It
was not a matter of being childlike but of being
a child. (Sybil see BOOKS, ARTICLES)
Almost all
multiples have at least one, usually more, child personalities, and often more
child personalities than adult ones.
Child
personalities are usually frozen in time, locked into a certain age. They may
grow up before integration though.
They often hold the memories of the trauma they endured.
Some may be at
a preverbal age, unable to express themselves in words.
Some may be
quite terrified and untrusting. Some may curl up into a fetal position and
become unresponsive.
But others
might be very open and friendly, even confident.
Some may be
very spontaneous and delightful. Similar to a very happy child.
If abused,
they may think the therapist is the original abuser.
Very often,
there is another child personality to counterbalance the frightened ones. This
type of personality may be Pollyanna-like, seeing everything as wonderful and
even idealizing their abuser.
They may often
retain an innocence that the other personalities have lost but this might cause
problems because they remain vulnerable to more abuse.
Even
though they are “children” they may be more mature than a “real” child.
And
she was young. How could she negotiate the streets of New York, the doctor
wondered. Dr. Wilbur hoped that she would get home safely. (Sybil see BOOKS, ARTICLES)
