Well-Made News Video About Multiple Personality

[MakersDozn]

We just came across this video, which was made about six years ago and shown on the TV program CBS Sunday Morning:

http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/multiple-personalities/

We think that it's accurate and balanced. It was filmed at the time when United States of Tara was airing new episodes, and when Herschel Walker's book had recently been published. People interviewed include Walker, Dr. Richard Kluft, and the producer of the United States of Tara series.

In the interest of balance, the reporter also interviews Dr. Paul McHugh, who's well known for his opposition to the legitimacy of DID/MPD. (We recall that he has a son who's also a psychiatrist--we can't remember the son's name--who opposes his father's position and considers DID/MPD legitimate.)

We'd like to know what other folks here think of the interview. We should say that we've never watched Tara because we don't get whatever movie channel that the show aired on. We were also skeptical of the show's ability to be accurate. In this interview, Dr. Kluft, who acted as a consultant to the series, called the depiction a "concentrated" view of multiplicity, meaning that it's accurate in what it shows, but it exaggerates how overt things are.

What are your thoughts about the interview? Have you ever watched Tara, and if so, what do you think of it? And what would you say to Dr. McHugh that would help show the validity/reality of being multiple?

MDs

[The People]

I liked the first doctor who talked about the show. I never watched it because was not aware that the show was on. We get showcase here but it was pretty much a smut channel here when you taped this.

I don't know how I felt about what he said about the show. There was very little extremism in dress for us. Maybe a few times before the dx. Or suddenly feeling ashamed f the shorts we were wearing when we came out. T actually saw us that day but stated that she didn't notice anything wrong with them

I hated the white haired guy. What he is stating is that people are "told" to have alters. Not one of my therapists ever told us to come forward. We told T about changes we were noticing and by the time a formal dx was made (we lived in a community with no PDoc so we only saw him when he flew in and we were n H) Notice the guy is "former".

I remember when a few friends had fibromyalgia as it was just coming out. An east coast friend who is a nurse didn't believe in it as she worked with babies. The number of kids with autism is increasing. IMO not because more are getting sick from booster shots. The symptoms are just picked up more quickly. Aspergers was never heard of prior to 30 years ago or thereabouts. Now look at the stats.

Our root person created Two and an older man that we just met. Well we hate the word created. Two came forward from root person. And from there others scrambled out.

Psychology is called the inexact science because one cannot see what goes on in somebody's head. I just know that when I came here I met a whole lot of people who understood me. Cannot find that anywhere else.

[nats]

that seems fairly balanced. it's interesting that the psych doc is so anti-DID. wonder what he gains from it.

never did see US of Tara (it's not on youtube ;-), but from the trailers i'd agree with the characterisation that it's more overt than we've observed (and that she seems to have a very accepting family!).

[mosaic]

an interesting report - i agree it was fairly balanced.. i had a t who agreed with the second (anti DID) guy when i first realized about the others... and it was a very unpleasant experience

i never watched US of Tara either - i didn't have the channel it was on. from the clips in the report it was definitely more overt than what we experience. i sometimes think things are done that way because the writers don't think the viewers will "get it" if they don't see a drastic difference on the outside for each self.

[MakersDozn]

Thanks to everyone who's responded.

The People....We agree with what you said about the increase in various diagnoses--that there are more of them not because conditions are more prevalent, but that people are noticing the signs/symptoms more easily. In 1970, nobody believed in childhood depression, yet we had it, and we didn't get diagnosed until 1995.

nats....Dr. McHugh is known for opposition to a number of other issues, such as transgender identity. There's more info about him here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_McHugh

mosaic....Sorry that you had a T like that. And we agree about TV and movie dramas exaggerate signs of multiplicity to make them move obvious. It's not uncommon for systems (including us) to have difficulty telling their own members apart, so we understand the need to exaggerate to some degree.

MDs