The Minds of Billy Milligan
The Minds of Billy Milligan
Out of all the classes that I have taken here at Westfield State College, I can honestly say that Abnormal Psychology has been by far the most interesting. Since this course has had such a major influence on me this semester, I am strongly considering continuing my education in this field of psychology. Throughout the semester, we studied a number of intriguing disorders. The disorder that really seemed to catch my attention was the Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). I took it upon myself to use this opportunity to learn more about the disorder that seemed to be the most fascinating. This is the main reason why I chose to read The Minds of Billy Milligan, by Daniel Keyes. This true story shows us how a young man (Billy Milligan), who suffers from DID, is charged with crimes that one of his alternate personalities is responsible for. Daniel Keyes is the writer who offered to reveal Billy's story to the world. After Billy was fused, he was able to explore the depths of his mind and the minds of his other 24 personalities for Keyes. Keyes published The Minds of Billy Milligan in 1981, but most of the story takes place before then. The book starts out in 1977, where Billy is being sought out for rape crimes. Billy Milligan, a 22 year-old white man, was not a very educated individual. He had numerous odd jobs such as a florist in a local shop and a bodyguard to drug lords during shipments, but he struggled to hold down a constant job. Because of the 10 different personalities that were ruling his life, it was hard for Billy to maintain a stable job. One personality specialized in arranging flowers, but another would rather paint. One personality was stronger than the average man, but another was a scared 8 year-old boy. These personalities are a result of horrific sexual and physical abuse administered by his stepfather, Chalmer Milligan. Billy's biological father committed suicide when Billy was about 4 years old, and ever since then
Out of all the classes that I have taken here at Westfield State College, I can honestly say that Abnormal Psychology has been by far the most interesting. Since this course has had such a major influence on me this semester, I am strongly considering continuing my education in this field of psychology. Throughout the semester, we studied a number of intriguing disorders. The disorder that really seemed to catch my attention was the Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). I took it upon myself to use this opportunity to learn more about the disorder that seemed to be the most fascinating. This is the main reason why I chose to read The Minds of Billy Milligan, by Daniel Keyes. This true story shows us how a young man (Billy Milligan), who suffers from DID, is charged with crimes that one of his alternate personalities is responsible for. Daniel Keyes is the writer who offered to reveal Billy's story to the world. After Billy was fused, he was able to explore the depths of his mind and the minds of his other 24 personalities for Keyes. Keyes published The Minds of Billy Milligan in 1981, but most of the story takes place before then. The book starts out in 1977, where Billy is being sought out for rape crimes. Billy Milligan, a 22 year-old white man, was not a very educated individual. He had numerous odd jobs such as a florist in a local shop and a bodyguard to drug lords during shipments, but he struggled to hold down a constant job. Because of the 10 different personalities that were ruling his life, it was hard for Billy to maintain a stable job. One personality specialized in arranging flowers, but another would rather paint. One personality was stronger than the average man, but another was a scared 8 year-old boy. These personalities are a result of horrific sexual and physical abuse administered by his stepfather, Chalmer Milligan. Billy's biological father committed suicide when Billy was about 4 years old, and ever since then