AMINAH- Based on A True Story (2019)

Prologue

We all have our own histories of mental illness, don't we? Otherwise, my question is how the world works? You probably heard of strange diseases such as schizophrenia, hysterias, biopolar disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, and kleptomaniac and so on. But there is one debated mental illness which is no other than dissociative identity disorder.

Some of you may know it as multiple personality disorder but the conservative people might call it a 'demonic possession'. But as far as we know, plus those who do not know dissociative identity disorder is not a disease, it is an unintentional switch of characters or identities which cannot blend together as well as talking to 'selves' unless it is treated or supported by families. This illness was first discovered by Otto van der Hart and his colleagues. It was well-defined by Flora Rheta Schreiber whose book, Sybil was also based on a true story. On the contrast, it was also the life of 'Shirley Manson'* and also a film 'Three Faces of Eve'*.

In most times, mental illness can be understood by an open mind while some close minded or conservative minded people can criticize or laugh at it. I am ashamed to say that 'our people' would never take mental illness seriously. Furthermore, it is also called the taboo of the society because of most cases in the past, aforementioned.

On that basis, one of my patients, Aminah Marcia Khan also had dissociative identity disorder but some people called her a misfit. I still remember her description: a tall, long haired, beautiful person whose curvy lips charms most of the boys but her minor freckles and spectacles overshadows her outer beauty but still, the only thing left was her inner beauty that pleased only the teachers and close ones.

Anyway, I am Dr. Jehangir Ahmed, a psychiatrist by profession where I just prescribed my patients after studying mental illness but my connection with Aminah was a special one where the first time after thirty years of my experience, I treated my patient with an extremely emotional support and understanding that reminded me of where my routes were at the beginning of my career.