Published Oct 2012
Imagine a life spent trying to discern where you are, how you got there, who you’re with, and what has happened. You lose large chunks of time; abruptly, you find yourself wearing another person’s clothes, sitting in the driver’s seat of a car you don’t remember driving, or cleaning up a meal you can’t recall eating. For Kim Noble, renowned artist and mother whose body plays host to over 20 distinct personalities, this is normal life. After many years in and out of mental institutions and various diagnoses that she knew instinctively to be wrong, in 1995 Noble was finally diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder (DID). A condition typically prompted by severe abuse during childhood, DID is thought to be a creative way some minds splinter in order to cope with unbearable pain. Alternately taking possession of Noble’s body are, among others, a scared little boy who speaks only Latin, an elective mute, a gay man, and an anorexic teenager. Then there is Patricia, the stable and loving now-dominant alter who was able to win back custody of Noble’s daughter, Aimee. All of Me traces Noble’s tumultuous and fragmented life from childhood onward, providing insight into the intersections between memory, mental illness, and creativity. It tells of her terrifying battles to understand her own mind, reveals her courage and commitment in trying to make sense of her life, and provides a fascinating look at the confusion, frustration, and everyday challenges of a person living with DID. All of Me is by turns shocking, inspiring, sometimes funny, and deeply moving.
