Meet a Woman With 22 Personalities: She's A Mother Of Two, A Brothel Madam, A German Speaker, A Millionaire, And More
When Dawn Taylor walks down the street hand in hand with her two young sons, she looks like any other devoted mum. But Dawn, 31, is not like other mothers. She has multiple personalities – an astonishing 22 of them.
Each personality has its own voice, traits and mannerisms. They can come and go up to 10 times a day, changing without warning in a split second.
They include brothel keeper Madam Taylor, five-year-old schoolgirl Daisy, PC World worker Mary, 60, and aggressive teenager Lashes. There are also a millionaire, Scottish sandwich shop owner, Cornish farm girl, German speaker and a gangsta rapper.
"I feel like I spend half my life drunk," says Dawn, who cannot recall what happens when another personality
takes over.
"At the time I think I am in control. To me, I am just me, whether that's Daisy, Mary or even Madam Taylor. But when I wake up and can’t remember a thing the terror sets in."
Dawn, who lives with long-term partner Dean, 36, and their children Connor, 10, and seven-year-old Troy, was diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) – also known as Multiple Personality Disorder – in June.
It followed years of erratic behaviour, which started with depression after Connor's birth.
Dawn, of Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, says: "It's like the other personalities are trying to get me into trouble. Some of them hate Dean and make me say spiteful things to him, even though I love him dearly.
"I found text messages to a friend in my sent-box, telling her I was outside her house and that I was going to hurt her. I had to call and apologise and tell her it was someone else. I felt awful.
"Other personalities even hate the real me. Once I woke up to find a swear word cut on my thigh.
"The scissors were in my hand and there was blood everywhere. I couldn’t remember doing it.
"The only saving grace is that they all love my children. But that doesn’t stop me worrying about what one of them might do.”
Anguished Dawn says: “I just want to be a normal mum.”
The former model, who cannot work because of her condition, adds: “Sometimes, simple things I do as Dawn are a major problem for the other personalities.
"I used to cycle everywhere but once I was riding through town with Troy in a seat on the back. Connor was riding in front when suddenly I switched into little Daisy, who can't cycle. I lost all ability to ride, smashed into Connor and we all fell off. A few weeks ago I came round and was hanging upside down from a tree in the back garden.
"It sounds funny but it was terrifying. One of my child personalities must have climbed up there but when I snapped out of it I couldn't get down.”
Dawn – who takes sedatives, mood stabilisers and anti-depressants to control her condition – is used to people laughing at her and tries to be philosophical about it.
She says: "One of the teenage girl personalities does cheer-leading. I have woken up in the town centre surrounded by people clapping after I have done a routine. My sons think it's funny so I try to laugh along but for me it's really embarrassing.
"The boys can take advantage, too. I have one personality they call Rich Lady, who seems to think she has a huge fortune.
"When she comes out they make me buy them expensive toys and sweets. When I snap back I realise what they've done.
"I woke up once in the living room surrounded by boxes of Lego, computer games and consoles they had made her buy."
But life wasn't always like this. Dean, who met Dawn when she was 18, recalls: "She was a beautiful model, full of fun and confidence. We were so in love.
"Then after Connor was born, we were driving down the road one day when she wound down the window and started shouting abuse at someone walking by.
"It was out of character and I asked what she was doing. She looked at me like I was mad. She couldn't remember a thing."
