Truddi Chase

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.

Truddi Chase
Born13 June 1935
Honeoye Falls, New York
Died10 March 2010 (age 74)
Laurel, Maryland
Nationality United States
OccupationAuthor
Known forAuthor of an autobiography detailing her dissociative identity disorder
ChildrenKari Iddings Ainsworth
Paul Ainsworth

Life

According to her personal account, Truddi Chase was born on a homestead near Honeoye Falls, New York, and grew up in an apartment in the same town.[1] 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.[2] 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.[1] According to her autobiography, Truddi Chase was not her birth-given name.[3][4] 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.[4] 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 characters.[4] In 1979, Truddi Chase had her first experience with her perceived other identities.[1] She described interactions between her many personality characters as well as interactions between her identities and physical body.[1] It was during sessions with hypnotherapist, Dr. Robert Phillips, that she concluded that she had 92 identities.[5]

Chase chose not to integrate her identities, and instead chose to think of them as a cooperating team. In her book, she describes giving talks to convicted child molesters to explain her abuse history and to warn them that child abuse, particularly incest, is psychologically devastating.[3]

In a television interview with Oprah Winfrey, Chase stated that a Washington Post reporter had tracked down her family, including her stepfather, who denied abusing Chase. However, other members of Chase's family confirmed her story.[6]

When Rabbit Howls

Overview

When Rabbit Howls 1987 is Truddi Chase’s autobiography written from the perspective of her many identities.[7][3] It begins with an introduction from her therapist, psychologist Dr. Robert Phillips, and then presents Truddi Chase’s experience with her 92 personalities.[3] The book was published by Berkley and sold by Penguin Group both online and in stores across the world.[8][9][7]

Reception

When Rabbit Howls became a New York Times bestseller in 1990. Her increased publicity as an author eventually led Chase to make an appearance on Oprah Winfrey’s television show, where she discussed her condition and life journey.

As of 2020, When Rabbit Howls has a 4.6 out of 5 star rating on Amazon and a 4.4 out of 5 star review on Goodreads.[8][7]

Criticism

Because all of the information known about Truddi Chase’s Dissociative Identity Disorder stems from her own account, as told to her therapist and to media outlets, some reviewers are skeptical about the veracity of her condition. Some skeptics question the authenticity of Chase’s condition itself,[10] describing it as a potential “therapist induced memory recall.” A “therapist induced memory recall” would entail that Dr. Robert Phillips’s therapy sessions were responsible for Truddi Chase’s perception of multiple personalities.[10] However, in his analysis of Truddi Chase’s condition, Dr. Robert Phillips is adamant that her condition originated from sequestered trauma due to childhood abuse.[11]

Voices Within: The Lives of Truddi Chase

In 1990, Chase’s autobiography was made into a two-part ABC miniseries, retitled Voices Within: The Lives of Truddi Chase, which cast Shelley Long in the title role. Chase worked closely with the screenwriter to ensure the adaptation was genuine.

Death

Truddi Chase died on March 10, 2010, at her home in Laurel, Maryland,[12] at the age of 74.[13]

References
  1. Sandra, Gregg (June 20, 1983). "The Multiperson". Washington Post. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  2. Chase, Truddi, When Rabbit Howls: by the Troops for Truddi Chase. Dutton, 1987.
  3. "Multiple Personality ~ Truddi Chase ~ Inside the Mind of a Multiple, When Rabbit Howls | Psychology Today". www.astraeasweb.net. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  4. Lavin, Cheryl. "TRUDDI CHASE". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  5. "Multiple Personality -- Truddi Chase -- Review of When Rabbit Howls | Philadelphia Inquirer". www.astraeasweb.net. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
  6. "The Woman With 92 Personalities". oprah.com. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
  7. "When Rabbit Howls". Goodreads. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  8. "When Rabbit Howls". Amazon. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  9. Noble, Barnes &. "When Rabbit Howls|Paperback". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  10. lml01 (2014-11-25). "Truddi Chase – A Tragic Tale of Trauma and Triumph". Tales from the Dark Side. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  11. Gregg, Sandra (June 12, 1987). "DIAGNOSIS MULTIPLE PERSONALITY".
  12. "Truddi M. Chase: Guest Book". Legacy.com.7777777888888 Reprinted from The Washington Post (March 16, 2010). Retrieved August 10, 2019.
  13. "Top 25 Best Oprah Show Moments". oprah.com.
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