Truddi Chase

Truddi Chase (born near Rochester, New York) is the author of the book "When Rabbit Howls" (1987), an autobiographical account of Multiple Personality Disorder by an individual rather than by their therapist.

The focus of the book is the internal process the author undergoes as her personalities ("the Troops") become aware of one another and their functions in protecting the mental cores. As the plot unfolds, the reader is grounded by the perspective of Chase's therapist and the research avenues he takes to find help in understanding her condition.

Throughout the narrative, the Troops piece together memories of Chase's childhood and teenage years, when she reportedly experienced violent sexual and physical abuse from her stepfather. Unlike the classical, Sybil-type MPD victim, Chase actually remembered that she had been molested by her stepfather and beaten by her mother from age two onwards, though she could not focus on details before going into therapy. The narrative relates how she was able to capture the details and emotions surrounding the events with the help of a hypnotherapist, who also assisted her through the discovery of her other selves, her "Troops."

A parallel narrative set within a subjective reality called "the Tunnel" describes how the Troops discover one another's existence and begin to communicate. The author describes her mind "giving birth" to other minds rather than the classic "splitting" or "shattering" of a single mind as described in Sybil's case. It is clear from her report that these selves can be killed, and that many of her reported 92 personalities are actually dead, their functions, talents or interests being assumed by other selves.

According to interviews on the Phil Donahue and Oprah Winfrey shows, Chase's therapist successfully verified her story by tracking down her stepbrothers and sister. Although Chase's mother had died and the stepfather denied everything, the siblings supported Chase's story, adding that their only concern was how much she had to leave out. As an example of such an omission, they revealed that Chase's mother had also sexually molested her.

Chase allowed her therapy sessions to be videotaped so that the therapist could use them in teaching classes on the effects of child abuse (excerpts from these videotapes were shown on "Oprah"). She also began to tour prisons, lecturing on child molestation and its effect on the mind.

As Chase's book concludes, she reports continuing to experience multiple personalities, and that they work together as a team, rather than undergoing the usual "integration" process.

"When Rabbit Howls" is not actually the first autobiographical account written by a multiple. Sally Beauchamp, a patient of Dr. Morton Prince, published "My Life as a Dissociated Personality" in 1909. Chris Costner-Sizemore published "I'm Eve" in 1978.

Other media

Chase was the inspiration for the character of Crazy Jane in the "Doom Patrol" comic books. [ [http://www.shaviro.com/Doom/ch14.html DOOM PATROLS, Chapter 14, Truddi Chase ] ]

Chase was portrayed by Shelley Long in the 1990 telemovie "Voices Within- The Lives of Truddi Chase".

References

ee also

Dissociative identity disorder

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100884/ Voices Within: The Lives of Truddi Chase] TV-movie adaptation of "When Rabbit Howls".
* [http://www.astraeasweb.net/plural/rabbithowls.html Review of When Rabbit Howls] by members of a self-identified non-pathological multiple group.