- A Life in Pieces: The Harrowing Story of a Woman with 17 Personalities

by Richard K. Baer

Hardcover, 2011

Status

Available

Call number

616.852360092

Genres

Collection

Wishlist

Publication

Random House (2011), Edition: Airport / Export e., Paperback, 288 pages

Description

Biography & Autobiography. Medical. Nonfiction. HTML: Switching Time is the first story centering on multiple personality disorder to be told by the treating physician. It is the incredible saga of a young woman stranded in unimaginable darkness who, in order to survive, created seventeen different versions of herself. In 1989, Karen Overhill walked into the office of psychiatrist Richard Baer complaining of depression. She poured out a litany of complaints, but in the disengaged way of someone who has experienced a terrible trauma. Slowly, Baer began to peel back the layers, eventually learning that Karen had been the victim of childhood sexual abuse. As time passed, though, his patient worsened and began to talk continually of suicide. Details of her abuse accumulated until he saw, via hypnosis, the true dimension of what Karen had suffered. Baer was at a loss to explain Karen's sanity, precarious though it was, until he received a letter from a little girl, Claire. One by one, Karen's "alters" began showing themselves---men, women, young boys, a toddler, black, white, vicious, nurturing, prim, licentious. And their "stepping out" confronted Baer with the challenge of a lifetime. Somehow, to save Karen, he would have to gain the trust of her alters in order to destroy them..… (more)

Media reviews

Personal

An amazing true story written by the psychiatrist treating Karen for almost 20 years. Thanks for enlightening me further into the illness, Dissociate Identity Disorder and helping me understand it more to be able to further support my friend.

User reviews

LibraryThing member MrsRJ

Imagine pretending to be asleep in order to overhear conversations between your family and friends, so that you can learn your mother's name, or where your husband works. Karen was continually searching for ways to hide her obvious insanity until a desperate call to a crisis hot-line in 1989, led

her to Dr. Richard Baer. The complexities of the human mind have never before been revealed with such detail, dimension and compassion. Horrific, unimaginable abuse had forced Karen to create different personalities, with widely varying characteristics and abilities. As new personalities were introduced, the depth of Karen's suffering became obvious, as did the fear that the darkness would consume her. With careful guidance and unwavering patience, Dr. Baer was able to gain the individual trust of the seventeen alters, convincing each that although they had been created to protect Karen, her very survival now depended upon their complete and total destruction. .
This is an amazing read! The level of abuse, the detailed characteristics of the created alters are almost beyond comprehension and leads you to question how it is someone that has suffered so greatly could ever be whole again. Which is, yet another testament to the human will to survive. Switching Time is by far one of the best non-fiction books I have read in years. Just as the alters were created as a means of survival, during the darkest and most frightening experiences imaginable, their destruction became a necessary step in the journey from divided survival to whole living. I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a compelling, thought provoking, inspiring read... WOW!

Happy Reading!
RJ

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LibraryThing member MrsRJ

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LibraryThing member dianemb

This story is of a young woman coming to a psychologist for seemingly a case of depression. What emerges is far more harrowing and terrifying. Over a period of years, it becomes apparent that there are 17 distinct personalities living inside her. They were necessary for her to survive the

horrendous abuse she endured as a child.
Baer does an excellent job of telling enough to help the reader understand the circumstances that precipitated the mental illness of his patient, but did not get morbid or voyeuristic in the details. We are witnesses of the process of integration of the personalities which is told in a very readable and engrossing form. I couldn't help but get drawn into the process and its incredible complexity and difficulty. Excellent read.

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LibraryThing member Jadesbooks

I found this book at the local bookshop, and thought it would be interesting. This book explaines how one woman who had multiple personalities was able to cope with her life and become whole again. Reading about portions of the abuse this woman suffered as a child, was very emotional. This is not a

light read, this is something that will make you feel compassion for this woman, and want to protect every child you see. This is definately a story that will stick in my mind forever.

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LibraryThing member tjsjohanna

This was a fascinating account of one therapist's experience treating a woman with 17 personalities. The story was interesting, although some of the accounts of abuse suffered by this woman were difficult to read and made me feel a bit like a voyeur. Still, the work that Dr. Baer did in helping

"Karen" to integrate her personalities was monumental. I can't imagine embarking on a task that would take close to two decades to reach a conclusions. The mind is a fascinating thing.

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LibraryThing member Lilac_Lily01

Anybody who is interested in psychology and human behavior will find "Switching Time" to be an interesting read. The book details the story of a severely abused woman who developed 17 personalities in order to cope with her pain. The book is written in a very easy to read fashion and once you start

it's hard to put it down. At times it gets hard to read about the abuse though and it's almost impossible to understand how anyone could hurt a person like that.
On the other hand I found it very interesting to learn more about the integration process that was used to make a whole out of all the different personalities again.
Fascinating work!

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LibraryThing member Britt1075

It is hard to beilive this is the true story of a woman who was so abused as a child that she developed 17 distint personalities. When Dr. Baer first met Karen he couldn't quite figure out wht was wrong with her other than she appeared severely depressed and ready to commit suicide. As the weeks

turn to years Dr. Bear begins to learn that Karen's "loss of time" is really the times when her different personalities are out. As the years go by Dr. Bear and Karen work towards recovery together by getting to know each and every alter. A great book that is hard to put down.

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LibraryThing member LynnSigman

Interesting yet disturbing account of real multiple personality patient, the abuse she suffered, and her journey to recovery.

LibraryThing member aBohemian1

This book was amazing - right from the start, the story gripped me and i wasn't able to put it down.

LibraryThing member jlsimon7

This was a strange read. It was reminiscent of Sybil, which made me skeptical as Sybil was found to be a fraud years after the book and movie. Apart from the similarity to Sybil the story of Karen is interesting. The descriptions of abuse are heartbreaking. The description of the therapy sessions

by Dr. Baer keep the story and context flowing, which I appreciated.

The book is well written. I cannot say it has made a believer out of me. It has convinced me that Dr. Baer believes in the story he wrote. In particular it was his afterward that persuades the reader that he documented this case all the way through and truly believed in the multiple personalities of Karen.

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