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Description
By the first day of kindergarten, Olga Trujillo had already survived years of abuse and violent rape at the hands of her tyrannical father. Over the next ten years, she would develop the ability to numb herself to the constant abuse by splitting into distinct mental "parts." Dissociative identity disorder (DID) had begun to take hold, protecting Olga's mind from the tragic realities of her childhood. In The Sum of My Parts, Olga reveals her life story for the first time, chronicling her heroic journey from survivor to advocate and her remarkable recovery from DID. Formerly known as multiple personality disorder, DID is defined by the presence of two or more identities. In this riveting story, Olga struggles to unearth memories from her childhood, and parallel identities-Olga at five years old, Olga at thirteen-come forth and demand to be healed. This brave, unforgettable memoir charts the author's triumph over the most devastating conditions and will inspire anyone whose life has been affected by trauma.… (more)
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User reviews
Told in a straight-forward, slightly detached manner, The Sum of My Parts is an emotional, intriguing and
The psychology and treatment of her condition make for fascinating, gut-wrenching reading, from spiraling into agoraphobia, her struggle to keep her career and to save her marriage. As Olga relives the memories that she has compartmentalized in order to keep herself from falling apart, she also discovers a side of herself that she never even knew existed.
I really enjoyed this book – it was very emotional and quite disturbing in parts, but it was also uplifting and inspirational. If you have an interest in psychology, or in real people overcoming huge adversity and using it to their advantage, this book is for you.
This was an extremely compelling and heartbreaking book. It was difficult to read about the abuse Olga suffered as a child at the hands of her father and brothers. However, it was also a story of hope and recovery. Olga was able to come to terms with her past and began working with victims at the Department of Justice. Overall, I highly recommend this book.