Psychology question

[Ghost]

I started watching the TV show United States of Tara. It's fairly entertaining. It's produced by Diablo Cody, of Juno fame. It's about a woman, married with two children who suffers from multiple personalities. Her husband is supportive of her.

She doesn't want him having sex with the alternate personalities. Since she isn't "awake" when the "alts" are in control, she feels like he would be cheating. This has been addressed twice so far (that I've seen). The first time, the alt was a partying, sex crazed 15 year old girl. The girl tried to seduce the husband, he refused, saying that she knew Tara didn't like him sleeping with the "alts". Her response was basically, so what, it's her body so it isn't cheating. In another episode, a June Cleaver type decided to try to spice things up and was insulted when the husband rejected her.

The husband should respect the wife's feelings about this, but what would you think if you were Tara? Would you feel like your partner was cheating if you suffered from multiple personalities and he/she slept with one of your "alts"?

[Sarah]

I could see feeling that way, but reason, I hope, would kick in to tell me I was being an ass.

[olthar]

since i don't believe in multiple personality disorder, Yes, I would very much feel like my partner was cheating.

[CassyLee]

since i don't believe in multiple personality disorder, Yes, I would very much feel like my partner was cheating.

I'm not sure I understand the logic behind that. Surely, if you don't believe in multiple personality disorder, then if your spouse is having sex with you, regardless of what personality you've donned at the moment, then there is no cheating involved.

[Ghost]

since i don't believe in multiple personality disorder, Yes, I would very much feel like my partner was cheating.

I'm not sure I understand the logic behind that. Surely, if you don't believe in multiple personality disorder, then if your spouse is having sex with you, regardless of what personality you've donned at the moment, then there is no cheating involved.

So how would you answer the question?

I'm thinking the character's logic is similar to the idea of a spouse having sex with their partner when the partner is passed out drunk. Yes, the husband would normally be allowed to have sex with his wife, and there are plenty of people that would not have a problem with their spouse, who they are normally sexually active with, having sex when they are plastered. There are also plenty of people that would consider it rape.

[bettie]

This question makes my head hurt. Let's talk about puppies!

[CassyLee]

since i don't believe in multiple personality disorder, Yes, I would very much feel like my partner was cheating.

I'm not sure I understand the logic behind that. Surely, if you don't believe in multiple personality disorder, then if your spouse is having sex with you, regardless of what personality you've donned at the moment, then there is no cheating involved.

So how would you answer the question?

I'm thinking the character's logic is similar to the idea of a spouse having sex with their partner when the partner is passed out drunk. Yes, the husband would normally be allowed to have sex with his wife, and there are plenty of people that would not have a problem with their spouse, who they are normally sexually active with, having sex when they are plastered. There are also plenty of people that would consider it rape.

Oh, I didn't say how I would answer the question - but then I've watched enough daytime soaps to firmly believe in multiple personality disorder . What I was questioning was the rationale that since olthar doesn't believe in it, it would be cheating. I mean, if you don't believe in multiple personality disorder, then when your partner is acting like someone else, you'd view it as a conscious choice on his/her part, wouldn't you? And if so, how is that in any way cheating? Unless you view any type of role-playing games as a form of cheating?

BTW, since I have rotted my brain with countless episodes of One Life To Live, I do think having sex with your partner's alter would be a form of cheating - assuming you are aware that it's an alter & not your loved one. Of course, in the soaps, the partner's are usually too horny to notice a little thing like a complete change in personalities .

[olthar]

I guess I jumped right to the next step in the multiple personality disorder thing, where if the alt has sex with someone who is not me its not the wife's fault, because she didn't know.

That being said, I would equate it to having sex when passed out drunk, or some other situation where I was not aware of what was going on. And in that case I would again find it objectionable.

I mean I theoritically married my wife, not this 15 year-old she pretends to be sometimes. And the difference that this would be to fantasy or some other sex type game, is that if this person believes they have DID then they will attempt to act in a manner 100% congruent with their current false personality to the exclusion of all else, and when the "game" is over for one they will continue it past any point of continued interest for any.

On a sidenote, wasn't the puppybowl a lot of fun?

[Sarah]

I thought Puppy Bowl wasn't as good this year. But perhaps I was just feeling jaded that day.

Back to Ghost's question, if MPD isn't real, it's definitely not cheating. If it is, then all the personalities stuffed in a person's ody are still manifestations of that person, right? Seems to me one could argue that it would be unfair to deny an alter sexual congress. What's all this dominant (or core, or whatever the lingo is) personality bullshit, anyway? Equal rights for alters!