Dissociative Identity Disorder In Rabbit Howls, By Truddi Chase

When Rabbit Howls, during the time of its publication, provided the first personal detail of a person with multiple personalities, known today as Dissociative Identity Disorder. In order to cope with the severe trauma caused by sexual abuse from her stepfather, Truddi Chase develops ninety-two personalities. These ninety-two voices refer to themselves as the Troops. Ninety-two voices live within her, most of them hidden from the shell of the woman, born in order to act as an empty shell for these voices, empty of almost all memories. Truddi Chase approaches Dr. Robert Phillips in order to receive “therapy with fast results so she could get on with her business and personal life” (Chase 4). Eventually, the ninety-two personalities evidence and

These personalities work as a unit in order to fight the memories which have killed the core self of Chase and shield the other selves from the same result. Also, it mentioned more than once that these selves provide some sort of family for a person who has rejected any source of company whatsoever, who lives constantly alone, but yet always with ninety-two others. Dr. Phillips offers himself as the support system for a traumatized victim who has none other than her selves to keep her company. The selves, once fully evidenced, then act as their own support

When Rabbit Howls proves every misconception about therapy widely incorrect and in this therapy, the selves decide that they do not want to die. They are not simply fictitious characters as a figment of Truddi Chase’s imagination, so they will not simply be ‘killed off’ by a therapist. If the very reason for their birth was to protect from some scarring experience and trauma, it should be understood just how detrimental it would be to once again expose the core—if they are still alive—to all the memories once again (Gillig 24). The goal here is to achieve communication and coexistence between all the selves. Every ignorant idea is shattered and the Troops seem to prove just how complicated and sensitive therapy in any case actually is, how specific and individual it actually