First Person Plural: My Life As a Mutilple

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Summary: One Of The Best Psycholgy Books I've Read...
Review: The story starts off with Cam, the main character, telling about ways he has been feeling ill: constant sinus infections, dizziness, and tiredness. He goes to many doctors to try to figure out what is "wrong" with him, only to find out that he needs to see a psychologist. This is where Arly Minelli comes in. She is his first psychologist, and eventually is the person responsible for diagnosing him with DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder). This diagnosis comes around after Cam's wife Rikki finds him in the closet of their son's playroom drawing with markers. At this point he has been taken over by a child named Davy, who is a 4-year-old version of Cam and can only remember his grandma doing bad things to him.
The story goes on to tell about all of Cam's different personalities that come out and try to help him deal with his disorder in different ways. There are a few angry alters (personalities), like Switch who is 8 and cuts himself, and even a girl named Dusty who is 12. All the alters that come out are of different ages and remember different things. All of this leads Rikki to believe that Cam's family sexually abused him. Throughout the entire story you see things happening in the family that wouldn't normally happen. While Cam is sent to many hospitals and treatment centers, he fears Rikki is leaving him and Kyle, his son, is growing scared of him. With Arly's help, however, as well as with extra help from his alters, Cam is able to return to his family and power through his condition.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in any way in psychology or domestic abuse. It shed a whole new light on both topics for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

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Summary: Finally, a book for those without a Ph. D.!
Review: I read this book several years ago so the significant points are what I recall.
Cameron West tells how dissociation works as a survival skill for those experiencing the severest forms of child abuse. He explains and gives examples of this skill and how it can still be used in adulthood to avoid painful experiences and how perception of possible trauma can bring about the reliving of the original pain. While he isn't so graphic that it would trigger a survivor with Dissociative Identity Disorder (for me anyway), he also avoids frightening people who don't want to know details.
His hard work led him to triumph over his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and go on to get his Ph D. in psychology. I admire him and take great comfort in his success. Unfortunately most people don't have the benefit of the exceptionally skilled therapists or a support system that he had.

I would highly recommend this book for those who wonder if they may dissociate or perhaps even have the extreme form of Dissociative Identity Disorder. I would also encourage anyone who cares about a survivor to read this book. It provides insight into the hell the person has to live with 24/7 and ideas on how to defuse flashbacks and interact with the hurting one to encourage them to trust and heal.
2 Thumbs Up!

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Summary: Anyone with DiD can associate at some point with this book.
Review: I could relate greatly with several aspects of this book. It was a book that I just couldn't put down. I do however recommend that you have a SUPPORT PERSON with you when you are reading this book because for me it was very triggering. I am really looking forward to his next book. Parts of the book were so triggering that I just wanted to fade out and return when it wasn't so difficult to read. None the less I did get the whole book read. I hope his next book is as honest as this one. After reading it I felt like I wasn't so alone. You hear DID and people want to run. It is like you have an incurable disease. Lucky for him he had his wife by his side and I have my wonderful husband by my side. I encourage you to read this book but read it cautiously.