Comment by Lucille on 10 Jan 2010 at 11:46 am

Karen,

I read your story and believe you are the first true multiple personality disorder documented case. I’ve read Sybil. I’ve watched the movie Three faces of Eve and even watched documentaries that have not satisfied my need for knowledge. BUT Karen you and Richard Baer did it! WOW! I get it! What is your opinion Karen on Sybil and Chris Sizemore? Have you ever met them? If you could tell me what your thoughts are on their stories I would be the happiest person around. Did you ever read their books? Did you believe the books? Dr. Baer didn’t act in the same manner as their psychiatrists, where’d he learn how to treat you? In Sybil’s story on a documentary I watch today called ‘The Unexplained’, it said Sybil’s replacement therapist while Dr. Wilbur vacationed picked up on make believe and untruth. Did you see this documentary? Look it up love to hear what you have to say. I am so pissed. This show The Unexplained was not well prepared for what they shown. Please thank Dr. Richard Baer. I am pleased to know their are doctors who don’t force feed their patients multiple personally disorder. I love him! Thank you Karen for being so f-in honest in your answers here. I love you! The world needed your story to be told. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so very much. Realism. Yes. It’s you guys!

Lucille

Dear Lucille,

Thank you for sharing. I searched for the show “The Unexplained” and found the documentary you mentioned. I agree, it’s not very informative about the illness, but there were interesting parts about Christine Sizemore and Sybil’s case. I’m not sure, after what was revealed on this show, whether Sybil was a true multiple. Of course, there were similarities to my experience. I never read all of Sybil. I found it disturbing and had to stop reading part way through. I did however watch the movie and felt it was overly dramatized and unreal. But I am no expert on multiplicity. I’m one woman who happens to be a recovered integrated multiple.

I never read any of Christine Sizemore’s books, but would like to some day. After my integration, Dr. Baer and I, together, watched the movie of her story The Three Faces of Eve. I felt her case to be more like mine. I could indentify with her more than with Sybil. I never met either one. If possible, I would like to meet Christine Sizemore.

I’m not sure what you are referring to comparing the way Dr. Baer has treated me with how other psychiatrists do. I believe Dr. Baer treated me the way he felt best suited me. There aren’t many accurate accounts of multiple personality and its treatment. That’s the reason Dr. Baer wrote my story. We worked together for over eighteen years and have documented all of my story. We most certainly may have the only complete, from start to finish, documentation of the treatment of a patient with multiple personality disorder. If there are others, I am not aware of them.

Thank you for your support and for sharing your confidence in my story. Dr. Baer provided me with safe, consistent, and unconditional care, and never once put me in harms way or sensationalized my past abuse. Whatever I have shared in my sessions came from the real pain I experienced as a sexually abused child.  I was lucky to fall into the right hands. I believe my story was meant to be shared, debated, and analyzed.

Dr. Baer and I welcome all questions. For us, truth brings knowledge, knowledge brings awareness, and awareness brings a better way to treat those who, like me, endured repeated trauma and dissociation. I believe in encouraging hope through sharing my story.

Thank you again for all your kind compliments! I will pass your wishes on to Dr. Baer. I’m sure he will be excited to hear your enthusiasm and vote of respect for his work with me.

Karen