Prologue (3)

“Yes, of course!” B replies. “She repeats the same thing over and over again. It’s so easy to see what’s gonna happen next.”

I said “So, B, why don’t you asked her ‘do you think he [ the boss] is just nice to you?.” B looked at me unbelievable, rolled her eyes and said “you must be kidding! How can I say that? I don’t want to make her feel so bad!!”
It is very curious for me to observe this conversation between two different identity, in which a role reversal is so evident between a young woman and a little girl. Miss A appears to be a naïve young girl whereas B is a little sage. How can the mind of a human being involve these separate minds coexisting together?

This little B reminds us of what Ralph Allison (1997) described as ISH or “internal self helper.” According to Allison, ISH is rational, is aware of the patient’s entire life history, and can offer appropriate comments and opinions about her treatment. Despite the fact that the ISH is a child personality (or I should say that because of the ISH being a child, with her pure perception) she can observe things in a candid and straightforward way.
Miss A is one of those who I meet in my daily clinical practice who never cease to intrigue me and remind me of the depth and richness that dissociative world has. Meeting with my patients with DID began to change my way of looking at human mind sometime ago. Our mind might essentially have a potential for becoming multiple, as patients with DID are otherwise so natural, benevolent and humane. The mechanism of dissociation can be somehow essential to our mind, whether we are overtly exhibiting dissociative symptoms or not.