I have a long history with this subject. Having worked with juveniles for years in institutional settings, I was able to observe all of the things mentioned here and many, many more. It may appear to be a rare condition, but it is prevalent throughout society. It was no less prevalent in the 30's, 40's, 50,s and so on. In fact, what we are seeing today was largely CREATED by that era and before.

Molestation, abuse of all kinds and neglect of all kinds have been with us since day one. Most just see "mood changes" without realizing that an actual personality change has just happened in front of their eyes and it appears to "come off the wall" out of nowhere. We have all been victims for a very long time.

In a very real sense, all of the kids I had in my program were all abuse survivors. The results of that abuse were as varied as the situations. There were, however, some "classic" cases of personality disorder. As varied as they were, there were "similarities" of character development. In other words, there always seems to be a little vulnerable child, a carefree and wild promiscuous person, a hard and uncompromising person, a cruel and evil person or a totally uncaring person. Every once in a while in the cycle, the sane and balanced person would also emerge. That is the one that everyone falls in love with. It all really is a common cycle with common roots.

I have my own experience as a child in developing alternate personalities. With me, it was a conscious and deliberate act. I was only 7 at the time and I can remember a sane discourse within my own mind as to how to deal with the current "conditions". All it took was a deliberate act like tearing a picture of myself to little pieces and throwing them to the wind. That person ceased to exist--literally. I can remember it being a defensive strategy. I saw myself as innocent and honest. Somehow, I had to hide myself. The act was so powerful, I did not re-emerge for almost 30 years. I became an expert in mediocrity. I became invisible. I PURPOSEFULLY committed three acts to make my new persona "acceptable" in my new world. I degraded someone, I committed an act of violence on someone, and I stole from someone. Little did I know that I had just compromised my true self. Those 30 years were spent in continuing to do so.

Though I have a background in counseling and teaching, my understanding on this subject is entirely spiritual. This condition can be CURED. It is not easy, but I have seen people rise far above it. Whether we want to look at it in this way or not, it is of a demonic nature. Psychology, alone, can not deal with this. Understanding helps, but it is just the first step. As easy as WE create the situation, we can UNCREATE IT. In the end, it may be what this is all about. The body and mind is wonderfully made. We create sophisticated methods of dealing with trauma without even giving it much thought. We keep our own selves from instant insanity. We are able to go someplace and "figure it out"--at least for short-term survival. What awesome abilities we have!

I am currently involved with a young woman in her 30's with three children and a husband that adores her--even though she has been exhibiting a personality disorder since they first met as kids. She still goes through these cycles and it is a tragedy for everyone. I revealed to her what her problem was and, in a limited way, what she must do about it. She cannot do it alone and she cannot do it with the ones she loves (and hates). Right now, I am just an anchor in her world of shifting confusion. The only positive result at the moment is that her sane periods are lasting longer and her insane ones shorter. One day perhaps, she may be able to take further steps. For the moment, it is just survival and trying to get some satisfaction out of life. Unfortunately, this may involve hard drugs which may end up destroying everything. "You can lead a horse to water....."