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All of Me: How I Learned to Live with the Many Personalities Sharing My Body
Taking the reader through an extraordinary world where the very nature of reality is different, this personal narrative tells the story of one woman’s terrifying battle to understand her own mind. From the desperate struggle to win back the child she loves to the courage and commitment needed to make sense of her life, this account recalls Kim Noble's many years in and out of mental institutions and various diagnoses until finally being appropriately diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder (DID). Described as a creative way some minds cope with unbearable pain, DID causes Kim's body to play host to more than 20 different personalities—from a little boy who speaks only Latin and an elective mute to a gay man and an anorexic teenager. Sometimes funny and ultimately uplifting, this brave illumination of the links and intersections between memory, mental illness, and creativity offers a glimpse into the mind of someone with DID and helps readers understand the confusion, frustration, and everyday difficulties in living with this disorder.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
May 25, 2018
Hearing the story of Kim Noble was so inspiring and eye opening. I have some sort of dissociative disorder and this taught me a lot about not only myself, but those close to me.
Hearing Patricia's side of the story was fascinating and makes me want to read the same book from all of her identities. It was horrific and terrible the things she went through, but I was enthralled. How could all these people not see it sooner? Obviously, because I knew the ending to this tale (I saw the Oprah documentary, which is referenced frequently) I knew that Patricia would step up as the main personality, I knew Aimee was going to be fine, I knew that the art helps the identities cope.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to learn what it's like growing up with DID and the effects it can have on yourself and others.
Hearing Patricia's side of the story was fascinating and makes me want to read the same book from all of her identities. It was horrific and terrible the things she went through, but I was enthralled. How could all these people not see it sooner? Obviously, because I knew the ending to this tale (I saw the Oprah documentary, which is referenced frequently) I knew that Patricia would step up as the main personality, I knew Aimee was going to be fine, I knew that the art helps the identities cope.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to learn what it's like growing up with DID and the effects it can have on yourself and others.
December 3, 2012
What a baffling nightmare of a life.
Her (or should I say "their") story ends on a hopeful note, though. Accepting the diagnosis has led to a more rewarding and less frightening life for all the fragments that make up "Kim Noble."
Her (or should I say "their") story ends on a hopeful note, though. Accepting the diagnosis has led to a more rewarding and less frightening life for all the fragments that make up "Kim Noble."
Currently reading
March 11, 2012أقرأ قصةُ مذكراتٍ لكاتبةٍ اسمها "كيم نوبل". ستجدونها إنسانةً عاديةً وذكيةً، إلا أن هناك مشكة واحدة: هي غير موجودة! فهي تعاني من "متلازمة تعدد الشخصيات"، بداخل جسدها طفلة صغيرة لا يتكلم إلا اللاتينية، ورجلٌ شاذ، ومراهقةٌ عصابية. بعض تلك الشخصيات تكبر مع كيم، وبعضها بقي عالقا زمنيا. اسم الكتاب الذي يُبكي ويُضحِك ويُدهِش في آن هو: "كلٌّ أنا- قصة كيف تعلمت أن أتعايش مع كل تلك الشخصيات في جسدي"
Book title: All of Me- My incredible story of how I learned to live with the many personalities sharing my body
Book title: All of Me- My incredible story of how I learned to live with the many personalities sharing my body
February 5, 2014
There isn't a way to say this without sounding weird, but mental health is my element - it interests me to no end, and books surrounding its various topics always manage to make it to my TBR list. Ever since I discovered that some people close to me suffered from Dissociative Identity Disorder, I wanted to learn more about it, and a friend suggested that I check out All of Me by Kim Noble, a book written by a DID sufferer who is at the extreme end of the scale.
For those who don't know what it is, DID is the official name for multiple personality disorder. Usually occurring when a child is frequently abused during their childhood, the mind fractures into separate personalities, protecting itself from the harsh realities of the abuse. It is more easily understood if you think about it as there is only one body, but different minds go through stages of dominating it. Each new personality is as real as you and me - for example, the woman who wrote this book is not actually Kim Noble - Kim is merely the name for the body, but she doesn't really exist any more. The woman who wrote this is called Patricia, the most dominant personality in Kim's body. The majority of this is her memories of life ever since she was young - the earliest memory being probably one of the first times she was "out" after being created.
I'd never measure up one mental disorder against another, as they are all horrible to suffer from. However, I must admit that DID seems terrifying. Imagine what it would be like to find out that there were other people sharing your body? That you just switch out, and a different person comes and takes your place? And that, perhaps worst of all, to the rest of the world you don't actually exist? Imagine being told that. It's hard to believe, but it's true. The mind works in complicated ways.
I'm inspired by Patricia's story - impressed by Kim's body's story as a whole. From the beginning, I knew she had DID - but to read along as Patricia was accused time and time again for things she didn't do, and to watch at her desperate attempts at getting people to believe her. It was heartbreaking really - but fascinating. For example, the body gave birth to a girl called Aimee, but Patricia was oblivious to it throughout the pregnancy and for four months afterwards. How can you not realize that you have a growing bump on your stomach? Easy - the body protects the personalities from realizing anything that could harm them further. Certain personalities were aware of the pregnancy - Bonny and Dawn especially - but the others were oblivious. Just like Ken, the gay man, doesn't realize that he is in a woman's body; to him, he has no female features, just likes men.
Now I'm sure you will be wondering, well, with all those different personalities, is it safe to bring up a child? Actually, yes, it is, and I genuinely believe that.Yes, there are some personalities who would not be able to look after Aimee - for example, Judy, a fifteen year old herself. However, the body seems to realize when it or the ones it cares about are in potential danger, and it does everything it can to stop it. For example, one personality repeatedly attempted suicide - but immediately after whatever was done, another personality kicked in and got the help the body needed to survive. As I said earlier, the mind is a curious thing.
Overall, I adored this book. It was a bit repetitive, but then again, I suppose Patricia felt like parts of her life were just on an endless repeat - of her telling people that she didn't do something, but never being believed. Although this has taken me about two weeks to read due to the quite depressing content, it was actually a smooth read. Patricia's language just flowed along, and I found myself wanting to know more about these different personalities within Kim's body. I think that if you like books about mental health and are interested in learning more about them, then this definitely should be added to your TBR list. Kim Noble and all her different personalities are brave and inspiring - more people need to hear her story.
For those who don't know what it is, DID is the official name for multiple personality disorder. Usually occurring when a child is frequently abused during their childhood, the mind fractures into separate personalities, protecting itself from the harsh realities of the abuse. It is more easily understood if you think about it as there is only one body, but different minds go through stages of dominating it. Each new personality is as real as you and me - for example, the woman who wrote this book is not actually Kim Noble - Kim is merely the name for the body, but she doesn't really exist any more. The woman who wrote this is called Patricia, the most dominant personality in Kim's body. The majority of this is her memories of life ever since she was young - the earliest memory being probably one of the first times she was "out" after being created.
I'd never measure up one mental disorder against another, as they are all horrible to suffer from. However, I must admit that DID seems terrifying. Imagine what it would be like to find out that there were other people sharing your body? That you just switch out, and a different person comes and takes your place? And that, perhaps worst of all, to the rest of the world you don't actually exist? Imagine being told that. It's hard to believe, but it's true. The mind works in complicated ways.
I'm inspired by Patricia's story - impressed by Kim's body's story as a whole. From the beginning, I knew she had DID - but to read along as Patricia was accused time and time again for things she didn't do, and to watch at her desperate attempts at getting people to believe her. It was heartbreaking really - but fascinating. For example, the body gave birth to a girl called Aimee, but Patricia was oblivious to it throughout the pregnancy and for four months afterwards. How can you not realize that you have a growing bump on your stomach? Easy - the body protects the personalities from realizing anything that could harm them further. Certain personalities were aware of the pregnancy - Bonny and Dawn especially - but the others were oblivious. Just like Ken, the gay man, doesn't realize that he is in a woman's body; to him, he has no female features, just likes men.
Now I'm sure you will be wondering, well, with all those different personalities, is it safe to bring up a child? Actually, yes, it is, and I genuinely believe that.Yes, there are some personalities who would not be able to look after Aimee - for example, Judy, a fifteen year old herself. However, the body seems to realize when it or the ones it cares about are in potential danger, and it does everything it can to stop it. For example, one personality repeatedly attempted suicide - but immediately after whatever was done, another personality kicked in and got the help the body needed to survive. As I said earlier, the mind is a curious thing.
Overall, I adored this book. It was a bit repetitive, but then again, I suppose Patricia felt like parts of her life were just on an endless repeat - of her telling people that she didn't do something, but never being believed. Although this has taken me about two weeks to read due to the quite depressing content, it was actually a smooth read. Patricia's language just flowed along, and I found myself wanting to know more about these different personalities within Kim's body. I think that if you like books about mental health and are interested in learning more about them, then this definitely should be added to your TBR list. Kim Noble and all her different personalities are brave and inspiring - more people need to hear her story.
August 29, 2024
It was good but not has profound as I expected. I was curious about Kim's past and exactly had created the DID but she never got to it. It is still a good biography of a person dealing with this illness.
July 4, 2022
A book about the effects of satanic ritual abuse on a child without any detail of the actual abuse. Instead Patricia (one of Kim Noble's alters) takes us through her version of life. Beautifully done with a touch of humor.
December 23, 2024
Wow. This book was so crazy to read. This was the first auto-biography I’ve read but definitely not the last. Midway through the book, I decided to watch the Oprah interview, and it was fascinating to see. 8/10, I definitely recommend 🙂↕️🙂↕️
June 4, 2022
Fascinating, if a little lengthy.
March 16, 2019
Good but Unnecessarily Lengthy
This book was fascinating for the first several chapters! It was incredible to get an idea of what it’s like to have DID. However, I found it to be unnecessarily lengthy. It was slightly frustrating to have to plow through several chapters that were essentially the same part of the story over and over with slight variations. It could’ve been communicated more succinctly. That being said, I think the repetition did add a level of understanding of the author’s personal frustration. I think it worth reading if DID itself is something you’re curious about.
This book was fascinating for the first several chapters! It was incredible to get an idea of what it’s like to have DID. However, I found it to be unnecessarily lengthy. It was slightly frustrating to have to plow through several chapters that were essentially the same part of the story over and over with slight variations. It could’ve been communicated more succinctly. That being said, I think the repetition did add a level of understanding of the author’s personal frustration. I think it worth reading if DID itself is something you’re curious about.
December 10, 2024
A truly remarkable story. What’s even more remarkable is that this is an autobiography. Some of the things that happen honestly sound like they come from a movie, that’s how dramatic and sometimes unrealistic it all is. A beautiful story, thank you @mitch for lending me this book. Glad I got round to reading it 4 years later!
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December 10, 2018Bir bedende kaç ayrı kişilik yaşayabilir? Yapmadığınız şeylerden dolayı sürekli cezalar almak,bilinciniz yerine geldiğinde sürekli gitmediğiniz bir yerde uyanmak,uyandığınız zaman bulunduğunuz yeri ve kim olduğunuzu anlamaya çalışmak..ah aahhh sen ki benim sağlıklı bir akla sahip olduğum için şükür sebebimsin.Hayatımızda bazen o kadar küçük şeyleri büyütüp devasa sorunlar haline getiriyoruz ki böyle kitaplar okuyup arada şükretmeliyiz gibi geliyor.
February 21, 2025
I've been wanting to read this book ever since I've watched her interview on Vice.
Hearing Patrica's side of the story and her struggles was mind-opening. I will never be able to understand how someone can commit such vile acts on a child, but it's fascinating how a human brain can protect itself. Truly a mesmerizing story.
Hearing Patrica's side of the story and her struggles was mind-opening. I will never be able to understand how someone can commit such vile acts on a child, but it's fascinating how a human brain can protect itself. Truly a mesmerizing story.
February 12, 2019
Kitabı daha detaylı anlatmak adına üçünçü kişinin ağzından yazabilirdi. Yaşananlar korkunç ve trajik ama buna neden olan etkenleri hiç anlatmamış. Ya da herbir karakteri bölüm bölüm işleyebilirdi. Kitabın tamamı “hatırlamıyorum” kelimeleri ile dolu. Kitabın adı hatırlamıyorum olsa daha iyi olurdu.
May 23, 2017
Wat een bijzonder boek. Dit wordt geschreven door een vrouw met verschillende persoonlijkheden. Gebeurd door misbruik toen zij nog heel jong was. Bizar om te lezen, maar héél indrukwekkend!
November 9, 2015
Fascinating. This book is broken into two parts. Part one contains a lot of details and reflections of what it was like for the author to grow up and function with this disorder before she was diagnosed. I couldn't help but struggle watching the lack of understanding on the part of her parents, teachers and even trained doctors. It took (what seemed like) forever for the author to be diagnosed and ultimately, supported. Her journey through the mental health system was heart wrenching. At times it felt like there was no end in sight and this got to be a bit redundant. Part two summarizes life for the author after diagnoses, including examples of artwork created by the author and the other individuals who share her physical body. Overall, it was an interesting read.
January 5, 2019
This book was so eye-opening for me that it's left me mostly speechless. I do not believe D.I.D. is common, and so I've probably had no experience with anyone involved with something this invasive. However, as a teacher, I think I may have taught a student who disassociated. If anything, Kim/Patricia's experience with teachers has lead me to be a more empathetic teacher. I do not believe I've ever accused a student of lying and now I do not believe I ever will.
Reading about all of the personalities that inhabit the body of Kim Noble was fascinating. I want to see their interview and view more of their artwork. This book was simply fascinating and I am amazed with Patricia's ability to cope and piece together all the bits to the puzzle that is her life. She's inspiring.
Reading about all of the personalities that inhabit the body of Kim Noble was fascinating. I want to see their interview and view more of their artwork. This book was simply fascinating and I am amazed with Patricia's ability to cope and piece together all the bits to the puzzle that is her life. She's inspiring.
December 16, 2011
This is an amazing tale. I can not imagine how confusing it must have been for Kim growing up. I'm glad she has personalities which are strong enough to deal with all the trauma she has endured. Her daughter must be amazing after having dealt with so much drama. Well done to the author for putting her story 'out there'. There wouldn't be many people who would even contemplate that this sort of condition (DID) exists. Perhaps this explains some of the radical behaviors of others and will certainly help me to understand how important it is to walk in another's shoes before jumping to any conclusions about their lifestyles.
August 10, 2017
This was truly an incredible story
I was first introduced to Kim Noble's story on Oprah and I was completely fascinated that she was living with over one-hundred different personalities that were unaware of each other. I wanted to read this book so badly that I waited three weeks to have it shipped to Australia!
The story follows the now-dominate personality Patricia and her life story from childhood to adulthood and how she begins to acknowledge that she has DID. This book is very intense and you often feel very sorry for all of the personalities of Kim Noble but I promise you that there are funny moments and you will finish the book feeling happy.
I was first introduced to Kim Noble's story on Oprah and I was completely fascinated that she was living with over one-hundred different personalities that were unaware of each other. I wanted to read this book so badly that I waited three weeks to have it shipped to Australia!
The story follows the now-dominate personality Patricia and her life story from childhood to adulthood and how she begins to acknowledge that she has DID. This book is very intense and you often feel very sorry for all of the personalities of Kim Noble but I promise you that there are funny moments and you will finish the book feeling happy.
February 13, 2016
i picked this up bc i'd recently finished watching united states of tara for the second time. while i think it could have been shortened a bit, i was moved by patricia's harrowing journey from not-knowing to knowing herself, and the others occupying the body of kim noble. i'm a believer in the did diagnosis, and hope that books like this will help others see that sufferers of did aren't acting or pretending.
October 11, 2012
I think it was an interesting book to read, very different from other books about Dissociative Identity Disorders. Most of them have a lot of flashbacks to the past, but this one hasn't. It's more about their daily life, which was refreshing to read!
March 19, 2021
One of the best books I've ever read. Truly shocking, inspiring, amazing - all at once. Definitely a must read !
June 30, 2013
A very illuminating book about what it's like to have DID. I learnt a lot and was humbled.
March 6, 2025
This is an incredible story, an admirable effort, to tell the world that it is possible for one to live with so many souls in one body.
"All of Me" by Kim Noble (Book 24/2025), is the story of a woman, who was diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder, previously known as Multiple Personality Disorder, in 1995.
Kim had to deal with 20 to 50 different personalities within her. They are all unique with different names, ages, genders, manerisms, lifestyles, and ideologies. Their honest, raw and startling stories are shared in this 360-page book (21 chapters, in two parts).
I have always been fascinated by people with DID, and would never miss the chance to read about them. Their life-long struggle in a life that's complex and chaotic are mind blowing. And to think that I can't even manage one lone voice within me, my overthinking or inconsistency in thoughts.
Those interested in mental health studies will find Kim's sharing very valuable as the author shares the contacts of many centers/NGOs dealing with the issue at the end of the book.
Kim, whose dominant personality is Patricia, is now 65, and lives with her daughter, two dogs and a rescue cat in Surrey, England. I first came to know about her many years ago after watching a video clip about her art exhibition. She was even featured in one of Oprah Winfrey's show in 2010.
Nothing is more intriguing than to learn that 13 of Kim's personalities are artists. Together they have produced amazing artworks, which were exhibited locally and internationally. This book shares the art pieces and through them, the reader can see for themselves the uniqueness and diversity in the narrative and styles of the artworks (These are explained at the end pages of the book) but the portrait paintings of the personalities are featured between pages 180 to 181.
Anyone's spirit would be broken beyond recognition but Kim and the other personalities have a strong desire to live, and oh, how they fought to be seen. It's heartbreaking to read that Kim's mind was fractured since she was merely five, unable then to defend herself. She went through several horrendous and traumatic experiences and landed in lunatic assylums when one of the personalities tried to kill herself. She met several therapists too.
I cried reading some of the harrowing experiences Kim went through - physical abuse, mental torture, loss of memory, surviving her parents' break-up, her dad's infidelity, and the difficulties she faced in school, in her childhood and teenage years when she was constantly blamed for (criminal or non-criminal) activities she never did. "It wasn't me," she would often say but no one believed her. Punishment ensued despite her protests.
When the other alters emerge, Kim always felt she had disappeared into an unknown realm; she was missing, or lost, unconscious, or sleeping. She awakes/ re-emerges not knowing where she was or is. She struggled to remember but she couldn't, even when she was accused and admitted to hospital for attempting suicide.
"There was just one area where I considered myself disadvantaged. Everyone else at the refuge knew full well who had caused them pain. Each woman had a name or face etched indelibly in her memory.
"I had nothing.
" I could pass by my attackers on the street and not recognised them. The man who threw acid into my face could be my taxi driver, my postman or anyone else in the world and I'd never know. The person who set fire to my house could buy me a drink and I'd be none the wiser. That not knowing was almost unbearable" (Page 233).
Inspite of her condition, Kim managed to have a daughter, Aimee (Page 244). Amazingly, the girl was somehow "protected" by all. She grew up being a witness to the different sides of her mom. That is why Kim is proud of her little girl.
"The biggest compliment anyone can pay Aimee - or me - is that she seems like a normal kid - because she is! She loves too much TV, she leaves her homework much too late, she wants more pets in the house than I do - in other words, she's exactly the same as all her other friends" (Page 354).
Indeed, this is a satisfying read, a powerful, moving, jarring book, where Kim/ Patricia plus all the others, when place together, are like a colourful, magical mosaic, an exquisite piece of art itself.
Ends.
"All of Me" by Kim Noble (Book 24/2025), is the story of a woman, who was diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder, previously known as Multiple Personality Disorder, in 1995.
Kim had to deal with 20 to 50 different personalities within her. They are all unique with different names, ages, genders, manerisms, lifestyles, and ideologies. Their honest, raw and startling stories are shared in this 360-page book (21 chapters, in two parts).
I have always been fascinated by people with DID, and would never miss the chance to read about them. Their life-long struggle in a life that's complex and chaotic are mind blowing. And to think that I can't even manage one lone voice within me, my overthinking or inconsistency in thoughts.
Those interested in mental health studies will find Kim's sharing very valuable as the author shares the contacts of many centers/NGOs dealing with the issue at the end of the book.
Kim, whose dominant personality is Patricia, is now 65, and lives with her daughter, two dogs and a rescue cat in Surrey, England. I first came to know about her many years ago after watching a video clip about her art exhibition. She was even featured in one of Oprah Winfrey's show in 2010.
Nothing is more intriguing than to learn that 13 of Kim's personalities are artists. Together they have produced amazing artworks, which were exhibited locally and internationally. This book shares the art pieces and through them, the reader can see for themselves the uniqueness and diversity in the narrative and styles of the artworks (These are explained at the end pages of the book) but the portrait paintings of the personalities are featured between pages 180 to 181.
Anyone's spirit would be broken beyond recognition but Kim and the other personalities have a strong desire to live, and oh, how they fought to be seen. It's heartbreaking to read that Kim's mind was fractured since she was merely five, unable then to defend herself. She went through several horrendous and traumatic experiences and landed in lunatic assylums when one of the personalities tried to kill herself. She met several therapists too.
I cried reading some of the harrowing experiences Kim went through - physical abuse, mental torture, loss of memory, surviving her parents' break-up, her dad's infidelity, and the difficulties she faced in school, in her childhood and teenage years when she was constantly blamed for (criminal or non-criminal) activities she never did. "It wasn't me," she would often say but no one believed her. Punishment ensued despite her protests.
When the other alters emerge, Kim always felt she had disappeared into an unknown realm; she was missing, or lost, unconscious, or sleeping. She awakes/ re-emerges not knowing where she was or is. She struggled to remember but she couldn't, even when she was accused and admitted to hospital for attempting suicide.
"There was just one area where I considered myself disadvantaged. Everyone else at the refuge knew full well who had caused them pain. Each woman had a name or face etched indelibly in her memory.
"I had nothing.
" I could pass by my attackers on the street and not recognised them. The man who threw acid into my face could be my taxi driver, my postman or anyone else in the world and I'd never know. The person who set fire to my house could buy me a drink and I'd be none the wiser. That not knowing was almost unbearable" (Page 233).
Inspite of her condition, Kim managed to have a daughter, Aimee (Page 244). Amazingly, the girl was somehow "protected" by all. She grew up being a witness to the different sides of her mom. That is why Kim is proud of her little girl.
"The biggest compliment anyone can pay Aimee - or me - is that she seems like a normal kid - because she is! She loves too much TV, she leaves her homework much too late, she wants more pets in the house than I do - in other words, she's exactly the same as all her other friends" (Page 354).
Indeed, this is a satisfying read, a powerful, moving, jarring book, where Kim/ Patricia plus all the others, when place together, are like a colourful, magical mosaic, an exquisite piece of art itself.
Ends.
July 20, 2021
I couldn't finish this book -- I got a little over 60% through -- because honestly, Patricia is just irritating. I can't tell if it's bad writing or if I genuinely just don't like her as a person.
I don't want to be an asshole, especially not towards a person that has obviously had a terrible life, but I took issues with several things throughout the book. I struggle with mental illness, although of course not to the extent that the body of Kim Noble does, and when I was a child, I functioned like Patricia did. I thought everyone was mentally like me and that I just was worse at coping with it. However, when I was a teenager and started forming deeper connections with people, it became crystal clear that I was very different from a lot of my loved ones. I get wanting to deny such a severe mental illness, but Patricia makes it sound like she didn't so much as question her reality until she was in her early thirties. Surely at some point she thought it was strange that she was being kept for years in mental institutions when other teenagers didn't have to? She had to have realized at least once that other people didn't have such terrible memories (although of course her memory wasn't the real issue).
I also take issue with the way Patricia talks about mental health and medication. She paints other mentally ill people in a very negative light and speaks about them as if from an outside perspective, yet she struggles with arguably one of the most severe mental illnesses in the world. She also acts like all medication is evil and turns you into this bumbling, shambling zombie. As someone who relies on daily prescription medication just to live a normal life, I obviously take issue with this. Sure, some people are overly or incorrectly medicated, but medication isn't evil. It's essential to lots of mental health journeys.
The main part of the book that bothered me was when Patricia -- or, I suppose, the body of Kim Noble as a whole -- was diagnosed with dissociation and Patricia just...ignores it? Again, I totally understand wanting to deny that there's something so very wrong with you, but having a dissociation disorder explains so many of her problems. It would explain her terrible memory, her differences from her peers, and the difficulties she has in her life and relationships. I would have thought that she would be desperate for an explanation as to what the hell was going on with her -- but again, she doesn't even question her way of life until her early to mid thirties! At some point, if everyone around you is constantly wrong and you're always right, you have to wonder if maybe you're perceiving things incorrectly.
A scene near the beginning of the book also sticks out to me as strange. She discusses how other people with DID have communication with their alters and she has none, but that she prefers it this way. I obviously didn't finish the book so maybe there's some big revelation as to why this is the case, but shouldn't her therapists have tried to help her connect with her other alters? One of my old friends struggles with DID so I did a ton of research over the last few years to be able to understand him better. During that research, I found that most therapists aim to either combine all the alters or create a sort of symbiotic relationship between all of them so they can all coexist. In that initial chapter, Patricia doesn't seem to even understand this is an option. She seems to believe that either it's radio silence between alters or it's a constant cacophony of alters shouting over one another. She also doesn't mention headspaces or inner worlds, and based on how terrible her life was for three decades, knowing about and existing in such a space could be hugely beneficial. Seriously, who are her therapists?
I absolutely believe the body of Kim Noble has Dissociative Identity Disorder. I was just very irritated with Patricia throughout the book. I would have preferred hearing the story from a less abrasive, combative alter.
I don't want to be an asshole, especially not towards a person that has obviously had a terrible life, but I took issues with several things throughout the book. I struggle with mental illness, although of course not to the extent that the body of Kim Noble does, and when I was a child, I functioned like Patricia did. I thought everyone was mentally like me and that I just was worse at coping with it. However, when I was a teenager and started forming deeper connections with people, it became crystal clear that I was very different from a lot of my loved ones. I get wanting to deny such a severe mental illness, but Patricia makes it sound like she didn't so much as question her reality until she was in her early thirties. Surely at some point she thought it was strange that she was being kept for years in mental institutions when other teenagers didn't have to? She had to have realized at least once that other people didn't have such terrible memories (although of course her memory wasn't the real issue).
I also take issue with the way Patricia talks about mental health and medication. She paints other mentally ill people in a very negative light and speaks about them as if from an outside perspective, yet she struggles with arguably one of the most severe mental illnesses in the world. She also acts like all medication is evil and turns you into this bumbling, shambling zombie. As someone who relies on daily prescription medication just to live a normal life, I obviously take issue with this. Sure, some people are overly or incorrectly medicated, but medication isn't evil. It's essential to lots of mental health journeys.
The main part of the book that bothered me was when Patricia -- or, I suppose, the body of Kim Noble as a whole -- was diagnosed with dissociation and Patricia just...ignores it? Again, I totally understand wanting to deny that there's something so very wrong with you, but having a dissociation disorder explains so many of her problems. It would explain her terrible memory, her differences from her peers, and the difficulties she has in her life and relationships. I would have thought that she would be desperate for an explanation as to what the hell was going on with her -- but again, she doesn't even question her way of life until her early to mid thirties! At some point, if everyone around you is constantly wrong and you're always right, you have to wonder if maybe you're perceiving things incorrectly.
A scene near the beginning of the book also sticks out to me as strange. She discusses how other people with DID have communication with their alters and she has none, but that she prefers it this way. I obviously didn't finish the book so maybe there's some big revelation as to why this is the case, but shouldn't her therapists have tried to help her connect with her other alters? One of my old friends struggles with DID so I did a ton of research over the last few years to be able to understand him better. During that research, I found that most therapists aim to either combine all the alters or create a sort of symbiotic relationship between all of them so they can all coexist. In that initial chapter, Patricia doesn't seem to even understand this is an option. She seems to believe that either it's radio silence between alters or it's a constant cacophony of alters shouting over one another. She also doesn't mention headspaces or inner worlds, and based on how terrible her life was for three decades, knowing about and existing in such a space could be hugely beneficial. Seriously, who are her therapists?
I absolutely believe the body of Kim Noble has Dissociative Identity Disorder. I was just very irritated with Patricia throughout the book. I would have preferred hearing the story from a less abrasive, combative alter.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2025
"Coming to terms with the fact that I myself was an alter of Kim Noble was hard. What could be more unnatural? . . .
What was I supposed to think? Were they saying I'm a figment of someone's imagination?
That I didn't exist?"
Before my review, here's a quick abnormal psychology rundown:
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) — previously known as Multiple Personality Disorder — is a dissociative disorder that is rooted in chronic, inescapable early childhood trauma roughly before the ages of six to nine (researchers' estimates vary). As of writing, our primary understanding of DID, including other trauma-related disorders, is through the Theory of Structural Dissociation; this theory proposes that severe and chronic trauma can lead to our yet-to-be integrated personalities fragmenting and forming into distinct, differing parts (known specifically in DID and some forms of OSDD [Other Specified Dissociative Disorder] as alters). Aside from alters/distinct parts, some other symptoms may include "time loss," finding one's self in locations and being unable to recall how one there, amnesia, intense and chronic dissociation, and co-morbid complex post-traumatic stress disorder and depersonalization/derealization.
With this in mind, "Kim Noble's" memoir is an example of why destigmatizing and openly discussing the complexities of this disorder is vital. The first half of and primary focus of her memoir is spent with the now "dominant personality," Patricia (also known as the "host" — this is not the "original/core" personality; as of writing, that is an outdated understanding of DID that does not exist, since there is no "original" personality as one never formed), documenting experiences that she can recall from her early childhood all the way up to before her DID diagnosis. This process spans decades of her life and often follows her being bounced between several psychiatric facilities/institutions, along with a variety of inaccurate diagnoses (bulimia and schizophrenia, to name a few). While this is a horrifying ordeal, it is not at all uncommon for those suffering from DID to experience similar psychiatric neglect and misdiagnoses.
There is a great deal of misinformation out there about DID, and that is one of the many reasons this memoir is so important to take the time to read. It doesn't just expose the truth of DID in ways that I cannot articulate in a simple review, but highlights that those with DID are just as capable of living happy, healthy lives as those who do not have this disorder. While it does feel lengthy at times and is — in my opinion — a bit too long, the positives certainly outweigh the nitpicks, and the understanding that comes from this book is worth it.
What was I supposed to think? Were they saying I'm a figment of someone's imagination?
That I didn't exist?"
Before my review, here's a quick abnormal psychology rundown:
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) — previously known as Multiple Personality Disorder — is a dissociative disorder that is rooted in chronic, inescapable early childhood trauma roughly before the ages of six to nine (researchers' estimates vary). As of writing, our primary understanding of DID, including other trauma-related disorders, is through the Theory of Structural Dissociation; this theory proposes that severe and chronic trauma can lead to our yet-to-be integrated personalities fragmenting and forming into distinct, differing parts (known specifically in DID and some forms of OSDD [Other Specified Dissociative Disorder] as alters). Aside from alters/distinct parts, some other symptoms may include "time loss," finding one's self in locations and being unable to recall how one there, amnesia, intense and chronic dissociation, and co-morbid complex post-traumatic stress disorder and depersonalization/derealization.
With this in mind, "Kim Noble's" memoir is an example of why destigmatizing and openly discussing the complexities of this disorder is vital. The first half of and primary focus of her memoir is spent with the now "dominant personality," Patricia (also known as the "host" — this is not the "original/core" personality; as of writing, that is an outdated understanding of DID that does not exist, since there is no "original" personality as one never formed), documenting experiences that she can recall from her early childhood all the way up to before her DID diagnosis. This process spans decades of her life and often follows her being bounced between several psychiatric facilities/institutions, along with a variety of inaccurate diagnoses (bulimia and schizophrenia, to name a few). While this is a horrifying ordeal, it is not at all uncommon for those suffering from DID to experience similar psychiatric neglect and misdiagnoses.
There is a great deal of misinformation out there about DID, and that is one of the many reasons this memoir is so important to take the time to read. It doesn't just expose the truth of DID in ways that I cannot articulate in a simple review, but highlights that those with DID are just as capable of living happy, healthy lives as those who do not have this disorder. While it does feel lengthy at times and is — in my opinion — a bit too long, the positives certainly outweigh the nitpicks, and the understanding that comes from this book is worth it.
April 2, 2020
This was a good book. It was written with a ghost writer. I also have DID, but my experience has been different. Patricia, the author of the book, never experiences co-consciousness or hears the voices of her alters. This has not been what I have gone through. Reading it made me frustrated by how repetitive it was for her to have no idea what is going on. I understand this is what she experienced and I too have many periods of amnesia when the other alters front, but the book was frustrating in that regard. Also Patricia did not experience the abuse that made her body have DID, and so the abuse was only mentioned in passing, but I feel like this is a huge important part of the story, that was just glossed over. Overall it was a good memoir.
July 17, 2019
This is the first time I have read about multiple personality disorder in the words of the sufferer. Kim Noble unwraps her life story beginning from childhood. She describes how slowly she herself came to know there were others sharing her body. To the dominate personality telling the story it seemed at first like a case of just losing time. She had no idea her body continued living without her. Today Kim shares a lot of her story through several personalities who paint. She has a website in the UK where their art is for sale. She is a beautiful and brave soul and her book is fascinating.
February 4, 2018
Veel beter dan ik had verwacht. Waargebeurde verhalen hebben vaak iets melodramatisch, ongeacht waarover werd geschreven, en het was een opluchting te zien dat dit boek niet zo was. Ja, ik ben wel degelijk nieuwsgierig naar wat Kim exact heeft moeten doorstaan om DIS te ontwikkelen.. maar waarom eigenlijk? Maakt het uit? Voegt het meer toe aan het verhaal? Nee. Je kunt met de informatie die je wel krijgt al wen beeld vormen.
Ik vond het erg interessant om een inkijkje te krijgen in de wereld van DIS.
Ik vond het erg interessant om een inkijkje te krijgen in de wereld van DIS.
November 6, 2018
Not only was this an incredibly endearing story but the author has written it in such an easy to read manner. It’s informative but also almost feels like a story/fiction. It really holds nothing back about the awful journey of mental health and trying to understand what’s “wrong”. I couldn’t put this book down and I loved the paintings included to really help you connect more with some of the alters. Great book!
May 24, 2019
I had seen this woman, “Kim Noble” on Oprah many years ago and was intrigued by the whole story: a woman with multiple personalities, each completely unconscious of the other. Dissociative Identity Disorder is so fascinating. I enjoyed reading this book, told from the perspective of one of Kim’s dominant alters, Patricia. I would’ve been interested to learn more about what events lead to her brain fracturing into all these personalities.
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