Comment by Margaret M on 05 Sep 2009 at 10:29 am

Dear Richard and Karen,

How are you? I am really glad you wrote your story together. I received your book as a gift yesterday. I haven’t read the entire book but stayed up half the night and read through page two hundred something. I know I will finish it after class today. I am a pysch major and want to know how your book passed through the cracks of the medical world? Dr. Baer did you try to address MPD at any conventions? Is your book known to the AMA?

Karen, you are surely an inspiration to all. I believe your work is a great medical accomplishment. A sacrifice of your self to help save others. God Bless you. I also agree Dr. Baer’s work is not over. I read the answer you gave MD. I am concerned about something. Does Dr. Baer know the complexity of shared knowledge by releasing a patients history?

Congrats to you! I wish I knew about your book two years ago. I surely could’ve used it last year.

Margaret M.

Dear Margaret,

Thank you so much for your enthusiasm!  It’s nice to hear when a student shows great interest.  It must seem our story fell through the cracks of the medical world, but it is being used in class work in many universities, so that is quite rewarding.  So Switching Time has not quite fallen through the cracks.  I believe our story will be told over and over again as the years pass.  One reason for the lack of exposure is that the illness of multiple personality disorder has taken on quite a bit of debate. To believe or not to believe? Should my story be taken seriously? It really should!

Dr. Baer and I documented all our therapeutic years, and there is no other case study of MPD that is so accurate and well written.  For eighteen years Dr. Baer did an amazingly thorough job in treating me.  I believe the medical world should take notice of his work.  Dr. Baer should get an award for treating me in order to bring knowledge to the world. I was definitely not an easy case to treat. I challenged him daily.

The illness MPD is real, although not well understood.  Dr. Baer’s work with me is a lesson not to be forgotten.  Actually, the complexity of a dissociative life is an amazing coping mechanism when a child is repeatedly abused for a long period of time.  Dr. Baer saw the value of my journey and together we decided to share.  It is my hope to help in the best way I can.  Sharing gives me purpose.

There is so much more to learn about the illness I survived.  Dr. Baer and I are more than willing to share all that we learned in the process of healing me.  I surely appreciate all the over-time he put in to understand the horror of my child abuse and how I survived it.  I don’t believe another psychiatrist would’ve invested that much time.  I am forever grateful.

Thank you for your kind thoughts and compliments!

Karen