MULTIPLE PERSONALITY REVEALEDThe Morning Call, Oct. 2, 1990For a long time, the fact that psychologist Linda Mason of Allentown was a multiple personality was known by only a few.After today, about 50 million people will know. She "went public" with the information on today's Sally Jessy Raphael show. "I explained I am a high-functioning multiple and that 90 percent of my life is spent as the person of Linda, the therapist," she said. Mason, who divulged the information after being asked to make a comment as a member of the show's studio audience, said the abuse that caused the development of her multiple personalities began when she was 18 months old. The abuse continued until she was 21. "All that time, people were being created to deal with the continuing abuse," she said. She said that at times, the conflict among her personalities was so intense it was immobilizing. "I would go shopping and not buy anything because we couldn't agree," she said. "One would say, 'I'd never wear that' or 'That's not my taste.' Most of us make choices from a role function, but I couldn't do that." Mason said she "gave up counting" when her personalities or personality fragments reached 20. "That became overwhelming to me," she said. "I got the feeling that 'Oh gosh, you're really sick,'" she said. Soon afterwards, she sought therapy. During the TV program, Mason said, people wanted to know if confidential information given to her by patients ever was brought out in the open by another personality. She said that doesn't happen. Mason, from the Pittsburgh area, has been in practice in Allentown since 1982, after receiving a master's degree in psychology from Kutztown University. Two-thirds of her clients come for marriage counseling, she said, and the other one-third are multiple personalities. She said being a multiple helps make her a better therapist. "I think it intuitively lets me know what's going on inside of them," she said. "I push them a little. In the midst of being pushed, they don't like it very much," she added. "But in the long run it helps them to see someone who is professional and has their life together." Privacy Policy Copyright © 2021, The Morning Call
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