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. 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. 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 birth-given 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, 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 to explain her abuse history and to warn them that child abuse, particularly incest, is psychologically devastating. 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. Section::::"When Rabbit Howls". Overview. "When Rabbit Howls" 1987 is Truddi Chase's autobiography 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. The book was published by Berkley and sold by Penguin Group both online and in stores across the world. 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. Section::::"Voices Within: The Lives of Truddi Chase". In 1990, Chase's autobiography was made into a two-part ABC miniseries, retitled "," 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, at the age of 74.