It's good when a person gets into textbooks. It's bad when in textbooks on psychiatry, and even as a patient. Billy Milligan was destined for just such a fate. Not of his own free will he ended up there, but thanks to a unique diagnosis made by doctors. It housed 24 persons.
Dissociative identity disorder (such formulations as multiple personality disorder, multiple personality disorder or split personality are also used) is a very rare mental disorder in which a person's consciousness is divided, and it seems that several different personalities exist in the body of one person.
At the same time, at certain moments, a "switch" occurs, and one personality replaces another. After switching, a person cannot always remember what happened while his other “I” was active. All of them can be of different sex, age, nationality, temperament, mental abilities, worldview, react differently to the same situations.
Severe emotional trauma in early childhood is believed to be the cause of this disorder; repeated extreme physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. This disorder is an extreme manifestation of dissociation - a mechanism of psychological defense, in which a person begins to perceive what is happening to him as if it is happening to someone else. This mechanism is sometimes useful, as it allows a person to protect themselves from excessive, intolerable emotions, but in cases of excessive activation of this mechanism, disorders appear. Often such people have bouts of confusion and confusion when a person cannot understand who he is.
Contrary to popular belief, dissociative disorder is not directly related to schizophrenia. But although diseases are of different nature, sometimes individual symptoms of the disorders can resemble each other. In these cases, the diagnosis is first sought for symptoms of schizophrenia that are not typical of a dissociative disorder.
In schizophrenia, personality disorder is most often perceived as the result of hostile influences from outside, rather than from within the personality. For example, voices telling the patient what to do. With dissociative identity disorder, rather complex and relatively integrated multiple personalities are formed. In addition, the splitting of consciousness in schizophrenia represents the splitting off of only individual mental functions from the personality, while in dissociative personality disorder, personality is formed in full.
Due to the rarity of this disease, the very existence of dissociative identity disorder has long been questioned.
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Symptoms
In the Diagnostic and Statistical Directory of Mental Disorders, Dissociative Identity Disorder is designated -DSM-IV. It also says that this disorder is diagnosed if 4 of the following criteria are true:
1. The patient has two or more personal states, and each of them has a stable model of worldview, its own worldview and attitude to the surrounding reality.
2. At least two of these identities alternately take control of the patient's behavior.
3. The patient cannot remember important information about himself, and this goes far beyond the usual forgetfulness.
4. This condition did not occur as a result of the use of alcohol, drugs, other psychotropic substances, or from diseases (for example, with a complex partial seizure). In children, it is also important not to confuse these symptoms with playing with a fictional friend or with other games using fantasy.
The number of new “I” inside a person can be large and grow over the years. This is mainly due to the fact that a person unconsciously develops new personalities in himself that could help him better cope with certain situations. So, if at the beginning of treatment the psychotherapist usually diagnoses 2-4 identities, then in the course of treatment 10-12 more are revealed.
All "alternatives" have different names, different ways of speaking and gesturing, different facial expressions, gait and even handwriting. Sometimes they don't even know about each other's existence.
In addition to the main symptoms, patients with dissociative disorder can also experience depression, suicide attempts, mood swings, anxiety, phobias, panic attacks, sleep and eating disorders, and in rare cases, hallucinations. There is no consensus in psychiatry as to whether these symptoms are related to the identity disorder itself or to the psychological trauma that caused the disorder.
According to modern concepts, the most powerful predictive factor for dissociation in young people was the lack of access to the mother at the age of 2 years. Many recent studies have shown a link between attachment disturbance in early childhood and subsequent dissociative symptoms. There is also evidence that childhood abuse and abandonment of the child often contribute to the formation of disturbed attachments.
Treatment
Treatment can take place using various types of psychotherapy - cognitive psychotherapy, family psychotherapy, clinical hypnosis, etc.
With some success, psychodynamic therapy has been used to help overcome trauma, open up conflicts, determine the need for individuals and correct the corresponding defense mechanisms. A possible satisfactory outcome of treatment is the provision of a conflict-free, cooperative relationship between individuals. It is recommended that the therapist treat all alternatives of a person's consciousness with equal respect, avoiding taking sides in an internal conflict.
Drug therapy does not allow to achieve noticeable success and is exclusively symptomatic; There is no pharmacological treatment for dissociative identity disorder itself, but some antidepressants are used to relieve coexisting depression and anxiety.
Differences of opinion
There were very few documented cases of this disorder in the history of medicine before the 1950s. A study of 19th and 20th century sources, conducted in 1944, showed only 76 facts of identifying multiple personality disorder. In recent years, the number of cases of identity disorder has risen sharply (according to some sources, between 1985 and 1995 there were about 40,000 cases).
There is no unanimity among psychologists and psychiatrists. Some of them believe that dissociative identity disorder is contrived in nature, or argue that true multiple personality facts are very rare and most of the documented cases should be considered iatrogenic, suggested to the patient by the psychiatrist himself.
At the same time, critics of the model of dissociative personality disorder argue that this diagnosis is a phenomenon that is more characteristic of English-speaking countries. In 1957, the publication of the book Three Faces of Eve and the later release of the film of the same name contributed to the growth of public interest in the phenomenon. On this wave of public interest, in 1973, a later screened book "Sybil" was published, describing the life of a woman with multiple personality disorder, which also contributed to the "popularization" of the disease.
Anthropologists L. K. Suryani and Gordon Jensen are convinced that the phenomenon of pronounced trance states in the Bali community is of the same phenomenological nature as the phenomenon of multiple personality in the West. It is argued that people in shamanic cultures who experience feelings of plurality define these individuals not as parts of themselves, but as independent souls or spirits. This is not considered a disorder or disease in traditional cultures.
Thus, since psychiatry is not an exact science, the diagnosis depends on the professionalism of the doctor himself. If a doctor, by all means, wants to find a disorder, he will find it, even if there is no sufficient reason for this. After all, a doctor is also a person who lives in society, watches films and reads books, which means that, along with his patients, he is also subject to the influence of society, which can affect the diagnosis.
The most famous "cleft"
In the late 1970s, William Stanley Milligan was prosecuted in Ohio, USA. He was accused of several robberies and three rapes, but after a trial he was sent under psychiatric supervision. This is the only case when a person was released from criminal responsibility, since the court decided that the crimes were committed by another person.
To the general public, Milligan's story is told in the documentaries by Professor and bestselling author of Flowers for Algernon, Daniel Keyes, The Multiple Minds of Billy Milligan and Milligan's Wars.
early years
Milligan's mother, Dorothy, grew up in the Ohio countryside and lived in Circleville with her husband Dick Jonas. When they divorced, Dorothy moved to Miami, where she worked as a singer. There she began living with comedian Johnny Morrison.
Dorothy and Johnny had a son, Jimbo, in October 1953. On February 14, 1955, they had a second son, William Stanley, later known as Billy Milligan. Dorothy and Johnny had another child together, Katy, who was born in December 1956.
According to biographer Daniel Keys, Billy's father was hospitalized for alcoholism and depression in 1958. There was also an unsuccessful suicide attempt - according to Keyes, "Dorothy found him fallen with a bottle of whiskey on the table and an empty bottle of sleeping pills on the floor." A few months after this attempt, on January 17, 1959, Johnny made another suicide attempt. This time successful - he was poisoned by carbon monoxide.
After his death, Dorothy took the children and returned to Circleville, where she remarried her ex-husband Dick Jonas. This marriage lasted about a year. In 1962, she met Chalmer Milligan. Dorothy and Chalmer got married.
It should be noted that Chalmer's first wife, Bernice, divorced him because of "gross neglect." Much later, Chalmer was accused of raping and beating Billy. It was in this environment that he grew up.
Arrest
In 1972, Milligan and his friend met two women. Several days later, the women accused them of rape. Although Milligan and his friend argued that the women were prostitutes, and that they simply did not pay them, the judge still ruled six months in prison.
After his release, Milligan began working as a security guard for a local drug dealer, which did not contribute to a godly life. In late 1974, Milligan beat and robbed two men. He also helped plan the robbery of Lancaster Pharmacy in early 1975. A little later, the police arrested him, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced by an Ohio court to two years in prison.
In early 1977, Milligan was released on parole. However, in October 1977 he was arrested again. This time - for the rape of three women on the campus of Ohio State University.
The first rape took place on October 14, 1977. Then Milligan, at gunpoint, took the victim from the parking lot of the local university, and also forced her to write and cash a check for him. The second case was on October 22nd. The third in four days.
In preparation for the trial, Dr. Willis K. Driscoll underwent a psychological examination, according to which Milligan's condition was assessed as acute schizophrenia. Another examination by Southwest Community Mental Health Center psychologist Dorothy Turner concluded that Milligan had multiple personality disorder.
Milligan's public defenders Gary Schweickart and Judy Stevenson, on the basis of the diagnosis, secured the defendant as insane, after which he was transferred to a psychiatric clinic "until his mental health returned."
Hospital director George Harding and other doctors spent months with Milligan. In their opinion, the crime was not committed by Billy, but by a 23-year-old Yugoslav named Ragen, who took over consciousness and decided to rob some people. But before Ragen began to rob, a 19-year-old lesbian named Adalana took over Milligan's mind and raped the women. Other personalities, including Billy himself, did not remember anything about it.
Question - Is Milligan a fake? - occurred at different times in different people. But no one was able to prove it.
Alter personalities
Billy Milligan's alter personalities appeared at the age of 3-4 years (an unnamed boy with whom he played, and Christine, who took care of his younger sister). The number of individuals increased between the ages of 8-9, when little Billy was repeatedly raped and beaten by his stepfather. Daniel Keyes's book The Multiple Minds of Billy Milligan provides a description of them.
10 individuals were considered basic (the description is given as of 1977-1978, during treatment).
Billy, the original William Stanley Milligan, is a primary suicidal personality.
Arthur is a sophisticated, educated Englishman. An expert in science and medicine, with a focus on hematology. Using logic and deduction, I found out that he was not alone in Milligan's body, and identified the rest of the Differences. Along with Ragen, he took responsibility for the general body - except in dangerous situations in which Ragen exercises control. Established rules of conduct for the rest of the "family members" - the personalities of Milligan.
Reygen Vadaskovinich is a Yugoslavian, speaks with a Slavic accent, writes and speaks Serbo-Croatian. He is a "keeper of hatred". The communist, expert in weapons and ammunition, is in charge of physical fitness. Possesses extraordinary strength, thanks to the fact that Arthur taught him how to control himself. Ragen's weak point is women and children, he does not hesitate to help them if they are in trouble, even to the point of stealing food and things for them. He manages basic actions in dangerous situations and, along with Arthur, can classify other individuals as "unwanted").
Allen - 18 years old, cheater, manipulator, has excellent eloquence. Most often communicates with the outside world. Draws portraits, plays the drums. The only right-hander and the only one who smokes cigarettes.
Tommy is the "keeper of salvation." In his own words, he is often confused with Allen. I independently understood electricity, the principles of operation of electrical and mechanical devices, locks. He learned to control muscles and joints, to get rid of handcuffs. Plays the saxophone, paints landscapes.
Denny is a frightened 14 year old boy, afraid of people, especially men. Draws only still lifes, because he is afraid of the earth in any form - Chalmer once forced him to dig a grave and buried it in it, leaving only a hole for breathing.
David - 8 years old, "keeper of pain". It takes consciousness to take the pain of others.
Christine is a 3-year-old Englishwoman, one of Billy's first personalities to emerge and the first to know about the existence of someone else. She stood in the corner at school and at home, if "Billy" misled, because, unlike other personalities, she did it calmly. She has dyslexia (impaired reading ability), but Arthur teaches her to read and write. Ragen has a special affection for her. Favorite of the "family".
Christopher - Christine's brother, 13 years old, plays the harmonica.
Adalana is a 19 year old active lesbian. Has the ability to occupy the body at will. Cooking, putting things in order in the "family", writing poetry. Occupies the body in situations when it comes to being a "gentleman", is gentle with women. She was the one who dealt with rape.
13 other personalities were declared undesirable by Arthur and Ragen for certain misconduct (antisocial behavior, violation of the rules, etc.).
Unwanted
Phil is a Brooklynian with a pronounced accent. A criminal element, engaged in drug trafficking, participated in armed robberies of homosexual couples, waiting for victims in parking lots along the highway.
Kevin - Phil's friend, developed a plan to rob a pharmacy, and then stole the loot from his comrades in the business. Later, during his stay at a high-security clinic in Lima, in gratitude for the uprising against the orderlies who beat the patients of the clinic, Arthur struck Kevin off the list of unwanted.
Walter is Australian and hunting enthusiast. He was allowed to the body when his ability to find the right direction was required. Arthur classified it as undesirable for "barbarism" - the murder of a crow in the forest.
April is a black-haired, dark-eyed, slender girl with a Boston accent. Was obsessed with the idea of killing Billy's stepfather. Declared unwanted after persuading Ragen to kill Chalmer. Arthur, calling Christine, was able to persuade Ragen not to commit murder.
Samuel is a religious Jew. Was deemed undesirable by Arthur for selling the Aplen painting. The only religious person.
Mark - "Workhorse". He is often referred to as a zombie because he does nothing if not told and stares at the wall when everyone gets bored.
Lee is a joker and a witty. For the first time he began to control the body in the Lebanese prison and then was declared undesirable for the fact that his pranks went too far and threatened the "family". After that, he disappeared from consciousness completely.
Steve is a parodist who was called in prison after Lee was exiled because he could make people laugh. Infuriated Ragen by parodying his accent. He was caught mocking the prison warden, with the result that Milligan was placed in an isolation cell.
Jason is the "pressure valve". Used as a child to release tension, but it constantly led to difficult situations.
Bobby is an inactive dreamer. Dreamed of adventure, saw myself as an actor
a traveler, a hero, but did not want to do anything specific for this. He went on a hunger strike, for which he was ranked as "undesirable" - in prison conditions he needed good physical condition.
Sean is a deaf boy with a developmental delay. He occupied consciousness in childhood when Billy was punished and shouted at him. Due to his deafness, he often buzzed, listening to the sounds echoing in his head. It was classified as undesirable, since it was not necessary in adulthood.
Martin is a snob and braggart from New York. Arthur classified it as undesirable due to the lack of a desire for self-improvement.
Timothy - worked in a shop as a flower merchant until he ran into a gay man who was flirting with him. After that, he entered his own world.
The main, unifying personality was the Master, who first appeared clearly during Billy's treatment at the mental health center. It was he who helped Keyes tell the story of Billy Milligan, as he was able to recall those episodes that were not available to the rest of the "family".
Soon after Master showed himself, Billy began to recover and even began to receive leave from the hospital, but the next court, taking into account the complaints and risks to the safety of others, transferred him to a specialized hospital for mentally ill criminals. After that, he changed several more institutions and, eventually, moved back to Ohio. In 1986 he managed to escape, but was caught a few months later. In 1988, after 10 years of intensive treatment in various medical institutions, Billy Milligan was declared "whole" and released. His entire surveillance was filmed three years later. He soon disappeared from the public eye.
According to various scattered rumors, Billy Milligan moved to California to work on a film about his life. Keyes, who has written books about him, says he hasn't spoken to his charge in years. Harding, a psychiatrist who worked with several of Milligan's personalities, also did not speak to Milligan for many years. He said that, in hindsight, he wished he had been more aggressive in his treatment, and that if he had paid more attention to this matter in his time, there would have been so many controversies around him now. Richard Kipperman, the guardian who handled Milligan's real estate, also said that he had lost contact with him and could not find him even to pay the amount due to him for the sale of the property.
Milligan's relatives did not help in his search either. Where he lives and what he does is unknown.
Victor Sergienko