Comment by Sable on December 15, 2008 5:52 pm

Good morning, Karen and Richard, Best of wishes to your success and completion of Switching Time. I would like to know if you are working together on a sequel? Thank you both for contributing to medical science. I never believed any story read on dissociative disorders before Switching Time. It was written so anyone can feel what itʼs like to be a patient and how the doctor can feel when treatment is difficult. My question for Karen: How difficult was it to have your life documented? My two questions for Richard: What was the reason you decided such a story should be told? Writing the book must have exhausted both of you, who is taking care of Karen now that you are not her therapist? Wish you both continued success and sell lots more books! I bought the kindle copy. Love you both.

Sable

Dear Sable,

Thank you for your best wishes! Dr. Baer and I haven’t planned a sequel, but we would be interested in writing one.  I believe it would depend on how well sales go for Switching Time. We surely have enough information documented in order to do so.

Dr. Baer and I appreciate you believe Switching Time is a contribution to medical science. That is what we’ve hoped for.  It’s important to me that more becomes known about multiplicity. I can understand why it was hard for you to find a book on multiplicity that shed light on not only the patient’s suffering, but also how it was for the treating therapist. There aren’t many books that share what we’ve shared.

It really wasn’t difficult sharing my life with the world. But it was originally difficult to share my past with Dr. Baer.  It took years of building trust to do this.  I always worried I was too much for him to handle, and I feared he would give up on me.  We didn’t decide to write a book until all the alters were all integrated.  I never thought much of all the notes Dr. Baer took during our sessions. I admit, I often wondered what the heck he was writing down and knew he needed to do this in order to help me. I also helped Dr. Baer treat me by contributing thousands of pages of my own writing and my journals. As far as all that was written, it happened gradually. I wrote every day, over a period of eighteen years, and all was carefully documented.

I believe Dr. Baer chose to write Switching Time because our journey was fascinating: for both of us.  It was definitely exhausting for Dr. Baer to take care of me and for me to be in therapy for eighteen years.  But we did it!  We accomplished the full integration of seventeen alternate personalities.  How amazing is that!

Dr. Baer and I share a close respectful friendship, he continues to help me at times, however, most of the time I take care of myself the best that I can.

Thank you for your questions and for buying the Kindle version of Switching Time.

Karen

Comment by David on December 21, 2008 11:24 am

Dear Karen, I am writing this in response to your comment on my IMDb page.  You’ll know me there as Talking_of_Michelangelo.  As I can’t find a copy of Switching Time, I’ve placed an order for it.  I am a survivor of another type of abuse, and although I don’t have DID/MPD, I have been involved in running a support group for abuse survivors, many of whom did.  I’ve noticed above some concerns expressed that alters, once integrated, can return. Whilst I am not a qualified person, I have studied abuse and the various things it does, and I have never heard of alters being resurrected. I suspect therefore that this is not a problem. What does appear to occur, however, is that sometimes there may be alters hidden away that do not appear until much later. The difficult integration process may not succeed in integrating all alters, especially if they have not all been found. Thus if any symptoms reappear, it is very important to make an appointment with your therapist. I really applaud your attitude that alters and MPD are healing processes. I have the same view of post traumatic memories. I am in the early days of writing my own book on the subject of abuses by mental health professionals (I am a survivor of abuse by a debriefing counsellor) and so I wonder if it was nerve wracking for you to await the publication of Switching Time? Cheers, David

Dear David,

 Welcome, to our site! It’s nice to hear from you!  I’ve been reading your posts and I thought to myself you could write a book.  I enjoy reading what you have to say.

I am sorry you couldn’t find a copy of our book and had to order it.  Switching Time is available in most stores such as Barnes & Noble and Borders and can also be ordered on-line through Amazon.com and many other sites. I’m not sure as to your location, however, thank you for ordering it.  If you have any thoughts or questions, please share them here.

I am glad to hear you’re running a support group.  It’s very hard to find a safe place for those who suffer from abuse of any kind, especially for victims of child sexual abuse and dissociation.  Although multiplicity is one way to cope with horrific abuse, being a victim of abuse of any sort requires help and understanding.  Abuse is abuse. And all of us who have suffered feel similar inner pain.  I’m sorry to hear you have also suffered. I wish you well as you journey towards healing.

I, also, am not a qualified therapist, and like you, can only give my own opinion and not any advice.  It’s my hope that through my sharing people will find their own strength to move forward in their own journey.  We all learn from each other.  I agree with you, I don’t believe ex-alters can be resurrected.  Although it may be possible for another alter, who wasn’t integrated to surface, I highly doubt there’s anyone left within me.  I would be shocked, especially after eighteen years of intense therapy!  If I should ever feel “different,” I would definitely call my therapist.

I believe my alters were the best form of help I could’ve received. When as a child, left to figure out how to survive, how else could I have managed? I was fortunate my mind created my alters to protect me, but this way of coping didn’t support adult functioning.  As an adult my alters tried to help but instead caused chaos.  I continue to believe I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for “alter” help.  I’m sorry to hear that you were abused by your debriefing counselor; that is so sad.  I hope you find strength and continue your healing with another therapist that you can build trust with.

That’s great news that you are writing your own book!  I wish you the best!  Regarding waiting for Switching Time to be published, it may have been more nerve wracking for Dr. Baer, than me. For me, there was never a doubt it would happen. I had faith all would work out in due time. I always believed Switching Time was meant to be written and shared.  Dr. Baer and I were very lucky getting our book published.  Please don’t give up! You may receive some rejection letters, we did too, but in the end it’s all about persistence.

Thank you for your compliments! And thank you for sharing and writing in. My best wishes to you.

Karen

Comment by Carmen P. on December 14, 2008 5:17 am

Dear Karen,

Do you think it’s possible to create more alters after integration? I can’t know for sure but I was integrated ten years ago and believe that three alters returned this year. I’m not sure but beginning to not feel alone, if you know what I mean?. I know something’s going on and afraid to address it. What would you do if you were me? Isn’t this the ten year mark for you to? You are great and your story mirrors mine to some degree. What I really want to know is would you welcome new alters?

Carmen P.

Dear Carmen,

I’m not sure if it’s possible for me to create more alters ten years after integration. Not once have I ever felt them return.  I don’t believe the alters of my past can be resurrected. They are integrated within me and are a part of me. I don’t believe there’s any way to separate my ex-alters again from who I am today, at least this is what I believe.

I’m not a therapist and can’t give advice, but I believe you should share your concerns with a qualified therapist.  If I were you, I would address this issue immediately.

The thought of new alters being generated scares the heck out of me.  There is no room in my present life for it; I would fight against it.  Besides, all of my alters were created when I was a small child, when I didn’t have any other safe way of coping with the trauma I was experiencing.  As an adult, I’ve matured and can see the difference, and I wouldn’t tolerate and cope with abuse the same way I did.

Thank you for your interesting and thought provoking questions,

Karen

Comment by Lois on December 14, 2008 1:43 am

Karen,

It’s December and I am depressed. It’s Christmas and I am depressed. I am a multiple. a part of a person and six out of ten of us are depressed. not depressed. not depressed. depressed. depressed. depressed. depressed. depressed. not depressed. not depressed. In the book you claimed to be depressed a lot. How many of you suffered from depression? Any at the same time? All at the same time? What kind of drug creates relief when so many suffer? When it comes to depression who made the decision not to die? If one other was severely depressed how could another change their mind?

Lois

Dear Lois,

I’m sorry to hear you are feeling depressed. I can understand how stressful the holidays can be for some people and especially for someone who suffers from multiplicity as you do, and as I once did.  I felt very depressed at times, and some of my alters felt worse than others.  I can’t explain this and don’t really remember how many of my alters suffered from depression, and whether they suffered at the same time.  All I know is I felt depressed most of the time during my therapy.

I don’t believe any medication ever helped me with my depression.  I don’t remember whether I actually took the prescriptions given to me.  Most of the medicine bottles stayed full until I threw them away.  Maybe there was a medication that could’ve helped if I’d taken it, but I’ll never be sure of this.

I felt suicidal quite often, but to my knowledge I never actually attempted it.  I had the thoughts but never took action. I believe my alters, Holdon and Katherine, prevented it. Whenever I felt down and suicidal, I would call Dr. Baer.  I believe it was Dr. Baer’s guidance of my alters that kept me alive.  After we’d talked, my thoughts and feelings would settle down, reality would come back, and I’d understand where my suicidal thoughts came from.  Almost always, my thoughts came from my past and didn’t belong in the present.

Thank you for sharing,

Karen

Comment by anonymous author on December 12, 2008 1:30 pm

Hello Karen,

The published version of Switching Time written by Richard Baer didn’t tell the whole story, did it? There must be more? If you were to write this book yourself would it have read the same? How would it differ? What would you eliminate and what would you include? It’s an interesting book but who chose how to represent your story? Was it you or the author, Baer? Was this book written in your best interest? I don’t think so. Has anyone ever asked you for your version? I believe there is another story here, isn’t there?

Anonymous Author

Dear Author,

No, Switching Time doesn’t tell the whole story.  How could it?  Dr. Baer and I spent eighteen years working together to heal me.  It’s impossible to tell all!  And, yes, I would’ve told my story differently. I am not Dr. Baer and not a professional therapist.  I would’ve written Switching Time from a spiritual point of view.  I believe I survived on faith, hope, and love.

During my therapy, while sharing my pain with Dr. Baer, I didn’t focus on him as a doctor or psychiatrist, and I didn’t understand at first what therapy was.  I felt cared for, my alters felt cared for, and that was all that mattered.  I needed to feel this way.  If I would’ve focused on the psychiatric side, I wouldn’t have survived.  I healed strictly by talk therapy after years of building trust in the safety of Dr. Baer’s office.

I would’ve shared my journey much differently.  Dr. Baer told my story from his point of view, from all that I’ve shared with him, written to him, and all that he experienced during his therapeutic relationship with me.  Dr. Baer chose what to include in Switching Time.  I wouldn’t have necessarily shared the same stories.  There are hundreds more I would’ve written.  However, Dr. Baer felt what was shared in the final published version of Switching Time was the best representation of all that we had gone though during my eighteen years of treatment.

No one has ever asked me for my version of life as a multiple, and yes, there is another story here, and some day I would love for it to be heard.

Karen

Comment by Frustrated Nellie on December 7, 2008 4:32 pm

Karen,

I am so darn frustrated. I read your book and spent many hours trying to find how to ask you a question. Isn’t there an easier way. It’s so hard to get to you. I tried the website and came up with thousands of lines of information that didn’t lead me to ask you a question. If it weren’t for my BBF I would’ve said forget it. I almost forgot the question, actually I did. Oh yeah, What makes you so sure you will not dissociate again? What would forewarn you? I can’t buy that integration was complete. It just doesn’t compute? Oh, the book was a definite page turner. I barely put it down long enough to relieve myself.

Love,

Nell

Dear Nell,

I can understand your frustration trying to figure out how to ask me a question through our website.  Dr. Baer and I are currently working on resolving this problem by updating our website so that it will be easily accessible. We hope to have the new site up and running by the end of January. Please come back and visit us again!  I apologize for the frustration, but I’m glad to hear your friend was able to help you.

I surely hope I won’t dissociate again.  It’s been over ten years since my integration was complete and I haven’t dissociated since.  Of course, there may be the possibility that something traumatic could happen to me, but I don’t believe I’ll split off again.  I’ve been through some hard times during the past ten years, but I’ve not once fallen back to the old way of coping through losing time.

I admit, there were a few times when I wished I could switch to an alter again, and felt hopeless when unable to.  But I knew that dissociating would not make things better.  The fact is, losing time, switching into alternate personalities, was extremely exhausting.

Thank you for your compliment on Switching Time being a page-turner!

Karen

Comment by Reformed Scrooge on December 7, 2008 12:12 am

Hi Karen,

This is a shitty time of year, don’t you agree? I hate the holidays, the people, the decorations, the false smiles when unnecessary gifts are exchanged and the annoying carols in every frickin store you enter. I bought your book to read something depressing. Yeah, cheerful me! But do you know what? I found myself not so crabby and excepting of all the people and things that annoy me. I am glad you don’t know me cause youd probably think I’m insane but the Christmas story about the damn tie made me cry. No one, I repeat, no one, no book, had ever made me think of anyone other than myself but Switching Time. I switched into a human. Therefore I am. I think?

Well, Merry Christmas to you and your shrink from a reformed scrooge.

Dear Reformed Scrooge,

Wow! I transformed a Scrooge? How nice of you to think so! However, I believe you transformed yourself because you were really nice all along. Maybe you just needed a gentle reminder, and in reading Switching Time, you found it.

I can understand your pessimism about the holidays. It’s a very stressful time for many of us.  I find myself trying my best to stay cheerful despite the many sad thoughts that come my way. I’m glad the part of my story regarding the Christmas tie my alters gave Dr. Baer touched you. It’s one of my favorite memories of the alters and how much they cared for Dr. Baer. To think, if seventeen alters could come together and agree and find joy in this season of giving, after all the horror they’d experienced, then I believe any one can.

Thank you for making a difference and changing your thoughts about the uniqueness we all share as individuals. Some of us may be funny, annoying, or may even apprear to wear a mask during the holidays, however, that is what makes us each special.

Merry Christmas to you! I am glad to hear from you, especially today, on St. Nicholas’ day! This is like a gift to me. I wish you peace and happiness as you find joy, not only in this season, but always.

Karen

Comment by Gina on December 3, 2008 7:24 pm

Karen,

I will review your book now. It was incredible and fabulous. I never would share this with anyone and will leave saying one thing. Glad you survived to help people. Reading your answers has been a extraordinary worthwhile experience. The book left me weary and now I want to change myself and become the one person who really gives a crap about people in general.

Gina

Dear Gina,

Thank you for your kind thoughts and heartfelt review. I am glad that my answers have been a helpful and worthwhile experience for you.  That is what Dr. Baer and I have hoped for.  It’s always been important for me to bring awareness to all those who hurt. 

I believe you’ve made an important first step to recognize the need to change yourself. Only you, yourself, can make changes.

I wish you all the best,

Karen

Comment by Gertrude on December 1, 2008 10:16 pm

Wie gehts? Karen,

I have read Switching Time, Bruce’s comment and the Women in his office and started thinking what magazine’s advertise the book, any foreign? Did you interview with any? Richard Baer? Where do I find this information? Last question. What magazines do you like to read and if they called you would you let them interview you? I live in America but like to read deutsch. Will there be a book in deutsch?

Jjezt mach ich schluss,
Auf wiedersehn,
Gertrude

Dear Gertrude,

Thank you for reading Switching Time.  Dr. Baer and I have been interviewed in many magazines here in the United States and also in several foreign countries. I believe you can access all these articles through Google.com by entering “Switching Time.”  We have articles in Newsweek, Grazia, Chicago Magazine, and more.  We have also been guests on Good Morning America.  Dr. Baer has been featured on The Mike & Juliet Show, Eye on Chicago, and has given many radio interviews, including National Public Radio and the BBC.

I’m not sure whether our story will be translated into German; a German publisher would have to buy the book.  However, we do have translations in Dutch, Japanese, and Swedish.  We hope to add more.

Regarding my favorite magazine, there are many that I enjoy reading, and I can’t begin to list them all.  However, I subscribe to: More, Oprah, The New Yorker, National Geographic, Travel, Family Circle and a few more.   I would love to be interviewed by my favorite magazines; maybe some day I will.

It is my hope to share my story and help others with their journey.  

Karen

Comment by Acacia on December 3, 2008 3:34 pm

Hi Karen and Richard,

Congratulations on accomplishing a book on what it’s like to be suffering and healing from multiple personality disorder. Who decided to change the name to dissociative identity disorder? To dissociate is one thing, living with multiple personality disorder isn’t the same. All people dissociate to a certain extent but all multiple personality people dissociate to survive. There’s a big difference. Don’t you think?

I am suffering from depression and anxiety from past abuse. I am not going to say I dissociate because I don’t think I do. My question is complicated. While I was being abused I watched myself being abused from the sky.  I was raped repeatedly by an uncle in his backyard on rainy days. I hate the rain because of this. When lightning and thunder strike I fly into a panic attack but don’t dissociate like I did those days I watched from the sky. Is this how you felt when you dissociated? I want to compare what happened to you to what happened to me.

Acacia

Dear Acacia,

I’m not sure why or who changed the term multiple personality disorder to dissociative identity disorder.  I know the words share the same meaning, but Dr. Baer and I felt the old term “multiple personality disorder” defined my illness more than DID.  I believe the word “multiple” refers to more than one distinct personality, whereas “dissociative” seems vague and not as accurate a description of what I had.

I agree and believe as you do that to dissociate is one thing, but to live life as a multiple with a fragmented mind and distinct alternate personalities is something different.  MPD seems more appropriate.  Thank you for sharing your thoughts on MPD. 

I can understand that you don’t believe you have MPD.  There are other possible explanations as to why you “watched” your abuse happening.  I am not a qualified therapist and can’t give advice, but in my opinion, when you experienced being raped, you felt as if you were watching it from above because your mind couldn’t accept that it was you being hurt, and removed you to protect you. This was very similar to my experience of dissociation.

For me, dissociating my pain and abuse meant my experience of pain was removed from my awareness.  I put myself elsewhere so that the direct impact of what was happening to me would feel as if it were happening to someone else, much like watching a movie and seeing something horrible happening but you’re at a safe distance from it.

I can empathize with you when you describe your reactions to rain, thunder, and lightning.  I have also experienced triggered memories that are associated with my past abuse.  As time goes by, most of these triggers disappear.  Sometimes, when a memory is triggered, I may have a nightmare and wake with my heart racing.  Although this doesn’t happen often, it can be debilitating for a few moments. I usually get over it quickly once faced with the reality of today, and the fact that my abuse happened long ago.

Thank you for your compliments! I wish you well.

Karen