Patchwork Quilt - a book for children about dissociative identity disorder
Conversations about mental health can be difficult. The Patchwork Quilt is a picture book designed to help those with D.I.D. - Dissociative Identity Disorder (previously known as multiple personality disorder) talk about the condition. It is a great starting point for explaining this complex psychological condition to children (or to young alters).
This colorfully illustrated narrative story introduces DID to children in a serious, but whimsical way.
Dissociative identity disorder is a complex condition and by its nature highly personal. This story is meant to be open to interpretation. Some people are working towards integration; others are working towards being a functional system. This book is not a judgement on or endorsement of any method of healing. It was written to be a starting point for open discussion of DID with children.
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)
Dissociative identity disorder is a mental disorder in which a person has two or more distinct identities that control a person's consciousness and behavior.
Although once thought to be rare, improvements in clinical training have increased the diagnosis. It is now believed that the disorder affects about 2% of the general population and 3% of those admitted to hospitals with mental health problems. Approximately 90% of those with DID, report experiencing severe childhood trauma (most typically repeated physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse).
Those with DID may have many Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms; hyper vigilance, flashbacks, and startle responses (Moro reflex). Most also deal with depression, anger, amnesia, forgetfulness, sleepless nights, and nightmares. Associated conditions often include borderline personality disorder (BPD), depression, self-harm or anxiety.
Keyword Search
DID has been misunderstood and misdiagnosed. Too often sensationalism has shaped the public’s view of the disorder. The list below is not an endorsement of these books or films – some are good & some are not. The list below is simply included to improve visibility in searches.
Movies: Voices Within: The Lives of Truddi Chase, Sybil, Frankie & Alice, David and Lisa, Waking Madison, The Three Faces of Eve, A Tale of Two Sisters, Identity, Split, Glass, United States of Tara
Books: The Dissociative Identity Disorder Sourcebook (Sourcebooks) by Deborah Bray Haddock, Got Parts? An Insider's Guide to Managing Life Successfully with Dissociative Identity Disorder (New Horizons in Therapy), Fractured Mind: The Healing of a Person with Dissociative Identity Disorder by Debra Bruch, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk M.D., Attachment, Trauma and Multiplicity: Working with Dissociative Identity Disorder by Valerie Sinason, Dear Little Ones by Jade Miller, A Different Kind of Super Hero Perfect Paperback by Tracy Werner, Structural Dissociation: A Proposed Modification of the Theory by Colin A. Ross M.D., When Rabbit Howls by Truddi Chase, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, Breaking Free: My Life with Dissociative Identity Disorder by Herschel Walker and Dr. Jerry Mungadze
