Truddi Chase (June 13, 1935 – March 10, 2010) was an American author. She is best known for the book ''When Rabbit Howls'' (1987), an
autobiography about her experiences after being diagnosed with
dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder (DID), better known as multiple personality disorder or multiple personality syndrome, is a mental disorder characterized by the presence of at least two distinct and relatively enduring personality states.
The di ...
.
Life
According to her personal account, Truddi Chase was born on a homestead near
Honeoye Falls, New York
Honeoye Falls ( ) is a village within the town of Mendon in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 2,674 at the 2010 census. The village includes a small waterfall on Honeoye Creek, which flows through the village and gives ...
, and grew up in an apartment in the same town.
In her autobiography and in numerous interviews, Chase said that she was repeatedly and violently
sexually and
physically abused by her stepfather and beaten and neglected by her mother during her childhood and teenage years. By her report, she had always remembered that molestation and abuse occurred from the age of two onwards but that she could not focus on details before going into therapy.
[ According to her autobiography, Truddi Chase was not her actual birth name.] At age 16, she ran away from her abusive household and changed her name to Truddi Chase to avoid being tracked down by her parents. In an interview with The Chicago Tribune, Truddi Chase described how her other personalities remained "dormant" until stressors in her midlife caused extreme anxiety, eventually unravelling all of her parts.[ In 1979, Truddi Chase had her first experience with her other identities. She described interactions between her many personality characters as well as interactions between her identities and physical body.][ It was during sessions with ]hypnotherapist
Hypnotherapy is a type of mind–body intervention in which hypnosis is used to create a state of focused attention and increased suggestibility in the treatment of a medical or psychological disorder or concern. Popularized by 17th and 18th ce ...
, Dr. Robert Phillips, that she found that she had 92 identities.
Chase chose not to integrate her identities into one integrated whole, and instead chose to welcome her parts into a cooperating team. In her book, she describes giving talks to convicted child molesters
Child sexual abuse (CSA), also called child molestation, is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include engaging in sexual activities with a child (whet ...
to explain her abuse history and to warn them of the psychology devastation that child abuse inflicts upon its victims.[
In 1987 Chase published her autobiography, ''When Rabbit Howls'', which was written from the perspective of her many identities.] It begins with an introduction from her therapist, psychologist Dr. Robert Phillips, and then presents Truddi Chase's experience with her 92 personalities.[
When promoting the book during a March 21, 1990 appearance on '']The Oprah Winfrey Show
''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicago, Illinois. Produced ...
'', Chase discussed her life with host Oprah Winfrey, including her 92 distinct personalities. Her account of her life moved Winfrey to tears. The host told Chase, "I had gone all the way into the path of truth for myself and also could relate to hers that much more readily, which is what happens when you open yourself up." Chase also stated that a ''Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large na ...
'' reporter had tracked down her family, including her stepfather, who denied abusing Chase, but that other members of Chase's family confirmed her story.
In 1990, the book was adapted into a two-part ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
miniseries, titled '' Voices Within: The Lives of Truddi Chase,'' which cast Shelley Long
Shelley Lee Long (born August 23, 1949) is an American actress, singer, and comedian. Long portrayed Diane Chambers on the hit sitcom '' Cheers'' and received five Emmy nominations, winning in 1983 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Se ...
in the title role.
Truddi Chase died on March 10, 2010, at her home in Laurel, Maryland
Laurel is a city in Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington and Baltimore on the banks of the Patuxent River. While the city limits are entirely in northern Prince George's County, outlying developments extend into Anne Arunde ...
, at the age of 74.[
]
In media
Writer Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison, MBE (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narratives, humanist philosophy and countercultural leanings. Morrison has written extensively for th ...
was inspired by Chase's first memoir when he co-created the DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
superhero Crazy Jane
Crazy Jane is a fictional character created by Grant Morrison and Richard Case for their work on the Vertigo Comics version of ''Doom Patrol''. She first appears in ''Doom Patrol'' (vol. 2) #19 (February 1989). According to the afterword in the f ...
, which first appeared in the series ''Doom Patrol
Doom Patrol is a superhero team from DC Comics. The original Doom Patrol first appeared in ''My Greatest Adventure'' #80 (June 1963), and was created by writers Arnold Drake and Bob Haney, along with artist Bruno Premiani. Doom Patrol has appe ...
'' in 1989, and went on to be adapated into a live-action TV series in which Jane was played by Diane Guerrero.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chase, Truddi
1935 births
2010 deaths
20th-century American memoirists
People from Mendon, New York
People with dissociative identity disorder
American women memoirists
Writers from New York (state)
20th-century American women writers
21st-century American women