Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde

We all remember the famous English movie Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Dr. Jekyll, when administered to him a certain potion he would change into his alter evil state Mr. Hyde. Today Dr. Jekyll would have been diagnosed as a patient with avoidant personality, addictive personality, histrionic personality, or multiple personality disorders.

Wow! Unfortunately there are patients with these disorders. The disorders vary in severity with avoidant, addictive, and histrionic being the less severe, and the multiple personality disorder being more severe.

Now we know in the movie that Dr. Jekyll felt very unimportant and avoided social occasions. He was addictive in his behavior and dependent upon the love of one woman. The only way he thought that he could seek relief or freedom was to change into the alter state of Mr. Hyde. Mr. Hyde was powerful, scary, and bold. Unfortunately, he was a killer. Multiple personality disorders usually result in violence because the patient is inadequate to maintain a normal life, blames everyone else, and believes that if they get rid of that someone else, they will have peace and freedom.

This does not happen of course, because ironically the patient is to blame for their idiosyncrasies but cannot see it. Group therapy can help the milder disorders such as avoidant, addictive, or histrionic personality, but if these disorders are left untreated can result into a multiple personality disorder which is usually too late or too far progressed to treat. Mental hospitals are full of patients who were misdiagnosed or ignored with complaints of symptoms relating to avoidant personality, addictive personality, or histrionic personality.

Fortunately though today more doctors recognize the symptoms because of studies and reports in medical journals and they want to help their patients live productive lives. Prominent and famous people have suffered with these disorders for years, and the psychiatric community is only learning of them today. President Lincoln was believed to have suffered with avoidant personality and lost many elections because of it. It wasn't until a little girl told him that he would look better with a beard. President Lincoln took her advice and the rest is history. Therapy today aids you in the same way. You are taught to look at your life and challenged to bring about a positive change. Productivity is the key in these therapies and that with medication can allow the disorder to become manageable. There is no cure, but treatment is successful and the disorder can be overcome.

So if you, like Dr. Jekyll suffer from avoidant, addictive or histrionic personalities do not despair. There is hope and treatment. Seek that treatment today, so that Mr. Hyde won't consume you; and Dr. Jekyll will thank you, if he could.