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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Erik on April 3, 1999, at 21:38:40
My wife suffers from what appears to me as split personalities. My dad seems to think that she may have some "easily cured" chemical imbalance. We are both twenty-two years of age now. From age 15 to about age 18, she suffered from severe depression (clinically diagnosed) and anorexia/bulimia. She received many counseling sessions during those years, as well as medications that did not help.
Please share any information ore ideas/suggestions you may have.
Posted by saintjames on April 6, 1999, at 2:13:17
In reply to Chemical imbalance, posted by Erik on April 3, 1999, at 21:38:40
> My wife suffers from what appears to me as split personalities. My dad seems to think that she may have some "easily cured" chemical imbalance. We are both twenty-two years of age now. From age 15 to about age 18, she suffered from severe depression (clinically diagnosed) and anorexia/bulimia. She received many counseling sessions during those years, as well as medications that did not help.
> Please share any information ore ideas/suggestions you may have.
James here....It depende on what you mean by "split personalities". If you are saying she has muliple
distinct personalities this is always caused by
extream abuse.split personalities can mean many things..I think
a consult with an excellent pdoc to get a firm dx
and course of treatment both medical and counseling is in order. What ever was done in the past did not work but this by no means indicates with the propper treatment she cannot get better.Eating disorders (and the other things you mentioned) do not go away by taking "just" a pill
nor are they caused by "just" a Chemical imbalance.
j
Posted by Nancy on April 8, 1999, at 12:45:26
In reply to Re: Chemical imbalance, posted by saintjames on April 6, 1999, at 2:13:17
> > My wife suffers from what appears to me as split personalities. My dad seems to think that she may have some "easily cured" chemical imbalance. We are both twenty-two years of age now. From age 15 to about age 18, she suffered from severe depression (clinically diagnosed) and anorexia/bulimia. She received many counseling sessions during those years, as well as medications that did not help.
Nanc here, sorry to see that your wife is suffering. Could you share your wife's experiences on the medications she's tried? It may shed more light onto the kind affliction from which she struggles.
This "split" that you mentioned. What are the symptoms that you are seeing? Does she actually "become a totally different person" without memory of the "other people" she becomes? How frequently are these "splits" occuring?
Posting this information may trigger ideas or may be similar to experiences by others reading this board.
Please, take care,
N
> > Please share any information ore ideas/suggestions you may have.
>
>
> James here....
>
> It depende on what you mean by "split personalities". If you are saying she has muliple
> distinct personalities this is always caused by
> extream abuse.
>
> split personalities can mean many things..I think
> a consult with an excellent pdoc to get a firm dx
> and course of treatment both medical and counseling is in order. What ever was done in the past did not work but this by no means indicates with the propper treatment she cannot get better.
>
> Eating disorders (and the other things you mentioned) do not go away by taking "just" a pill
> nor are they caused by "just" a Chemical imbalance.
> j
Posted by Elaine on April 10, 1999, at 7:55:45
In reply to Chemical imbalance, posted by Erik on April 3, 1999, at 21:38:40
I agree with the above - could you provide more details on what you mean by "split personalities"? I would like to comment on saintjames' comment. DID, if that's what it is, is caused by some type of abuse, but it doesn't have to be physical. It doesn't even have to be what most people would consider "severe", it's what is severe to an individual's psyche, i.e., being teased (a form of put down) a lot could bounce off one person but be extremely damaging to someone who is naturally very sensitive. I don't know if you are talking about DID but, saintjames, I did want to expound a little on what you said.
Looking to get more details, but nothing you have said would seem to indicate a simple chemical imbalance that can be cured by meds. I hate to presume, but with the eating disorders, I wouldn't think the depression was caused by a chemical imbalance. Maybe your dad read something somewhere and is trying to find a "quick fix", but it doesn't sound like your wife's case fits that category, and it sounds like you already suspect a deeper problem.
More details? Otherwise, good luck in finding help.
Posted by Nancy on April 10, 1999, at 17:38:28
In reply to Chemical imbalance, posted by Erik on April 3, 1999, at 21:38:40
> My wife suffers from what appears to me as split personalities. My dad seems to think that she may have some "easily cured" chemical imbalance. We are both twenty-two years of age now. From age 15 to about age 18, she suffered from severe depression
This age is when bipolars tend to be dx (or mis-dx). Bipolar disorder can begin with either severe depression or mania. "Split Personalities" may be a way to describe mood swings that are characteristic of bipolarity for someone unfamiliar with the disorder.
Anorexia/bulimia may be present in those of us with bipolar disorder. Also, depression can severely impair one's self-perception (low self-esteem, self-deprication, self-hate, feelings of worthlessness). Such an impact on an adolescent's veiw of herself would contribute to the potential to develop eating disorders.
Your wife really needs to see some excellent professionals who can help her with, both, the mood disorder and the eating disorder. Hunt down a pdoc and/or a psychopharmacologist who is adept with doctoring these potentially dangerous disorders!
Then, come back and inform us of how it's going.
Nancy
(clinically diagnosed) and anorexia/bulimia. She received many counseling sessions during those years, as well as medications that did not help.
> Please share any information ore ideas/suggestions you may have.
Posted by Elizabeth on April 17, 1999, at 22:43:28
In reply to Chemical imbalance, posted by Erik on April 3, 1999, at 21:38:40
Erik,
As others have noted, "split personalities" could mean a number of things and isn't specific enough.
I dislike the expression "chemical imbalance" because it has become rather loaded - people have an idea that if something is "chemical" (of course it's chemical. duh), then it's genetic, beyond the person's control, and the correct treatment is drugs and drugs only. This is almost certainly not the case with eating disorders.
My suspicion is that your wife's depression is only a part of something bigger - possibly dissociative identity disorder (used to be called (misleadingly) "multiple personality disorder"), or possibly a less extreme form known (also misleadingly) as borderline personality disorder. Bipolar II disorder might be involved as well (either way, anticonvulsants could be indicated). She definitely needs to see a psychiatrist to get an accurate diagnosis so that a treatment plan can be formulated, but I'm afraid that your father is destined for disappointment.
Good luck to you and your family.
Posted by Lancelot on July 3, 2000, at 19:53:03
In reply to , posted by Elizabeth on April 17, 1999, at 22:43:28
Hi, Dave here. I found this conversation by accident, but reading it I felt that I needed to add something. My girlfriend has many of the same symptoms, minus the eating disorders. The way that she describes it is something like this. Metaphorically speaking, there is a chip in her mind that controls what she does sometimes. She says that this chip made her fall in love with me, but after about five months of loving me it flipped over and revealed itself. When this happened she had a mental breakdown and became very depressed for around a month. She said that at that time she was not sure if she was in love with, or if it was the "chip" that made her be in love with me. She has seen a counselor and has gotten on some medication, and I remember her saying something about a chemical imbalance. Anyway, I fear I may lose her if she is not cured soon. She has already told me that she does not want to see me for some time. I lover her more than anything and I know that she loves me too, if only she were mentally ok. I would appreciate some advice. thanks.
Dave
Posted by peter v on November 25, 2000, at 13:41:42
In reply to Re: Chemical imbalance, posted by Nancy on April 10, 1999, at 17:38:28
well my girlfriend suffering from DID
my mother panicced thinking she is crazy and having 2 personalities(like now she is Chantal, tomorrow she is Betty).
And now my parents don't want me to see her.
but this DID thing she has, has nothing to do with that kind of split personality right?
how do i explain it to my parents now?
sigh*
I really love my gf.> > My wife suffers from what appears to me as split personalities. My dad seems to think that she may have some "easily cured" chemical imbalance. We are both twenty-two years of age now. From age 15 to about age 18, she suffered from severe depression
>
> This age is when bipolars tend to be dx (or mis-dx). Bipolar disorder can begin with either severe depression or mania. "Split Personalities" may be a way to describe mood swings that are characteristic of bipolarity for someone unfamiliar with the disorder.
>
> Anorexia/bulimia may be present in those of us with bipolar disorder. Also, depression can severely impair one's self-perception (low self-esteem, self-deprication, self-hate, feelings of worthlessness). Such an impact on an adolescent's veiw of herself would contribute to the potential to develop eating disorders.
>
> Your wife really needs to see some excellent professionals who can help her with, both, the mood disorder and the eating disorder. Hunt down a pdoc and/or a psychopharmacologist who is adept with doctoring these potentially dangerous disorders!
>
> Then, come back and inform us of how it's going.
>
> Nancy
>
>
> (clinically diagnosed) and anorexia/bulimia. She received many counseling sessions during those years, as well as medications that did not help.
> > Please share any information ore ideas/suggestions you may have.
Posted by Dark Angel on February 24, 2001, at 16:03:47
In reply to Chemical imbalance, posted by Erik on April 3, 1999, at 21:38:40
I have a friend that suffers from a chemical imbalance. Nobody not even experts have any idea what the problem is or how to treat it. I like to read and I think that she has a split personality. One is a nice, fun person, and the other one is impatient, rude, cruel and has a very bad temper. I think that it is treatable but I dont know how to prove this. My idea is that you shuold not give her any drugs or treatment but help her through psychologically. I also have a split personality but I have learned how to control all of them at once. I can choose which one of the few personalities that I have and use it to the best of my ability. I think that I need to spend a lot of time with my friend but I cant because she lives away and I only see her every few weeks. I am 14 and that is also a problem.
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