Looking back at all of the courses I have taken here at Ohio Wesleyan University, Abnormal Psychology has been one of the most interesting and thought provoking subjects that I have encountered. Throughout the semester, we have studied numerous fascinating disorders from schizophrenia to anorexia. None have been more intriguing to me than Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), partly due to my love of movies like Fight Club. Because of this, along with the fact that this case occurred right here in Central Ohio, I chose to read and review The Minds of Billy Milligan, by Daniel Keyes. The protagonist in this uniquely dark, true story is William Milligan (Billy), a particular individual who suffers from DID. What makes his story so unique is that
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To "steal time" meant they took consciousness without permission from the Big 10. Typically when this happened, damaging and harmful acts would occur. This stealing of time perfectly explains another common symptom of DID according to the DSM-5. When a personality took control of Billy's behavior, Billy "lost time" leading to gaps in memory of everyday events. To "lose time" meant another personality would take consciousness, repressing the first personality and preventing it from being able to "recall important personal information that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness." …show more content…
At this time Billy was introduced to Dr. David Caul. Dr. Caul was experienced in treating patients with DID at Athens Mental Health Center. After receiving permission to treat Billy like he had his other patients with DID, Dr. Caul granted Billy’s transfer to Athens. After many exhausting discussions with Dr. Caul, the doctor learned that host Billy was already fused in a personality called "The Teacher." The Teacher was the combination of all 24 personalities, possessing all of the skills and attributes of the 24 personalities and responsible for teaching them their talents. In an interview with the two remaining alternate personalities, Arthur and Ragen, they, after much persuasion from Dr. Caul, decided it was finally time to tell Billy that he was "The Teacher". Dr. Caul taped this interview with Arthur and Ragen and then played the tape to Billy. This was the first time Billy had witnessed one of the other personalities in action. Before that point in time, he just believed the doctors and other health specialists had told him. "At first, there had been only the core Billy, the one who was born and who had the birth certificate. Then he had broken into many parts, but all the while behind these many parts there was a presence without a name - someone that Ragen had said was the Teacher. In a sense, the unseen, fragmented, spirit-like thing called the
To "steal time" meant they took consciousness without permission from the Big 10. Typically when this happened, damaging and harmful acts would occur. This stealing of time perfectly explains another common symptom of DID according to the DSM-5. When a personality took control of Billy's behavior, Billy "lost time" leading to gaps in memory of everyday events. To "lose time" meant another personality would take consciousness, repressing the first personality and preventing it from being able to "recall important personal information that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness." …show more content…
At this time Billy was introduced to Dr. David Caul. Dr. Caul was experienced in treating patients with DID at Athens Mental Health Center. After receiving permission to treat Billy like he had his other patients with DID, Dr. Caul granted Billy’s transfer to Athens. After many exhausting discussions with Dr. Caul, the doctor learned that host Billy was already fused in a personality called "The Teacher." The Teacher was the combination of all 24 personalities, possessing all of the skills and attributes of the 24 personalities and responsible for teaching them their talents. In an interview with the two remaining alternate personalities, Arthur and Ragen, they, after much persuasion from Dr. Caul, decided it was finally time to tell Billy that he was "The Teacher". Dr. Caul taped this interview with Arthur and Ragen and then played the tape to Billy. This was the first time Billy had witnessed one of the other personalities in action. Before that point in time, he just believed the doctors and other health specialists had told him. "At first, there had been only the core Billy, the one who was born and who had the birth certificate. Then he had broken into many parts, but all the while behind these many parts there was a presence without a name - someone that Ragen had said was the Teacher. In a sense, the unseen, fragmented, spirit-like thing called the