Author's note (to date)

This book may be labelled as horror, thriller, psychological, whatever class your bookshop or online resource claims it to be, but I like to think of it as researched or reality fiction, where it is based on a real issue and draws as close to it without telling an actual biographical story.

As an author and not a specialist on the subject in any matter, I do find validity in the diagnosis of Dissociative Identity Disorder in certain individuals expressing the criteria found in the Diagnostic Standards Manual of Mental Disorder-IV, and diagnosed by a psychiatrist or other specialist in the field.

According to the Diagnostic Standards Manual of Mental Disorder- IV, Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID, formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder) can be diagnosed on the presentation of the following four symptoms:

·         The presence of two or more distinct “identities or personality states;”

·         At least two personalities must take control of the person’s identity on a regular basis;

·         Exhibits aspects of amnesia, that is, the person forgets routine personal information;

·         The condition must not have been caused by “direct physiological effects,” such as drug abuse or head trauma.

At the point of publication, DID is considered a controversial diagnosis in part due to its over representation in developed countries, predominately North America.

While I do believe that, while possibly misdiagnosed in individuals without proper case management, it is a valid diagnosis for others, I have still not kept entirely true to DID. This is a sensationalised account, and whilst drawing on research done on the matter through other forms of publications I will in no way say that this is how DID manifests itself. I personally know of no cases of DID that present itself in this fashion (lack of research, perhaps, so I could continue telling a fictional story to this degree). As with all mental disorders everyone presents differently however, but this is not based on one or any individual to my knowledge.