Comment by Maxine on 30 Sep 2009 at 8:45 am

Hi Karen.

When is a multiple not a multiple? After integration are you still labeled a multiple? Do you consider yourself a multiple now that you are healed from multiple personality disorder?

Maxine

Dear Maxine,

Very good questions! I’m not sure. I used to believe once a multiple always a multiple, with the exception that all of my alters merged together during integration to become one woman, me. I never really paid much attention to labels in the first place. Whether I was labeled a multiple before or after integration doesn’t matter to me.

I assume that I am a survivor of multiple personality disorder. Strange as it may sound, in all the years of my therapeutic relationship with Dr. Baer, only once did he ever mention what my illness was called. I knew the name of my illness, but I had no desire to be reminded of it as my journey to heal continued. Labels are not for me. But yes, I may always consider myself a multiple.  Perhaps I should be called a “Recovered Integrated Multiple”!

Thank you for your questions.

Karen