Dissociation : Vol. 3, No. 4 (Dec 1990)

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Dissociation : Vol. 3, No. 4, p. 218-221 : Animal alters: case reports
(Ridgeview Institute and the International Society for the Study of Multiple Personality and Dissociation, 1990-12) Hendrickson, Kate M.; McCarty, Teresita; Goodwin, Jean, 1946-
Five cases of multiple personality disorder (MPD) are presented which include one or more animal alters of differing complexity. In some cases, the development of the animal alter could be traced to childhood traumata involving (1) being forced to act or live like an animal, (2) witnessing animal mutilation, (3) being forced to engage in or witness bestiality, or (4) experiencing the traumatic loss of or killing of an animal. Clinical clues to the animal alter phenomenon that emerge during therapy are (1) over-identification with an animal, (2) hearing animal calls, (3) excessive fears of animals, (4) excessive involvement with a pet, and (5) cruelty to animals. Therapeutic work with animal alters may be a helpful or necessary preliminary to retrieval of underlying memories about the torture or killing of animals or human beings, and can be essential to the integration of such memories and to self-forgiveness.