When trying to understand Dissociative Identity Disorder, once known as Multiple Personality Disorder, I find it best to go to someone who has suffered the affliction, but in such a way that they were able to persevere through their life regardless.  deJoly LaBrier’s book All Together Now: A Multiple’s Story of Hope and Healing   is such a read.

Not much for poetry and pictures generally, I nonetheless found Ms. LaBrier’s book fascinating, and her poetry and prose  to be straight forward and understandable.  The tale of her life is harsh, and there are some parts of her book that are hard to get through emotionally, as she touches the deepest part of her readers with the pain surrounding  her childhood and the beauty of her perseverance.  Mixed with amazing art and pictures, All Together Now is written in such a way that is visually stunning while written in a manner that explains both Ms. LeBrier’s  struggle with DID and dealing with her past that is both informative, and (dare I say it?)- Entertaining.  Detailing exactly what DID is- she eloquently lays bare her soul while detailing her personal struggle with the disorder.

There has been quite a bit of mention in the news lately about DID and its validity as a psychiatric condition, and Debbie Nathan’s novel Sybil Exposed has been given extensive attention.  However, the main difference between Nathan’s book and LaBrier’s life story is that Sybil is dead, while LaBrier is alive and actively reaching out to other survivors while trying to educate the public on a condition that is often misunderstood and dismissed.  Here to defend herself and her life, unlike Sybil- who is dead as is everyone who was involved with her, I have found All Together Now to be an invaluable addition to the survivor movement and I applaud Ms LaBrier  not only for  her honesty, but also for the articulate manner in which she presents herself.  All Together Now is an educational read while being fun at the same time, despite the topic and the abuse that she suffered as a child.  It is a must read for those who are interested in DID from a personal perspective.