identity disorder (DID), as it became known later.As I realized the depth of Betsy’s problems, I begged her to seek skilled help. But to her, only crazy people needed professional counselors. She feared her marriage would be destroyed, and she would be locked away in an institution. The way we worked through her problems was not ideal … I had no training, and she was in denial about the nature of her troubles. Yet over time, we discovered seven separate identities coexisting in her mind and body. We never imagined we would be able to deal with the needs of each personality and watch them become one.(Warning: This book contains disturbing recollections of sexual violence, assault, and trauma suffered as a child. Reader discretion is advised.) Read more