About Us

Click here for a our About Us leaflet in pdf format for printing

First Person Plural is the only national survivor-led membership charity in the UK which exclusively works for and on behalf of those affected by dissociative identity disorder (DID) (sometimes called multiple personality disorder – MPD) or the similar childhood-trauma-related complex dissociative disorder unhelpfully known as type 1 dissociative disorder not otherwise specified (DDNOS).

We are a small organisation run entirely by a few geographically dispersed volunteers all of whom have personal lived experience of DID or DDNOS or support someone who does.  We have no premises or paid workers and no regular external funding.  Within these limitations we are proud of what we achieve.  Feedback from our members, other beneficiaries, professional and other bodies working in the same field tells us that what we do is much valued, good quality and delivered in a professional manner.

Our aims

•    to provide information and to facilitate mutual support for adults who experience dissociative identity (multiple personality) or similar childhood-trauma-related complex dissociative disorder, and their friends, family and carers (allies);
•    to promote a better understanding of these conditions among health, social care and related workers in the statutory, voluntary and private sectors with a view to improving services for those affected; and
•    to advance the education of the general public in order to promote a better understanding and acceptance of people who experience these conditions

Our activities include:-

•    Maintaining a membership which is open to adults who experience dissociative identity (multiple personality) or similar childhood-trauma-related complex dissociative disorder; affiliate membership is available for partners, family, friends and carers including anyone with a work-related interest in these conditions (allies), and to any member of the general public with an interest in supporting our work;
•    Producing 4 issues of a support and information newsletter per year for our members and affiliates;
•    Organising 2 or 3 membership meetings a year
•    Maintaining a web-site, including a members-only area offering an interactive mutual support forum and access to all back issue of our newsletter
•    Providing training & awareness-raising as in-house or public access events for other organisations
•    Organising our own public access training days and conferences
•    Providing speakers and displays for other organisation’s conferences and training events
•    Participating in external consultations and providing ‘expert by experience’ input into relevant policy and strategy developments
•    Developing an introductory level training DVD (available Spring 2011)
•    Writing and disseminating paper-based information resources, including the booklet “Understanding Dissociative Disorders” published by Mind, our own series of fact sheets (currently being re-developed) and a reading list
•    Networking and co-operating with other organisations that have similar aims and interests.

Our mission and vision

For ALL who have or may have dissociative identity or similar childhood-trauma-related complex dissociative condition to have free and easy access to appropriate specialist assessment; for those who have these conditions to be able to access effective free treatment, care and support services for long enough to achieve stable recovery and sustainable improvement in their quality of life; and for appropriate free support services to be made available to their partners, family and informal carers

We want to see a society which:-

•    acknowledges that dissociative identity disorder and similar complex dissociative conditions are possible long term adverse effects of childhood abuse, trauma and related disorganised attachment relationships with parent-figures during early childhood;
•    recognises that these are neither very rare or fictional conditions;
•    provides local services able to identify and effectively treat, support and care for children, young people and adults affected by these conditions;
•    acts to prevent early childhood traumas (whether deliberate abuse/neglect or other attachment trauma arising from, for example, maternal illness) which can lead to dissociative identity disorder and similar childhood-trauma-related complex dissociative conditions