[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
90210’s AnnaLynne McCord revealed she has been diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder, previously known as multiple personality disorder. It is “characterized by the maintenance of at least two distinct and relatively enduring personality states.” The actress sat down with Dr. Daniel Amen of Amen Clinic to discuss her mental health and work to dismantle the stigma surrounding her diagnoses in early April.
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In the vulnerable interview, the Nip/Tuck star stated point blank:
“I am absolutely uninterested in shame. There is nothing about my journey that I invite shame into anymore. And that’s how we get to the point where we can articulate the nature of these pervasive traumas and stuff, as horrible as they are.”
Having previously discussed childhood trauma that included being raped as a teenager, the celeb shared that she has large gaps in her memory:
“I don’t have anything until around 5. Then from 5 to 11, I recount incidents throughout. Then when I was 13, I have a singled-out memory that was one thing, but I don’t have the sense of anything else at that time.”
The 33-year-old told People in September 2019 that it wasn’t until after being treated for PTSD that she recalled past memories of her assault. She explained to the outlet:
“A year ago, I was in treatment for PTSD and memories of child sexual abuse came back for years all the way until I was 11 years.”
Clearly, this memory loss has affected her for a long time, and it was this treatment that brought her Dissociative Identity Disorder to light. She shared that her doctor could even point to visits where it was clear AnnaLynne’s personality and visual appearance had shifted, such as showing up in a black wig.
It wasn’t until she filmed a horror movie called Excision in 2012 that the Atlanta-born creative really felt like something was triggered within, alerting her to these “splits.” On her acting role, McCord explained:
“I played a very cerebral, disturbed, strange little girl that was very close to who I feel I am on the inside. It was very exposing, very confronting, probably a bit re-traumatizing without realizing it.”
The project filmed during hiatus from the popular CW reboot of Beverly Hills, 90210, in which AnnaLynne starred as Naomi Clark, a popular queen bee of the high school. She recalled returning to the drama was harder than expected after taking on this “disturbed” character.
“The crazy thing about it was that I wrapped that film at 2 a.m. on a Tuesday and had to be happy, crazy Beverly Hills blonde bombshell on Wednesday at noon. I couldn’t find her, she was not accessible. I was dark, I was very deep into this character Pauline, and I couldn’t get [out].”
Now, she says it was 90210 that first made her realize she might have been experiencing symptoms of DID all her life.
“All of my roles were splits, but I didn’t even realize I was doing it at all until I did a project 90210.”
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During the enlightening interview, the activist remembered a personality she was “co-conscious” of during her childhood named “little Anna.” With “little Anna,” the director says she was very aware of the differences between herself and the child, but that wasn’t the case with another personality “I spent a lot of my life as.”
“She was a balls to the wall, middle fingers to the sky, anarchist from hell who will stab you with the spike ring that she wears, and you’ll like it. Then she’ll make you lick the blood from it. She was a nasty little creature, but I have so much gratitude to her because she got me out of the hell that I was in.”
Whoa… Watch the full interview (below) to hear more about the performer’s complex relationship with her split personality.
It’s so AH-mazing to see how excited and interested AnnaLynne is about her mental health! Hopefully this talk is encouraging to anyone who might be thinking about seeking help for any kind of struggle. There truly is no need for “shame” when over half the world is suffering from some form of mental health, as Dr. Amen pointed out!
[Image via AnnaLynne McCord/Instagram]
The post AnnaLynne McCord 'Uninterested In Shame' As She Announces Dissociative Identity Disorder Diagnosis appeared first on Perez Hilton.
