A Fractured Mind

My Life with Multiple Personality Disorder

By: Robert B. Oxnam

Narrated by: William Dufris

In 1989, Robert B. Oxnam, the successful China scholar and president of the Asia Society, faced up to what he thought was his biggest personal challenge: alcoholism. But this dependency masked a problem far more serious: Multiple Personality Disorder.

At the peak of his professional career, after having led the Asia Society for nearly a decade, Oxnam was haunted by periodic blackouts and episodic rages. After his family and friends intervened, Oxnam received help from a psychiatrist, Dr. Jeffery Smith, and entered a rehab center. It wasn't until 1990, during a session with Dr. Smith, that the first of Oxnam's 11 alternate personalities, an angry young boy named Tommy, suddenly emerged. With Dr. Smith's help, Oxnam began the exhausting and fascinating process of uncovering his many personalities and the childhood trauma that caused his condition.

©2005 Robert B. Oxnam (P)2005 Listen & Live Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"This touching and powerful account of the 'inner world' of the disorder, the power struggles and dialogues among the fractured parts of a person's mind, provides valuable insight into a courageous man's struggle." (Publishers Weekly)

Chapter 8 is best in my opinion

Good book. Great for person studying psychology. Especially if you are interested in child psychology and trauma. Book is well laid out. Sometimes the author seems to ramble, but it eventually ties back in. The trauma its-self is a very small part of the book. It is more about life and therapy as a DID person. Which I am grateful for, but I would have enjoyed more about the therapy sessions. Would make a good movie. Chapter 8 covers more about things from MD Smith's view point and more about the actual psychology. It would have been nice to cover what his childhood was like after the abuse and when did the actual abuse stop. Then again my preferred study in psychology is in children's mental health. Anyway, good book.

relatable

This showed so many sides of a very complex diagnosis. I found myself fully engrossed in the story. nodding through most of it with a profound understanding.

Too many name drops but overall a good book

I did enjoy it quite a bit and finished it in a day. My only complaint with it was the touch of narcissism with the constant discussion of status and name dropping. Remove those things and you have a great book!

Brave

Thank you for sharing your story! I learned so much and the book is very well written.

Fascinating Read - Shows What Our Minds Can Do

What did you love best about A Fractured Mind?

The concept that our minds are able to do what is needed to take care of us. Even things that we would think are crazy, really aren't... they're just the mind adapting.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Fractured Mind?

There's too much to say... I will let the reader determine that for themselves

What about William Dufris’s performance did you like?

Solid performance in the role of the author.