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THE THERAPIST PSYCHOLOGIST BOOK STORE
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Breaking Free: My Life with Dissociative Identity Disorder By Herschel Walker ( Touchstone )
Release Date: 2008-04-14
Average Customer Rating:
List Price: $24.95
Price: $16.47
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Product Description
The NFL legend and Heisman Trophy winner shares the inspiring story of his life and diagnosis with dissociative identity disorder.Herschel Walker is widely regarded as one of football's greatest running backs. He led the University of Georgia to victory in the Sugar Bowl on the way to an NCAA Championship and he capped a sensational college career by earning the 1982 Heisman Trophy. Herschel spent twelve years in the NFL, where he rushed for more than eight thousand yards and scored sixty-one rushing touchdowns. But despite the acclaim he won as a football legend, track star, Olympic competitor, and later a successful businessman, Herschel realized that his life, at times, was simply out of control. He often felt angry, self-destructive, and unable to connect meaningfully with friends and family. Drawing on his deep faith, Herschel turned to professionals for help and was ultimately diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder, formerly known as multiple personality disorder. While some might have taken this diagnosis as a setback, Herschel approached his mental health with the same indomitable spirit he brought to the playing field. It also gave him, for the first time, insight into his life's unexplained passages, stretches of time that seemed forever lost. Herschel came to understand that during those times, his "alters," or alternate personalities, were in control. Born into a poor, but loving family in the South, Herschel was an overweight child with a stutter who suffered terrible bullying at school. He now understands that he created "alters" who could withstand abuse. But beyond simply enduring, other "alters" came forward to help Herschel overcome numerous obstacles and, by the time he graduated high school, become an athlete recognized on a national level. In Breaking Free, Herschel tells his story -- from the joys and hardships of childhood to his explosive impact on college football to his remarkable professional career. And he gives voice and hope to those suffering from DID. Herschel shows how this disorder played an integral role in his accomplishments and how he has learned to live with it today. His compelling account testifies to the strength of the human spirit and its ability to overcome any challenge.
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 Questionable case of DID
Amazing that the title is My Life with Dissociative Identity Disorder. He barely mentioned the DID unless it got him out of hot water. The final chapter of the book was a short explanation of what DID is. You could get this info from the Sidran web site and save the cost of the book. Most of his time was spent either stroking his ego or offering an excuse for all the controversial things he has been involved with.
He claims that the splits in his identity occured because of nightmares and some bullies at school. Yet he was able to find solace in a loving and close christian family. Every DID case I have ever heard of, has suffered through horrendous abuse, usually from primary caregivers. Herschel Walker makes light of these survivors.
Save your money.
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 Breaking Free: My Life with Dissociative Identity Disorder
This book was easy to read and informative. There was no bragging -- just a genuine quest to understand and to share with others his struggles. It was brave to reveal so much of himself in the effort to help others. To me, this book is his greatest victory.
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 Though-provoking . . .
Overall, I liked this book. One has to admire Herschel for going public with his diagnosis, one poorly understood by the general public and often associated with severe pathology. That took courage, which the author seems to have in abundance. His writing shows an intelligence not commonly associated with sports, and he gives articulate expression to the various manifestations of his version of DID. A real plus of Walker's account is that he describes an "up" side to this condition, stating clearly for the layperson that it has certain adaptive and self-protecting qualities.
That said, I was left with some questions. While the book seemed forthright and honest, he describes about a dozen different "alters" (formerly called multiple personalities) that he claims have arisen from his being tormented as a fat and stuttering schoolboy--while undoubtedly painful, his schoolyard abuse is hardly the type that normally spawns this fragmented condition. And as a clinical psychologist, I have treated DID patients. A more common presentation than his involves distinct changes in personality including voice, body posture, emotional expression, etc. . . . like you are really seeing different people. He says that his shifts were more subtle, nothing that could be seen externally, more like discrete changes in mental state known only to him at the time. That raises (for me, at least) the issue of whether or not this devoted and highly focused athlete is not simply given to a rather strict compartmentalization of his feelings, a medium that he would admit he is not comfortable with. Even his most personal relationships have suffered from his tendency to be so self-contained. Or perhaps DID is best explained as a "spectrum" disorder, ranging in degree of severity, as we now know autism to be. Who knows?
While he talks about his repeated "thrill-seeking" with Russian roulette, Walker notable leaves out of his story the fact that he several times put a gun to his ex-wife's head. And he glosses over a bit the fact that he had an affair despite his born-again Christian beliefs. When a "tell all" book tells not quite all, you are left wondering what more has been left out.
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Herschel - Still Scoring Touchdowns!
People with DID or who have been educated about DID know the courage it took for Herschel to expose this mental disorder. I was diagnosed in 1993 and not only recieved very little support but was met with massive hostility from my family. I found the book to be inspiring and comforting, I can only pray that people will read this book with an open mind so that the public in general will show more compassion for people with mental health issues. Glad you aren't running anymore Herschel but still scoring touchdowns - so proud of you for allowing the love and compassion for your fellow human beings to inspire you to write your story. That is exactly the way I felt when I realized how much God loves me and provided me with everything it took to survive.
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Pretty good ( meganmatters )
I bought this book hoping to gain insight on the recovery process for DID and to share a view of DID with my husband who is a big sports fan, but who would have a tough time wading through any kind of psych literature. It is definitely more biography than an explanation of the dissociative process (which is probably what I was most interested in). That said, Herschel's accomplishments and ability to overcome adversity are terrific. The book is an easy read, and I did finish it in just a few days. His eventual recovery is apparent--I just wanted more explanation of how it came about.
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Addiction
