Reference no: EM133587164

Case Study: "When the Devil Knocks: Dissociative Identity Disorder" (2010; 44 minutes)
Film Abstract: Tim is an adventurous but hostile 9-year-old boy. Joanie, about the same age, often gets depressed and suicidal, while Mary, a teenager, thinks the younger girl should "quit whining and sniveling." Despite their differences, these kids have one important thing in common: they exist only in the mind of Hilary Stanton, a woman who has harbored nearly three dozen "alters" or alternate personalities for decades. Assembled from more than 40 hours of videotaped psychotherapy sessions, this program examines how and why dissociative identity disorder shaped Stanton's life-from a childhood marred by isolation and sexual abuse to the many challenging phases of her adult development. Interviews with Stanton, her domestic partner, and her heroically persistent therapist help viewers understand the level of professional help and personal resolve needed to overcome such a deeply ingrained disorder. Viewer discretion is advised.

Question: What were the general impressions? What aspects of her story or the film had the greatest impact on you? Do you agree or disagree with what you saw? Why?