All Around the Town

Justin Donnelly:
Your sister's manifesting a condition called dissociative identity disorder, DID for short. It means she has multiple personalities.

Sarah Kinmount:
What?

Justin Donnelly:
There's nothing to be afraid of. In fact, it's quite remarkable. A child powerless against abuse often creates other personalities or alters to survive the trauma.

Sarah Kinmount:
As a defense mechanism?

Justin Donnelly:
Exactly. The alters help the child say, this isn't happening to me, it's happening to someone else.

Laurie Kinmount:
[singing in Debbie's voice] Eastside westside, all around the town.

Laurie Kinmount:
Did my alters know all this and keep it from me?

Justin Donnelly:
Yes. And now, that you've remembered they'll begin to blend into you.

Laurie Kinmount:
Because they've been parts of who I really am all along?

Justin Donnelly:
Yes, Debbie is the child you used to be. Kate is your sense of self-preservation. Leona is the self you suppressed because of what happened.

Laurie Kinmount:
I'm a sex kitten. [laughs] What about Leigh?

Justin Donnelly:
Leigh was the key. He was the imaginary friend who floated you away from the pain. He helped you endure until the others could assume their roles.