Who are all these people? How is life for a girl with 12 different personalities inside her
Many girls keep a diary. Most often, just to throw out those thoughts and emotions that cannot be shared with others. And 23-year-old Lauren Stott keeps 12 diaries on behalf of 12 different people. And it's not about a developed imagination. It's just that Lauren has dissociative identity disorder. Inside the girl, 12 completely different personalities get along, and with the help of diaries, she tries to cope with all this crowd.
Doctors believe that Lauren's personality disorder was caused by some kind of trauma back in elementary school, which led to personality fragmentation. Lauren's disease was diagnosed only in 2017. A year earlier, the girl turned to a psychiatrist because of a suicide attempt. Since then, Lauren has been undergoing therapy every day when doctors try to talk to each of the 12 personalities.
Lauren says that personalities constantly communicate with each other. Lauren calls the personalities inside herself a "system" and says that it is difficult to tell about some of the inhabitants inside her head, especially those whom she describes as "animalistic".
Inside Lauren lives a seven-year-old girl who periodically falls into hysterics.
Also in Lauren lives an Intellectual — a devout Mormon.
Another personality is Hope, who holds back painful teenage memories.
Lauren is very upset that some people are skeptical about her diagnosis, and some even consider her cruel.
Dr. David Spiegel, vice chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at Stanford University, said that people often confuse this disorder with schizophrenia, but these are completely different diseases.
One percent of the population faces such disorders, and the disorder is often associated with injuries suffered in early childhood. It's like a defense mechanism.
Lauren is trying to control her condition with medication and regular therapy. In many ways, her dog named Sergeant Tibbs helps her cope.
Lauren is slowly getting better and is even preparing for the wedding with her fiance Alex. However, the girl is afraid that the disorder can harm the couple's relationship.
The young man is Lauren's main support.
Keywords: Personality | Psychiatry | Mental disorders