Living with Alternative Personalities

Nominated for a Mind Media Award 2019.

Melanie is a 40-year-old woman who lives with Dissociative Identity Disorder. She explains her diagnosis as being like a set of Russian dolls. Melanie, is the main doll and inside her are lots of other dolls - her alternative personalities. She feels her DID helped her as a child when she suffered repeated sexual abuse. But now trying to live with DID as an adult is a struggle.

‘If I was completely overwhelmed one of the ‘alters’ would come out and carry on with the day.’

Researching, recording and editing this piece on my own was a huge challenge, but Melanie’s story is one that will stay with me. It took me a year to get this story to air. I had to gain Melanie’s trust and persuade editors that her story was worth telling.

Broadcasted: BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour