The Minds of Billy Milligan - 1963 Words

The Minds of Billy Milligan Out of all the classes that I have taken here at Westfield State College, I can honestly say that Abnormal Psychology has been by far the most interesting. Since this course has had such a major influence on me this semester, I am strongly considering continuing my education in this field of psychology. Throughout the semester, we studied a number of intriguing disorders. The disorder that really seemed to catch my attention was the Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). I took it upon myself to use this opportunity to learn more about the disorder that seemed to be the most fascinating. This is the main reason why I chose to read The Minds of Billy Milligan, by Daniel Keyes. This true story shows us how a young†¦show more content†¦Besides having the presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states (DSM-IV), the undesirables would steal time from the Big 10. To steal time meant to unlawfully take consciousness from the Big 10. When this happened, damaging a cts would usually occur. This stealing of time perfectly explains another symptom of DID according to the DSM-IV. When the personalities took control of Billys behavior, Billy lost time. To lose time was when another personality would take consciousness and cause the first personality to be unable to recall important personal information that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness. (DSM-IV) Dissociative Identity Disorder is in the category of Dissociative Disorders under Axis I of the DSM-IV. Even though Billy fully exhibits all of the symptoms of the disorder, he was still misdiagnosed. There were several instances where the doctors simply didnt believe in DID. Those that were skeptical of Billy interviewed him and soon believed that Billy Milligan suffered from DID. Even after meeting Billy, some people still refused to believe DID was a legitimate disorder and diagnosed Billy with other disorders. The client, Billy, did agree with the diagnosis because it real ly clarified things for him. Billy was also suicidal, meaning there is a good chance he was depressed as well. Because several of the doctors didnt believe in DID, there was much controversyShow MoreRelatedDissociative Identity Disorder ( Dissociative Disorder )1194 Words   |  5 Pagesfamous case was the one of Billy Milligan. During October of 1977, three women from Ohio State University were kidnapped, lead to a hidden, wooded area, robbed, and sexually assaulted. One lady maintained that the man who raped her had a German accent, while another victim said that (in spite of kidnapping and raping her) he was in reality, â€Å"kind of a decent guy.† However, one man had committed the crimes: a 22-year-old named Billy Milligan. Following his imprisonment, Milligan visited with a psychiatristRead MoreA Split Personality: The Cause and Effects of Multiple Personality Disorder 1285 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"someone else.† Over the years, many people have been diagnosis with Multiple Personality Disorder, whose cases have become famous, including, Shirley Ardell Mason, (better known as Sybil,) Billy Milligan, (â€Å"The Minds of Billy Milligan,†) Trudi Chase (who wrote the book, â€Å"When Rabbit Howls†) and Christine Costner Sizemore, (The Three Faces of Eve.) In all cases to date, Multiple Personality Disorder is generated (or triggered)Read More Multiple Personality Disorder (Dissociative Identity Disorder)735 Words   |  3 Pagessexual, physical, and mental abuse, affects the individuals consciousness and in turn creates altar selves. Categorized into three different groups, altar selves serve as a safety net for the individual, taking the memories out of the conscious mind and walling off the unwanted recollections. Interestingly, altar selves maintain different abilities, ages, dislikes, likes, and names. Many Canadians believe Multiple Personality exists only as an act on behalf of the individual, when in fact,