Showtime Movie about DID

Thought I would let everyone know about a new movie that is coming on Showtime January 18 @ 10 pm EST that is about a wife/mother of two that has DID - the movie shows how the entire family deals with and tries to cope with the day to day changes this disorder brings about in their lives.

Movie: The United States of Tara (one woman, multiply personalities)
Rating: R/MA for Violence, Life Events & Nudity

Website:
http://www.sho.com/site/tara/home.do

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I've heard this movie is tastefully done and I plan to watch it when it comes on... as I would like to witness a setting where the spouse & children both deal with and accept DID with in the family structure.

rhapsody, i hope this movie is as good as it is being promoted. sadly, i've seen so little that was done with accuracy or good taste. it seems they mostly exploit this disorder or treat those with it as if we are freaks. (private opinion only here, no insult meant to any of us)

the biggest source of pain in my current life is that my spouse refuses to accept that mpd/did is an actual, real disorder. it hurts me so deeply to be disbelieved and so i tend to be wary of movies that say they are accurate or treat the situation fairly. i hope this one does better than others i've seen. for all our sakes.

leslie and pixie - feeling skeptical

ps: i think this is supposed to be a SERIES on showtime, gulp. oh man...=(

Thank you so much for telling us about this Rhapsody. I'm sure there are a lot of people who would be interested in seeing it.

I don't have showtime, but I get too anxious to watch any type of movie (or read books) about DID right now. Maybe one day I will feel strong enough to though. I have heard that a lot of movies about mental illness really go over the top for the drama. Hopefully this one will depict things as real as possible.

Please let us know how it is if you get a chance. I'd be curious to know how it is.

Yes - I just checked my Showtime line up and it is a series - on once a week for 30minutes.
I already have the first show set to record in case I miss it.

I posted a sneak peek in the Video Forum or you can watch the first episode on You Tube.

http://forums.psychcentral.com/showt...801#post919801

Thanks for posting the video.....

I for one really liked it - it made me smile and left me feeling whole, normal and accepted.

I'm very new to this.

Maybe it will be available to purchase. I am in Canada and it will not be shown here.

I checked out the information on it. I hope it is positive.

Do you think anyone can produce a show about a person with DID who doesn't have one alter as hooker and another a murderer? That would be record breaking TV!

Agreed. I finally did read Syble and When Rabbit Howls, and you know, I didn't find any thing "disturbing" or "scary" about them, other than the horrific abuse. They made the shows out to be so much more than it is... same with Girl, Interrupted. There was no violence or any of that dramam that there is in the movie. I really like it and have read it several times. Reading Syble taught me so much about my family and myself, and WRH gave me more language to utilize when explaining myself to my t.

Hnad it to Hollywood to scare the populace - making monsters out of socks.

I was under the impression it's a series too, my T and I were talking about this the other day.

I don't know much about it, I hope they're not 'making fun' of the disorder. Because I kind of want to see it. And that would make me go off on a rant.

Hopefully it's an accurate take on MPD. Last thing I need is more people thinking it's made up.

Dr. Colin Ross
http://www.rossinst.com/

and Leah Peterson
http://www.lulu.com/content/120809

are the consultants for the show.

JudeeB:

Your response caught my sense of humor and I chuckled out loud, in a positive way!

I'm pretty sure when people hear DID it can conjure up for them so much in their own imagination, that is not what it is really about. That is why one is so uncomfortable disclosing publicly.

It's so nice to hear all comments from people who understand.

I am being reminded at how when I first met my current t and told her all my long line of dx's, ending with DID/MPD, she said "Well, certainly I will be on the look out for any such thing, but really I doubt it and it is very rare. She doesn't question it any more and reminds me to tell other professionals that I will work with that I am DID. LOL

I went to youtube and watched the whole episod. it was weird. gave me a veiw from the outside. I have been under alot of stress in the past months and have lost time. I know things go on with out me but it is hard to understand. I think this will be a good show. I look forward to seeing more of them.

i can't help ranting a bit here....oh well, ok, yes i can help it if i rant, i am totally responsible for my own behavior. having said all that back to the rant.

i am so flippin sick and tired of being misrepresented by idiots who chose to focus on the most erratic or sensational aspects of our undeniably colorful dx!!!! they act as though all alts are so very different looking and talking. i hate it because they can only show the most external aspects of our dx and they are completely obvious. they seldom really show the chaos in our minds and all the constant mental interruptions and all the strange things that happen.
oh shoot. i don't even know how well they will handle this, but the clip i saw online made it look oh so amusing and most the time it is not to laughable and my family are anything but cheerfully adaptive to my undeniable quirks as a did'er!

IT MAKES US ANGRY WHEN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY USES OUR PERSONAL TRAGEDIES FOR CHEAP SENSATIONALIST FODDER ON BIG OR LITLE SCREENS!!!

exasperated leslie and perturbed pixies

what do thos peepl kno eneway! grrrr

I was going to refrain from commenting, BUT

I have to agree.

I was kinda shocked that a so-called expert (Ross) and someone who was dx'ed a dissociative portrayed alters/insiders as "characters" in such a flamboyant way, especially when most of the time people have no idea anyone has even switched never mind the fact that DID'ers FIGHT HARD to keep their insiders hidden.

I actually found the whole family interaction and their nonchalant acceptance, somewhat disturbing. Especially the husband when he said with a smirk and a swig of beer, that he's been dealing with it for seventeen years.

They didn't mention whether or not she'd been in treatment for all that time but I at least hope they will discuss healing at some point.

I'm not dissing the entire show, just some isues I happen to disagree with that are purely my own personal opinion.

we watched the program last nite an wantd ta b sick the moment that an alter 'transitioned'...how in hellsbells would dr ross b behind such a thing...we couldn believe that a respectd dr like him would allow such things ta happen...well, maybe thats how they do it in ca but that isnt norm for the majority of us DIDers...we is all so sick n tired of ppl dissin us that we aint gonna even watch it nemore...thats all we r gonna say bout it.. abbi of Jewels

I agree. I've always had a slight problem with Dr.'s calling themselves experts.

It would be like me calling myself an expert on what lemons taste like just from watching people eat them for eight years or listening to them explain what it tastes like, yet never tasting it myself.

I might have enough reasonable, learned knowledge to understand what it must taste like but I think I'd need to eat one in order to be called an official expert.

i tried to watch the show a few times...i really wanted to like it and hoped it would be done tastefully...BUT...now i realize this was entertainment...what i saw made no mention of why the woman had DID...seems to me her own sister was pretty pissed about the switching and such and complaining and then the husband complaining about how he had to live with "it" for 17 years.

the show made me uncomfortable and i couldn't finish watching it. with the mother asking the son about if she was high and then asking the husband if he slept with the alter and such i just couldn't do it...just to triggering for me...crossed to many lines.

it seemed as though they were mocking DID rather than addressing it but maybe that was just my take. years ago law and order did a show on it as well and even tho the woman was found to be faking it i felt that they presented a better take on the condition than this show...they were sympathetic and explained the roots and cause.

i've read all the books and watched other shows when i can but i doubt i'll come back to this one. ther eis just something that grates onme the wrong way

[quote=Orange_Blossom;920492]

especially when most of the time people have no idea anyone has even switched never mind the fact that DID'ers FIGHT HARD to keep their insiders hidden.

This answers a question I've had for some time now.
Because I know that I have noticed differences about (Him) even in the presence of others. And (He) himself knew I caught it, and with a nod or a grin. (He or ?) would usually keep quiet or only speak moderately.

(He) and I suppose (They) used to be mine.
For they still have my heart.

Well some reviews I read from people without DID said if they had DID they would be insulted that it was trying to be too funny and light. That the premise of a series based on someone with DID was just too out there. I agree. They said that although the acting was good where did they go from there. Most said they thought there should be more information on how she was DID etc. And that it made it seem like Tara just went from one to another when she did not want to deal. And if she was one how did she remember what another one did. Most people seem to know that Tara should not remember what another alter did. This was from the sneak previews.

I am not sure I want to watch although I do have showtime. It is a series.

fragmented.

I think the reasons behind Tara's disorder will come out as the series continues.... one can only put so much into 30 minutes.

As a DIDer I do not feel that Tara changed simply because she did not want to deal, but rather because she was not able to deal - hence the reason for DID / Alters being presence in the first place.

While most people with DID do not remember what an alters does while he/she is present - there are a few people with DID like ME that are very much aware of their alters, their names, the reasons they came and what they do when they are in control of our physical mind and body.

Tara is not an alter - but rather the host body (the actual person) with the disorder.

... just my two cent here.

Carolyn's Movie Review -

What can I say, but that United States of Tara was both entertaining and educational... and while I still hold my doubts that people with DID are as open and honest with their dissociative disorder as Tara and her family was with others, I remain open to change as I learn and grow.

I give the movie 3 thumps up..... and will watch it again.

I really liked it too. As I said before it gives me an outsiders view point and I am sure over time they will tell more about how she became DID and go into more about her Tx. This was just the first show of a series and I think it was good enough to watch again. I used to date a guy who was very open to my DX and pushed me to get Tx. We were together for 4 years and my DX just got to be too much. We broke up. But his family was very accepting and they got to know some of my alters and I still keep in touch with his sister. Watching the show reminded me of when I lived with him and I had an alter that would put the moves on him. He could tell when she was present just by how she kissed. He would turn her down. He told me this and that is how I know but watching the show gave me insight in to what it must have been like for him to deal with me and my alters. I am willing to give the show more time because i find it educational and not an insult at all. It may seem crass to do a show on DID but if we are to draw attention to our Dx and get more research done to help us it must be made mainstream. And like anyother plight that means tv shows and movies. Do you know why no one cares about prostate cancer? It is because it is not main stream. If you want awarness and acceptance do a really good Tv show or movie about it and awarness and acceptance goes up drastically. Right now if my work found out about my DX I would loose my job. Someday I hope that will change.
Just my thoughts on the subject.
Diana

my partner and i watched it together last night and she wanted me to share her thoughts with you.... (this is all her words)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is what I think about this “United States of Tara”. (Written by my partner who lives with me.)

I think for the community it is a good step forward. I think that there were parts of it that were really funny and I can relate to it and I could understand. Yet, it made me embarrassed for your side at the way it was portrayed.

I will tell you why…
It should have been portrayed in something like a “Friends” sitcom or “The Cosby Show” instead of “Malcom in the Middle” or “Married with Children” or a sleezy Tim Burton sitcom. It cheapened DID. Instead, of giving validity to it. It could be funny with validity instead of cheap and invalid. So, that is what frustrated me about the show. Yeah you are getting the word out there with the shows “hey this is a valid” disorder but these are normal housewives, husbands… they are normal people like “friends” they are your friends, co-workers. They are your doctors. Whom ever. It isn’t like the sleezy weird oddball people. It’s not them. It’s the people you wouldn’t suspect. That is where I think they missed the boat.