Woman has 22 personalities that come and go up to 10 times a day
Published: 2013 August 12 07:31:24 (5051 Views)
Dawn Taylor, 31, has multiple personalities – an astonishing 22 of them and each personality has its own voice, traits and mannerisms.
They can come and go up to 10 times a day, changing without warning in a split second.
They include brothel keeper Madam Taylor, five-year-old schoolgirl Daisy, PC World worker Mary, 60, and aggressive teenager Lashes.
There are also a millionaire, Scottish sandwich shop owner, Cornish farm girl, German speaker and a gangsta rapper.
"I feel like I spend half my life drunk," says Dawn, who cannot recall what happens when another personality takes over.
"At the time I think I am in control. To me, I am just me, whether that's Daisy, Mary or even Madam Taylor. But when I wake up and can't remember a thing the terror sets in."
Dawn, who lives with long-term partner Dean, 36, and their children Connor, 10, and seven-year-old Troy, was diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) – also known as Multiple Personality Disorder – in June.
It followed years of erratic behaviour, which started with depression after Connor's birth.
Dawn once woke covered in blood with scissors in her hand.
She has tried to throttle a stranger and threatened to blow up her friend's house.
Supermarket visits are not easy.
Dawn, of Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, says: "I often throw food off the shelves. I come round and have no idea why I've done it.
"It's like the other personalities are trying to get me into trouble. Some of them hate Dean and make me say spiteful things to him, even though I love him dearly.
"I found text messages to a friend in my sent-box, telling her I was outside her house and that I was going to hurt her. I had to call and apologise and tell her it was someone else. I felt awful.
"Other personalities even hate the real me. Once I woke up to find a swear word cut on my thigh.
"The scissors were in my hand and there was blood everywhere. I couldn't remember doing it.
"The only saving grace is that they all love my children. But that doesn't stop me worrying about what one of them might do."
Anguished Dawn says: "I just want to be a normal mum."
Dawn – who takes sedatives, mood stabilisers and anti-depressants Quetiapine, Carbamazepine and Paroxetine to control her condition – is used to people laughing at her and tries to be philosophical about it.
She says: "One of the teenage girl personalities does cheer-leading. I have woken up in the town centre surrounded by people clapping after I have done a routine. My sons think it's funny so I try to laugh along but for me it's really embarrassing.
"The boys can take advantage, too. I have one personality they call Rich Lady, who seems to think she has a huge fortune.
"When she comes out they make me buy them expensive toys and sweets. When I snap back I realise what they've done.
"I woke up once in the living room surrounded by boxes of Lego, computer games and consoles they had made her buy."
But life wasn't always like this. Dean, who met Dawn when she was 18, recalls: "She was a beautiful model, full of fun and confidence.
"We were so in love.
"Then after Connor was born we were driving down the road one day when she wound down the window and started shouting abuse at someone walking by.
"It was out of character and I asked what she was doing. She looked at me like I was mad. She couldn't remember a thing."
Doctors at first suspected Tourette's syndrome, but the fact that Dawn couldn't remember her outbursts suggested something more serious.
Her erratic behaviour began to take on a pattern.
Dean says: "The first personality to emerge was Lashes. One day after an outburst, I called her Dawn and she told me that wasn't her name.
"Gradually, Lashes came out as a very angry teenage girl who didn't like me. I would get texts telling me I was useless.
"She told me she hated me and warned me not to come home from work.
"More personalities started to appear. Sometimes Mary arrives. She works in PC World and wakes up at 5am and tells me she has to go do a stock-take. I try to convince her she doesn't work there.
"When I ask how she is going to get to the shop, she doesn't know where it is, becomes very confused and comes back to bed.
"Other times she is Daisy, who sits on the floor and draws for hours. There are other children and when Dawn is one of them, her handwriting is like a child's.
"Another of the personalities speaks German – which Dawn only learnt briefly at school.
"Then there is Madam Taylor, who owns a brothel. I tried to explain to Madam Taylor that she is actually Dawn.
"Now I ignore her because the doctors think the more you interact with the other personalities, the stronger they get. Some are far stronger than others and emerge much more regularly.
"It was scary at first but gradually the personalities have become part of my life. It's like living with 22 different people. Some smoke and even like cigars even though Dawn has never smoked."
The illness has taken its toll on the couple's love life.
Dean says: "My mates joke that it must be amazing, getting to go to bed with 22 different women.
"But what about when I go to bed with a brothel madam, then part way through she switches to a five-year-old child? I'm lost. I love Dawn but what we have isn't a relationship any more, it's a way of life – survival.
"I could never leave her or my boys but this illness has taken away the woman I fell in love with. People ask if I hope to get her back. Of course I do. I have to, otherwise I would go mad."
Dawn has just one session with a consultant psychiatrist every three months.
The drugs ease the problem but she has been told there is no proven cure.
- Mirror
They can come and go up to 10 times a day, changing without warning in a split second.
They include brothel keeper Madam Taylor, five-year-old schoolgirl Daisy, PC World worker Mary, 60, and aggressive teenager Lashes.
There are also a millionaire, Scottish sandwich shop owner, Cornish farm girl, German speaker and a gangsta rapper.
"I feel like I spend half my life drunk," says Dawn, who cannot recall what happens when another personality takes over.
"At the time I think I am in control. To me, I am just me, whether that's Daisy, Mary or even Madam Taylor. But when I wake up and can't remember a thing the terror sets in."
Dawn, who lives with long-term partner Dean, 36, and their children Connor, 10, and seven-year-old Troy, was diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) – also known as Multiple Personality Disorder – in June.
It followed years of erratic behaviour, which started with depression after Connor's birth.
Dawn once woke covered in blood with scissors in her hand.
She has tried to throttle a stranger and threatened to blow up her friend's house.
Supermarket visits are not easy.
Dawn, of Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, says: "I often throw food off the shelves. I come round and have no idea why I've done it.
"It's like the other personalities are trying to get me into trouble. Some of them hate Dean and make me say spiteful things to him, even though I love him dearly.
"I found text messages to a friend in my sent-box, telling her I was outside her house and that I was going to hurt her. I had to call and apologise and tell her it was someone else. I felt awful.
"Other personalities even hate the real me. Once I woke up to find a swear word cut on my thigh.
"The scissors were in my hand and there was blood everywhere. I couldn't remember doing it.
"The only saving grace is that they all love my children. But that doesn't stop me worrying about what one of them might do."
Anguished Dawn says: "I just want to be a normal mum."
Dawn – who takes sedatives, mood stabilisers and anti-depressants Quetiapine, Carbamazepine and Paroxetine to control her condition – is used to people laughing at her and tries to be philosophical about it.
She says: "One of the teenage girl personalities does cheer-leading. I have woken up in the town centre surrounded by people clapping after I have done a routine. My sons think it's funny so I try to laugh along but for me it's really embarrassing.
"The boys can take advantage, too. I have one personality they call Rich Lady, who seems to think she has a huge fortune.
"When she comes out they make me buy them expensive toys and sweets. When I snap back I realise what they've done.
"I woke up once in the living room surrounded by boxes of Lego, computer games and consoles they had made her buy."
But life wasn't always like this. Dean, who met Dawn when she was 18, recalls: "She was a beautiful model, full of fun and confidence.
"We were so in love.
"Then after Connor was born we were driving down the road one day when she wound down the window and started shouting abuse at someone walking by.
"It was out of character and I asked what she was doing. She looked at me like I was mad. She couldn't remember a thing."
Doctors at first suspected Tourette's syndrome, but the fact that Dawn couldn't remember her outbursts suggested something more serious.
Her erratic behaviour began to take on a pattern.
Dean says: "The first personality to emerge was Lashes. One day after an outburst, I called her Dawn and she told me that wasn't her name.
"Gradually, Lashes came out as a very angry teenage girl who didn't like me. I would get texts telling me I was useless.
"She told me she hated me and warned me not to come home from work.
"More personalities started to appear. Sometimes Mary arrives. She works in PC World and wakes up at 5am and tells me she has to go do a stock-take. I try to convince her she doesn't work there.
"When I ask how she is going to get to the shop, she doesn't know where it is, becomes very confused and comes back to bed.
"Other times she is Daisy, who sits on the floor and draws for hours. There are other children and when Dawn is one of them, her handwriting is like a child's.
"Another of the personalities speaks German – which Dawn only learnt briefly at school.
"Then there is Madam Taylor, who owns a brothel. I tried to explain to Madam Taylor that she is actually Dawn.
"Now I ignore her because the doctors think the more you interact with the other personalities, the stronger they get. Some are far stronger than others and emerge much more regularly.
"It was scary at first but gradually the personalities have become part of my life. It's like living with 22 different people. Some smoke and even like cigars even though Dawn has never smoked."
The illness has taken its toll on the couple's love life.
Dean says: "My mates joke that it must be amazing, getting to go to bed with 22 different women.
"But what about when I go to bed with a brothel madam, then part way through she switches to a five-year-old child? I'm lost. I love Dawn but what we have isn't a relationship any more, it's a way of life – survival.
"I could never leave her or my boys but this illness has taken away the woman I fell in love with. People ask if I hope to get her back. Of course I do. I have to, otherwise I would go mad."
Dawn has just one session with a consultant psychiatrist every three months.
The drugs ease the problem but she has been told there is no proven cure.
- Mirror
0
You May Like These Videos
WATCH: Victims Narrate Ordeal After Being Clobbered By Riot Cops
FLASHBACK: Morgan Tsvangirai Won't Resign Despite Illness 
Police Violently Beat Harare Protesters 
Zimbabwean Man Who Was Shot By Tswana Employer Appeals For HelpComments
There are no comments.
Get Zim Metro Updates Alerts
Big Reads
Schoolgirl drops out after continuous 'sexual abuse' by teacher
by Staff Reporter | 2019 August 13 07:42:33
Mugabe Knows Nothing About The Zimbabwe Constitution: MP
by Staff Reporter | 2016 October 01 08:12:02
Zim's Protesting Graduates Risk Losing Degrees For Expressing Anger Against Mugabe
by Staff Reporter | 2016 October 01 07:57:08
Troubled Harare Giants Dynamos Falls Into Another Deep Crisis
by Own Correspondent | 2016 October 01 07:49:17
Grace Mugabe Grovels At Mnangagwa, Says I Did Not Ask Ubaba To Fire You
by Staff Reporter | 2016 October 01 07:31:48
Mugabe Attacks Mawarire, Claims The Exiled Pastor Failed To Divide Zimbabwe
by Staff Reporter | 2016 October 01 07:19:13
Shock As Local Bank Denies 'Rich' Mugabe's Son Heifty Credit
by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 30 19:14:54Trouble For Police Officers Who Have Been Mercilessly Bludgeoning Protesters
by Staff Reporter | 2016 October 01 07:20:19
Mugabe "Home Coming" And "Thank You" Rally On Cards
by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 23 06:48:24
Prof Moyo Was Dumped By Western Embassies, Claims Mutsvangwa
by Staff Reporter | 2016 September 22 10:08:07Broke RBZ Tracks Down Zimbabweans Living Outside The Country Over Taxi
by Staff Reporter | 2016 September 22 09:16:20
You Are Too Old To Lead, Aging Zim President Mugabe Told
by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 22 07:19:25
Anti-Corruption Commission Loses Property In Failed Probe
by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 20 03:18:19
.jpg)
SHOCKING:14 Year Old HIV-Positive Boy Rapes 7 Pupils
by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 20 00:04:55
