A Day in the Life of Dissociative Identity Disorder with Frankie Murdoch

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The final requirement: “The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance or a general medical condition.” Although the film does not explicitly confirm that Frankie has no physical ailments or substance abuse problems, there is no implication that she has either. Thus, it is safe to assume that she is in good physical health, and that her disturbances are caused from her psychological disorder.

Cause of the Behavior

Eventually, the reasons for Frankie’s multiple personalities emerge from her sister, Maxine, after Frankies mother lies to Dr. Osborn about their past. Through flashbacks, the viewer is able to see that Edna was a maid for a wealthy white family, the Prescott’s, in the south. When Frankie was a teenager, she too became a maid for the Prescotts, after growing up in the house like a sister to Page. Once they got older, Frankie and the Prescott’s son, Pete, fell in love. Once Page found out, she was outraged because Frankie was black. Due to her anger, Page told her parents about the affair, and Frankie was kicked out of the house. However, Pete decided to run away from home to get Frankie & elope. After only a short while together, Pete died in a car accident, and Frankie survived.

Not long after the accident, Frankie returned home and told her mother she was pregnant. When it came time to deliver, Frankie’s mother took her to a cheap motel and made her have the baby there. Though Frankie had repressed most of this time in her life, Dr. Osborn is able to find out that her and Pete had decided on names before the accident: Alice if it was a girl. Once she delivered, it turned out that it was in fact a girl (a white girl). So, Edna killed her in order to protect her daughter.

Moreover, Frankie’s repression of her childhood trauma later manifested itself in the personalities of Alice: a white southern racist, and Genius: a brilliant child.

Treatment

While there is no specific cure for dissociative identity disorder, long-term treatment is very successful (if the patient stays committed). Effective treatment methods include talk therapy, medications, hypnotherapy, and adjunctive therapies such as art or movement therapy. In Frankie’s case, I would continue to use the treatment of hypnotherapy that Dr. Osborn has already started with her. I would continue this because it seems to be the only way to get Alice and Genius to manifest themselves, without Frankie being afraid of what is going on around her.

Section

Points

Comments

Case history draft

/10

Minus 5 if one day late. No points after that for draft.

Title

/3

Minus 1 if not interesting

Mech. and Comp

/10

Typed, 1 pt; 1 ½ spaced, 1 pt; sections headed, 1 pt; grammar and spelling, 3 pt; clarity/interest, 4 pt

Case History

/25

Includes background info, 15 pt; relevant past events, 10 pt

Diagnosis

/40

All criteria must be listed (10 pt) including those character doesn’t meet. Each criterion is addressed with specific examples (30 pt). Note: If other disorders must be eliminated as part of the criteria, please discuss why you eliminated them.

Cause

/10

Should be plausible but can be purely speculative.

Pregrading rubric

/2

Attach this rubric, graded by you

Overall grade

/100