Dissociative Identity Disorder In A Nutshell: A First-Hand Account

by Shirley J. Davis

Dissociative identity Disorder in a Nutshell is a book dealing with the realities of living with a dissociative disorder without using sensationalism but relying on as many facts as possible. Written by a person who has been through 27 years of intensive therapy to recover from DID the book talks about recovery, integration and finally leaving therapy for good, some topic not discussed at length in other works of its this type.

Genres: Nonfiction

53 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 11, 2016

Reviews

[Brianna Reed · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very subjective

Being a person who lives with DID we found this book to be purely subjective & close minded. Integration does not have to be a process where you no longer have your alters, but it can be a way of learning,communicating & positively co-exisitng with all of your personalities, giving them voices & independence in your life & your families lives. They are to be seen,heard,cared for & nurtured just as the host child is to have all those things. The alters are not bad, they are what got many of us to where we are today & also helped make us who we are today. No it's not always rainbows & flowers, but then again whose life is. Amongst Ourselves is a wonderful resource & is also written by someone living with DID. I encourage people to read that informational book when looking for strong research based off of personal invvement & medical based practices

[LeeAnn Werner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very insightful

So interesting to read her perspective on healing from DID. For anyone recovering from trauma, this would be a good book to read.

[Laura Marchildon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although many books on Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) separately cover the topics of diagnostic tools, treatments, self-help, and memoirs, the author, Shirley J. Davis, provides not only her lived experiences with DID but her wide scope of knowledge on the topic.
Despite the book’s size, the content is very well laid out and concisely covers the topics of symptoms, causes, complex/post traumatic stress disorder, (C/PTSD), and types of dissociation; this last I found immensely interesting.
In addition, Shirley goes over how trauma alters the physical brain itself and the differences between a “normal” brain versus one that has Dissociative Identity Disorder.
The author describes her experiences with taking the first steps towards her mental wellness beginning with the acceptance that she needed help, finding a good therapist she connected with, medications for DID symptoms, possible treatments, and shares her “10 stages of recovery”.
The section I found very fascinating was her first-hand wisdom on “Integration” as I was very uninformed on the topic of the systematic nature of the host and his/her alters.
Shirley J. Davis’ last chapter on “The Other Side of Therapy”, is inspirational for those who have DID and are doubting the healing process.
What I admire about the author’s messages in “Dissociative Identity In a Nutshell: A First-Hand Account”, is that Shirley has written this book from her perspective, living and thriving with DID, but advises the reader to form their own opinions through research from the numerous resources she has listed at the back of her book.
Here is also a link for a recent podcast that she shares her experiences with DID.
I recommend this book not only for those who have Dissociative Identity Disorder and their loved ones, but also for those who are interested in learning about this misunderstood mental illness.