Dissociative Disorders Books

The Dissociative Identity Disorder Sourcebook (Sourcebooks)

Deborah Haddock

Amazon Price: $12.21 List Price: $17.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: McGraw-Hill Amazon Marketplace: 52 new & used starting at $7.18

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Mental Health -> Dissociative Disorders
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Psychology & Counseling -> Mental Illness
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Psychology & Counseling -> Pathologies

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 21 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

"DID 101" 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Personally, I think that this is a wonderful introduction to DID for those who are either affected by the condition, or others who would like to learn about DID. The book gives an overview of several forms of treatment and introduces the reader to the basic concepts of DID. This is a great place to start and I feel that the author's intention to provide a basic "source book" was much needed and well accomplished. I will say though that if you are an extremely detail oriented person and you enjoy going deeper, this book alone will not suffice. This is more of a "DID 101" kind of book for patients, family, friends, and therapists who are unfamiliar with DID. The language is very easy to understand, which makes it ideal for the average lay person.
For a more in-depth took at dissociation and trauma, I already have a list of several books on Amazon ("so you'd like to read about trauma and dissociation"), which, although far from comprehensive, is a step in the right direction for those who are interested.

Editorial Review:

Finally, a book that addresses your concerns about DID

. .

From Eve to Sybil to Truddi Chase, the media have long chronicled the lives of people with dissociative identity disorder (DID), formerly known as multiple personality disorder. The Dissociative Identity Disorder Sourcebook serves as a much-needed bridge for communication between the dissociative individual and therapists, family, and friends who also have to learn to deal with the effects of this truly astonishing disorder.

The Haunted Self: Structural Dissociation and the Treatment of Chronic Traumatization (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology)

Onno van der Hart, Ellert R. S. Nijenhuis, Kathy Steele

Amazon Price: $36.40 List Price: $49.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: W. W. Norton Amazon Marketplace: 28 new & used starting at $36.40

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Mental Health -> Dissociative Disorders
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Psychology & Counseling -> Neuropsychology
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Psychology & Counseling -> Pathologies

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

an important and fascinating book 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful.

What an exceptional book! The step-wise didactic clarity and innovative content of The Haunted Self alone would suffice to justify making the book required reading material for all health professionals encountering trauma victims. However, it is also a remarkably thrilling reading experience, reminiscent of the "haunted-house" stories of my youth. One finds oneself led to familiar areas through "hidden stairways" and suddenly comes to perceive and comprehend things from unexpected angles.
As a psychiatrist specializing in trauma as a clinician, a lecturer and a researcher for nearly 20 years, I found this book to be a fitting and eloquent summary of over 25 years of innovative thought, thorough research and ongoing re-assessment of the theoretical and clinical applications of Trauma-Related Structural Dissociation of the Personality by Van der Hart, Nijenhuis and Steele, whose ongoing publications in leading journals I have followed avidly. The theoretical basis is coherently and systematically presented in the opening section, followed by a section which concisely and didactically addresses the clinical applications, from guidelines for patient assessment and formulation of the treatment plan, and then deals in detail with each stage, with ample guidance and clinical examples. The lay-out of the book also conveniently enables selective reading of independent sections and topics. There is a refreshing undercurrent of humility to the book - the reader feels encouraged to examine and comment freely.
Without seeking to replace or compete with other trauma theories or treatment modalities, the authors present an over-arching and unifying conceptual approach to comprehending the psycho-biological underpinnings of a highly variable and challenging population of patients, who quite commonly present with a complex and confusing array of atypical and changeable clinical and therapeutic issues, only partly addressed by current diagnostic criteria and treatment guidelines.
The structural conception of dissociation enhances ones understanding not only of PTSD and Complex PTSD, Dissociative Identity Disorder and cases of severe protracted physical and sexual abuse, but clarifies the contribution of trauma to Borderline Personality Disorder, Somatoform Disorders and certain physical syndromes characteristically associated with emotional trauma and stress.

Dr Mike Matar, MD (Psych)

Editorial Review:

A new way of dealing with chronic trauma from leaders in the field.

Life is an ongoing struggle for those who have been severely traumatized. Here, leading trauma experts present a theory and practice for dealing with chronic trauma. Recognizing the structural dissociation (splitting away of part of the self) that often results from trauma and proposing a plan for action that a survivor must implement in order to put his or her haunted past to rest, this book will be of interest to researchers as well as clinicians.

The Myth of Sanity: Divided Consciousness and the Promise of Awareness

Martha Stout

Amazon Price: $10.88 List Price: $16.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Penguin (Non-Classics) Amazon Marketplace: 58 new & used starting at $6.70

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Mental Health -> Dissociative Disorders
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Personal Health -> Stress -> Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Psychology & Counseling -> Applied Psychology

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 36 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

No one likes being called crazy. But Dr. Martha Stout, a psychological trauma specialist, invites all to question their own level of mental acumen in The Myth of Sanity. Her logic makes sense: all humans experience fear, especially during youth; individuals' response systems determine how their brains catalogue traumatic experiences and trigger "dissociative" coping strategies. Those who experience horrific situations like abuse, catastrophe, or grueling medical procedures fare the worst over time; their dissociative behaviors can manifest themselves as situational fatigue, "lost" hours or days, or split personalities.

Drawing from 20 years of treating such patients, Stout presents several composite characters to illustrate all levels of dissociative behavior: from the very serious DID (dissociative identity disorder, or "switching" among distinct personalities) to the nearly universal "brief phasing out" (losing a thought or getting "caught up" in something). As each patient undergoes psychoanalysis, Stout highlights clues for identifying trauma sufferers and lends advice to their loved ones. Tending away from scientific data or supportive research findings--while tending toward a fiction-lover's prose--The Myth of Sanity focuses on personal stories and Stout's zealous admiration for responsible therapy patients who wake to a sanity unclouded by past fears. --Liane Thomas

Breaking Free: My Life with Dissociative Identity Disorder

Herschel Walker

Amazon Price: $6.99 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Touchstone Amazon Marketplace: 7 new & used starting at $5.75

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Memoirs
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Specific Groups -> Special Needs
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The NFL legend and Heisman Trophy winner shares the inspiring story of his life and diagnosis with dissociative identity disorder.

Herschel Walker is widely regarded as one of football's greatest running backs. He led the University of Georgia to victory in the Sugar Bowl on the way to an NCAA Championship and he capped a sensational college career by earning the 1982 Heisman Trophy. Herschel spent twelve years in the NFL, where he rushed for more than eight thousand yards and scored sixty-one rushing touchdowns.

But despite the acclaim he won as a football legend, track star, Olympic competitor, and later a successful businessman, Herschel realized that his life, at times, was simply out of control. He often felt angry, self-destructive, and unable to connect meaningfully with friends and family. Drawing on his deep faith, Herschel turned to professionals for help and was ultimately diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder, formerly known as multiple personality disorder.

While some might have taken this diagnosis as a setback, Herschel approached his mental health with the same indomitable spirit he brought to the playing field. It also gave him, for the first time, insight into his life's unexplained passages, stretches of time that seemed forever lost. Herschel came to understand that during those times, his "alters," or alternate personalities, were in control.

Born into a poor, but loving family in the South, Herschel was an overweight child with a stutter who suffered terrible bullying at school. He now understands that he created "alters" who could withstand abuse. But beyond simply enduring, other "alters" came forward to help Herschel overcome numerous obstacles and, by the time he graduated high school, become an athlete recognized on a national level.

In Breaking Free, Herschel tells his story -- from the joys and hardships of childhood to his explosive impact on college football to his remarkable professional career. And he gives voice and hope to those suffering from DID. Herschel shows how this disorder played an integral role in his accomplishments and how he has learned to live with it today. His compelling account testifies to the strength of the human spirit and its ability to overcome any challenge.

Got Parts? An Insider's Guide to Managing Life Successfully with Dissociative Identity Disorder (New Horizons in Therapy)

A.T.W.

Amazon Price: $15.25 List Price: $16.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Loving Healing Press Amazon Marketplace: 25 new & used starting at $10.80

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Mental Health -> Abuse & Self Defense -> Sexual Abuse
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Mental Health -> Depression
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Mental Health -> Dissociative Disorders

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Got Parts? was written by a survivor of DID in association with her therapist and therapy group. This book is filled with successful coping techniques and strategies to enhance the day-to-day functioning of adult survivors of DID in relationships, work, parenting, self-confidence, and self-care. Got Parts will help you introduce yourself to your internal family and improve its communication, integration, and well-being. Although written to carefully avoid triggering, it delivers well-grounded guidelines for living that DID people need to do on the way to recovery. Coping strategies included help you with issues related to triggers, flashbacks, and body memories. Got Parts also includes a detailed list of outside resources you can draw on. This book is intended to be used in conjunction with a therapist and is not a substitute for therapy.

Once thought of as a rare and mysterious psychiatric curiosity, Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is now understood to be a fairly common outcome of severe trauma in young children—most typically extreme and repeated physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse, and often lack of attachment. Formerly called Multiple Personality Disorder, DID is a condition in which a person has two or more distinct identities or personality states that recurrently take control of the person's consciousness and behavior. Symptoms can include depression, mood swings, panic or anxiety attacks, substance abuse, memory loss, propensity for trances, sleep and eating disorders, distrust, detachment, lack of self-care, and distress or impairment at work.

Healing the Heart of Trauma and Dissociation with EMDR and Ego State Therapy

Amazon Price: $40.00 List Price: $50.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Springer Publishing Company Amazon Marketplace: 32 new & used starting at $40.00

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Mental Health -> Dissociative Disorders
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Psychology & Counseling -> Clinical Psychology
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Psychology & Counseling -> Counseling -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) as a means of trauma resolution has been available to therapists since its discovery in 1987 and is now a treatment that is well supported by a large body of scientific research. But until now, its use with clients affected by dissociative disorders has been difficult and at times even impossible. This book explains why.

By integrating EMDR with ego state therapy techniques, the editors present to clinicians a novel approach to successfully treating clients with the most severe trauma-related disorders. This interdisciplinary model provides a comprehensive guide that can safely promise EMDR treatment to a broader range of challenging clients who would not otherwise be candidates for it. Features of this edition:

• The first definitive look at the use of EMDR to treat dissociation and the dissociative disorders
• Opens a window into the psyches of clients whose healing depends on their therapists' enlistment of integrative interventions
• Provides practical applications for a full range of mental health practitioners: psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurses, and counselors
• Clearly outlines the phased treatment that extends the EMDR Preparation phase to create safety and stability for complex trauma clients
• Offers cutting edge information for graduate students in the mental health field

Rebuilding Shattered Lives: The Responsible Treatment of Complex Post-Traumatic and Dissociative Disorders

James A. Chu

Amazon Price: $40.00 List Price: $50.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Wiley Amazon Marketplace: 23 new & used starting at $31.99

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Mental Health -> Compulsive Behavior
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Mental Health -> Dissociative Disorders
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Mental Health -> Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Every therapist who has worked with adult survivors of severe child abuse is aware of the perils associated with helping to rebuild an adult psyche shattered in childhood. All too often, in their efforts to identify and go beyond the defenses and compensatory tactics of young victims who elect to numb themselves to the pain of abuse, many bright, well-meaning therapists find themselves hopelessly entangled in therapeutic and interpersonal traps. How, in today's increasingly litigious climate, can therapists be sure that they are pursuing the most rational and effective course of treatment while, at the same time, safeguarding themselves against common professional snares? This book may provide the answer.

In Rebuilding Shattered Lives, James A. Chu, MD, describes a proven approach to the assessment and treatment of post-traumatic and dissociative disorders developed at the Dissociative Disorders and Trauma Program at McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Drawing on his extensive empirical research and more than a decade's clinical experience specializing in treating survivors of severe abuse, Dr. Chu also offers valuable insights into all the major areas of trauma-related symptomatology and provides the most detailed explanation of dissociative theory currently in print. And, with the help of numerous vignettes and case examples, he clearly illustrates common clinical dilemmas encountered when dealing with survivors of severe abuse as well as the most effective techniques for resolving them.

The book opens with an integrated, up-to-date account of trauma theory and symptomatology. Chapters focus on complex dissociative and post-traumatic symptoms, difficulties in development and maturation, amnesia and other traumatic memory problems, and differential diagnosis. In the following section, Dr. Chu outlines his treatment strategies and offers valuable guidelines on managing self-destructive behavior, controlling dissociative and post-traumatic symptomatology, and navigating the maze of the therapeutic relationship. Concluding chapters are devoted to special topics and include a review of the latest treatment strategies for dissociative identity disorder, crisis intervention, and working with regressed and "impossible" patients.

Rebuilding Shattered Lives is an important working resource for mental health workers of all levels of experience. Throughout, the writing style is clear, and complex theories are explained with an emphasis on how they provide the conceptual basis for a rational, responsible, and safe approach to treatment.

"A major contribution to the clinical trauma literature by one of the field's most experienced clinicians." --Christine Courtois, PhD author of Healing the Incest Wound

"Dr. Chu brings calm lucidity to controversies around trauma, integrates recent advances in the field with traditional therapy strengths and provides clinicians with a balanced and sensible phase-oriented treatment approach. Best of all, in this volume he has deepened his area of greatest strength, working with relational challenges faced and posed in therapy by individuals with complex post-traumatic disorders." --Denise J. Gelinas, PhD Harvard Medical School.

"Dr. James Chu charts a deliberate and thoughtful approach to the treatment of severely traumatized patients. Written in a straightforward style and richly illustrated with clinical vignettes, Rebuilding Shattered Lives is filled with practical advice on therapeutic technique and clinical management. This is a reassuring book that moves beyond the confusion and controversies to address the critical underlying issues and integrate traditional psychotherapy with more recent understanding of the effects of trauma and pathological dissociation." --Frank W. Putnam, MD.

Amongst Ourselves: A Self-Help Guide to Living With Dissociative Identity Disorder

Tracy, Ph.D. Alderman, Karen Marshall

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: New Harbinger Publications Amazon Marketplace: 41 new & used starting at $5.49

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Mental Health -> Dissociative Disorders
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Mental Health -> General
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Mental Health -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

INFORMATIVE 4 out of 5 stars.
23 of 23 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book with two others. When I got it, I didn't think I was going to like it very much. However, I really enjoyed this book and refer to it often. I much prefer this book to "Stranger in the Mirror". This book explains beautifully the challanges of DID, what it is, and how to cope in a very simple and underestand manner. This book is very clear and full of short personal experiences. I felt that the authors both really understand the DID experience. The one draw back which I think is very crucial to our recovery is the authors own views regarding therapy and therapists which I believe should remain their opinions and not be stated in the book. If I did not have an outstanding therapist, I would be very insecure about getting one after their remarks. The other down side of this book is that I felt that not enough attention is stated regarding integration. I felt as if the author was resigned to keeping the alters as part of her family. That was very disturbing. All in all, I really liked the book because of the information that was presented was clear and simple to follow. I will use this book constantly as a vital reference and just leave what doesn't work for me. I would recommend this book highly.

Editorial Review:

(New Harbinger Publications) Author is a clinical psychologist living in San Diego, CA. Self-help guide for persons with dissociative identity disorder (DID) or multiple personality disorder (MPD). Discusses skills and strategies to manage living with these disorders, the positive aspects, what to expect from therapy, and how DID affects lives. For consumers. Softcover.

Theaters Of The Body: A Psychoanalytic Approach to Psychosomatic Illness

Joyce McDougall

Amazon Price: $22.95 List Price: $22.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: W. W. Norton & Company Amazon Marketplace: 21 new & used starting at $15.99

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Mental Health -> Dissociative Disorders
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Psychology & Counseling -> Pathologies
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Psychology & Counseling -> Psychoanalysis

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

"Joined-up writing!" 4 out of 5 stars.
9 of 13 people found this review helpful.

I found McDougall's book challenging, enlightening and encouraging in developing a "joined-up" approach to the mind-body split. I particularly appreciated the case histories she described with such humanity and sympathy for the sufferer. As a primary care counsellor, I meet somapsychotic symptomotology on a daily basis.This book has given me courage to make imaginative leaps of interpretation rooted in the individuality of each person's unique self expression. In a recent case history discussion for a Master's programme, I found McDougall's concepts invaluable in helping to formulate and express the complexities this area of work presents.

Another Joyce McDougall's masterpiece 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Joyce McDougall's personal perspective on mind-body interrelatedness and psychoanalysis maker her one of the most prolific authors in the field. You can trace the deep influence of Winnicott's theories and various french authors (such as J.Laplanche, A.Green and J.Lacan) on her work, moving from clinical observations to metapsychological explorations. Her main proposal, desafection as an alternative mechanism to repression or forclusion in the patient's dinamics and psychosomatic economy, is a major (and quite controversial)contribution to previous approaches on somatization.

Her style is fluid (unlike "The Many Faces of Eros", which centers on technical issues), including plenty of clinical vignettes and personal experiences.

A "must have" for anyone interested in somatization and psychosomatic phenomenon, specially for those in therapeutic field.