Book Report - Herschel Walker's Breaking Free: My Life with Dissociative Identity Disorder



Book Report - Herschel Walker's Breaking Free: My Life with Dissociative Identity Disorder

Introduction

The objective of this book report is to describe the author's (Herschel Walker's) experiences with Dissociative Identity Disorder as presented in his book titled Breaking Free: My Life with Dissociative Identity Disorder (Walker, 2008). To this end, the following paragraphs will synthesize the summary of the book and relevant course themes for Pychopathology, while presenting an analysis of reactions to the book's material.

Discussion, Synthesis & Analysis

Herschel Walker is widely regarded as one of football's greatest running backs. He led the University of Georgia to victory in the Sugar Bowl on the way to an NCAA Championship and he capped a sensational college career by earning the 1982 Heisman Trophy. Herschel spent twelve years in the NFL, where he rushed for more than eight thousand yards and scored sixty-one rushing touchdowns. Herschel was diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder, formerly known as multiple personality disorder.

In his book Breaking Free, Herschel Walker takes an approach to Dissociative Identity Disorder that is highly personal in nature. Herschel Walker does not simply highlight the particulars that an individual suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder has to deal with, but also presents a picture of the finer details and the unrecognized experiences that are inevitable (Walker, 2008). It is imperative to note that Herschel Walker does not simply appear to be presenting an insight into the life of a person suffering with Dissociative Identity Disorder. Instead, Herschel Walker is trying to give the reader an understanding of the impact that Dissociative Identity Disorder has on an individual leading a normal life with normal ambitions, desires and expectations.

Through a series of 12 sections, Herschel Walker sheds light on Dissociative Identity Disorder in a manner that is essentially chronological in nature. Herschel Walker takes the reader and walks him/her through his experiences from the very beginning. This allows the reader to comprehend and perceive the combination of feelings and emotions that influence him. In the prologue, Herschel Walker gives the reader an introduction of what he/she should expect (Walker, 2008). He does this by placing forth the simplicity that constituted everyday life before Dissociative Identity Disorder begins to have impact. This entry is gripping and exciting as Herschel Walker writes about the desire to commit murder. It is during these early stages that the reader begins to prepare for what is to follow.

Herschel Walker provides an insight into the initial experiences of dealing with Dissociative Identity Disorder - from discussions with doctors to confusions with the family. In this regard, Herschel Walker goes beyond the fundamental purpose of relating his experiences with Dissociative Identity Disorder, and utilizes a perspective that is easy to grasp for the layman. In the process, Herschel Walker actively reminisces about events from his past that he now considers to hold far more meaning than he initially perceived (Walker, 2008). The fundamental purpose of the initial sections of the book appears ...