Understanding and Working with Dissociative States

Adam a 15-year-old Caucasian male, grew up in the suburbs outside of Chicago with his mother, father, and two sisters. His family is pretty well off financially and he and his siblings all attend private school, have personal tutors, and enjoy horseback riding and soccer. For years, Adam was excelling in school and was a star soccer athlete. Unbeknownst to his parents, Adam was sexually assaulted a year ago by his female tutor Amber, who was 19 at the time. Following the assault, Adam began to struggle in school and behaving in uncharacteristic ways. His pediatrician referred him to a therapist, with whom he eventually entrusted the information about being assaulted. About one year later, Adam reported to his therapist that he was hearing voices telling him to kill himself. Over several weeks Adam became increasingly anxious and sad and began to experience auditory hallucinations telling him to either hang himself or jump out a window. On one occasion went to the roof of a building and looked down thinking he might jump. He told his therapist who arranged a psychiatric hospitalization.