Based on a real life case? (SPOILERS!)

[Trauma]

I said STAR with wikipedia because is a reference article. I'd read about in magazines, but it's in portuguese and aren't short. I don't think it's interesting, my intention wasn't an academic level discussion (I'm not a doctor).

When I read your text, it's seams that you are in avoidance. Even if we agree with another diagnosis (I gess ou mean avoidant personality disorder), we can ignore the symptoms that are common with a lot of conditions. If you have a persistent headache, you can't say there is nothing that indicates a brain tumor!

If you think is just avoidance, you can post your diagnosis and support it instead just depreciate my opinion. Do you think I cant read an article and have my opinion about the game? Yes, I can!

Lets see your psychology degree then, because your posts tell me you have absolutely no idea what you're even talking about. I may not have a degree in the subject but I have studied it extensively in school, and while psychology isn't an exact science, it's the best we've got. My opinion is definitely not a professional opinion, but certainly more educated than yours. If your intention wasn't an academic level discussion, perhaps you shouldn't have brought this up in an academic context.

What I'm not getting is why you're so stubborn. You keep saying "IT CANT BE THAT SIMPLE LOL 1" But I hate to break it to you-it is. This is very much a "what you see is what you get" kind of game as opposed to the first 3 games.

Now you keep insisting that Cheryl has dissociative identity disorder. Your evidence being
-She paints her mother in a very bad light, no matter which way she does it. It's clear she doesn't think of her mother very highly.
-And a game mechanic that things change depending on the way you play the game.

That seems about it, holding on to the memory of a loved one, and refusing to let go, and a game mechanic isn't a sign of a neurological disorder.

You can say "YOU JUST DONT UNDERSTAND DERP" all you want, but you've lost me. You're trying to make things more complex than they actually are.

[Purramid_Head]

Keep in mind, that English is not Gus's first language and as he had told you he is certainly allowed to his opinion even if you think he's wrong.

Opinion =/= fact.

[Trauma]

...you don't say?

Anyways, there's not much to discuss now anyways. We've pretty much covered everything.

[gustavopi]

...you don't say?

Anyways, there's not much to discuss now anyways. We've pretty much covered everything.

If you read the topic from the beginning, at this point everyone got a formed opinion, and you seams ready to strike mine!

I'd open this topic to play doctor. But if we bring some knowledge, the discussion became more interesting. Some of these ideas depend on physical analysis, like DNA, so we cannot be conclusive - witch is one of objectives of the game. As I see "around", people play SM once or a couple times. Is it enough? Don't think so. Maybe in the third time the player will see how things can lead to a different diagnose. What I look for is something in common, something about Cheryl.

In real life, if we have the same situation for a large group of people (like a war), we have a range of reactions. A person can became a murder or not be affected at all (extreme variations). Humans are like this.

IMO she got a tendency to develop dissociative disturb, not only personality kind. She is deceived by his own mind and that's why is a challenge for doctors, even dr. K!

[Trauma]

That still doesn't mean she has multiple personalities.

Also...

Keep in mind, that English is not Gus's first language and as he had told you he is certainly allowed to his opinion even if you think he's wrong.

Opinion =/= fact.

I beg to differ.

He's claiming the 2 completely unrelated things are somehow related. And that Cheryl has Multiple Personality Disorder. This isn't actually something that's a matter of opinion. Facts can be obtained through rigorous testing for falsification. Falsification was indeed found, ergo, it is not a matter of opinion.

This is the basis on what SH theories are founded on, you've been part of the fan base longer than I have so you SHOULD know this. -__-

I could write an entire essay out if it weren't for the fact that I'm busy on another one already- so this will have to do. He's making a mountain out of an ant hill, and he's wrong. End of discussion. If you'd like that essay going into greater detail I can certainly give you an IOU.

[Shadedarkan]

Wow, aside from the nonsense argument going on I like this topic.
My interpretation of the game was more that Dr. Kaufmann is forcing Cheryl to explore the pain of her past. We see Harry Mason as the main character of the story because Cheryl cannot face her fears as herself. In my opinion she is wearing, as she saw it, her father's persona in order explore her memories. One could say that she is projecting Harry's persona, as she saw it, to explore the memories.
I have no evidence from the game to support any theory that Dr. Kaufmann is trying to have her 'let go' of any of her painful memories. I feel that he is trying to get her to realize that she has to explore her life and fears as her, not through the safety of Harry's persona. Otherwise, how can she define who she is and where she wants to go in her future?
It is interesting that the real life case shares the same last name even though Mason is fairly common for a last name. Masonry was a rather large profession in years past. I'm sure that if Cheryl had gone much farther in her condition and the way her life was that the chance to have a fully formed second personality was rather high. It takes no stretch of the imagination to see that in certain bad situations Cheryl would have to become 'Harry' just to make it through.

[Trauma]

I have no evidence from the game to support any theory that Dr. Kaufmann is trying to have her 'let go' of any of her painful memories.

How about the final scene?

REVEAL SPOILER

Or, the fact that that's what therapists are pretty much paid to do? That's pretty much what the plot of the game is driven by? The point of the Otherworld sequences? Or the fact that Cybil generally shows up as a blockade to slow Harry's progress. Once Cheryl is finally starting to snap out of it, Cybil lets him pass freely. Cheryl's mind even put the words in her mouth for her "Harry Mason was killed in a car crash 18 years ago", "If you want answers, they're in there". It's pretty much analogous with the Pyramid Head suicide scene in SH2, and can possibly even be seen as somewhat of an homage to it.

I wasn't going to do this, but I might as well anyways, just to put this to rest.
You can't exactly point to a childhood trauma and a troubled upbringing and automatically diagnose something like DiD.

I'm no psychology expert (though I have taken numerous classes on the subject). But here it goes.

The American Psychological Association describes Dissociative Identity Disorder as

*The presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states (each with its own relatively enduring pattern of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about the environment and self).

*At least two of these identities or personality states recurrently take control of the person's behavior.

*Inability to recall important personal information that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness.

*The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., blackouts or chaotic behavior during Alcohol Intoxication) or a general medical condition (e.g., complex partial seizures). Note: In children, the symptoms are not attributable to imaginary playmates or other fantasy play.

*American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fourth edition. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

I bolded the two important ones.

*At least two of these identities or personality states recurrently take control of the person's behavior.

There is absolutely no contrast with Cheryl's behavior in game. At least no observable contrast. Her behavioral patterns are pretty consistent throughout. At least the non-game mechanic induced behavioral patterns [the therapy sessions].

*Inability to recall important personal information that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness.

She doesn't have any periodical lapses in memory, just periodical lapses in progress-as in avoidance- as in refusing to realize what had happened to her and continuing to live on in the delusion that Harry was still alive, and searching for her. The only thing remotely resembling the former is the existence of the latter.

I hope this helped.

[gustavopi]

It takes no stretch of the imagination to see that in certain bad situations Cheryl would have to become 'Harry' just to make it through.

When Cheryl came home "dressing Harry", the mother has a strange interaction with Cheryl. She miss Harry too, and Cheryl probably got the father's eyes... This was probably unexpected for Cheryl and turn the word upside down - my favorite part!

And, yes, the game is called Shattered Memories! The case I put it to open the topic got elements in common, even if it was just "induced" (caused by other condition).

This game is a "soup" of a lot of elements, I bring one that causes an unexpected dramatic controversy - must be something of truth on it...

[Trauma]

The case and the game have nothing in common though... Aside from the last name "mason".

[gustavopi]

It's interesting the reactions this games causes in the players. When people said that the game play with the player, they're right!

The game is called Shattered Memories - Memories, not imaging, delusions, pretending games, etc.. When she remember been her father walking around it's because it really "happens". She "is" Harry Mason. That's the basics of the game. The main objective is explained to the end by Dr. K.: - you got to live your life, Cheryl!

It's the only one game that got an objective that is only founded at the end - well done, Tom!

Nothing to do with the case? So there is nothing to do with nothing. Maybe Cybil is the crazy one and Cheryl is the only lucid, and the town is all a big spaceship! The UFO ending is the only one that make sense, in this case!

[Trauma]

Okay. I think I've given you the benefit of the doubt long enough. What the high hell are you even talking about now?

It's the only one game that got an objective that is only founded at the end

Other than, y'know. The rest of the series. And every video game ever. The point of video games is to fulfill an objective. Whether crossing the finish line first, racking up the high score, or saving the princess. There's always an objective right at the end.

I realize your English isn't the most fluent, but at the same time that doesn't excuse you from not knowing what you're talking about. Cheryl doesn't have dissociative identity disorder, the entire game is a metaphor for what she went through to figure out what actually happened. It's not actually happening in her mind. It's just a metaphor for what is happening in her mind. It's basically the reverse of what we see in Silent Hill 2. Rather than the main characters projecting parts of their mind on to their environment, it's Cheryl's environment projecting itself onto parts of her mind. At least that's the way I take it-I might be wrong. I doubt it's really like a movie playing in Cheryl's head, just a metaphor for the clusterfuck her brain is during the therapy session.

[gustavopi]

My english is not so bad, I just start to understand me. Yes, we can see the all game as a metaphor, but, this view take me away from any possibility of a diagnose. I got to find out what is real, I need facts to play doctor. But don't worry, a lot of people here see it just like you - maybe the major part. But there is always the skeptical one!

In all Silent Hill games before this one, I know who I am and there is an initial objective. SM is basically a dialog! Am I in a clinic talking about my past? WTF...

Forget about dissociative identity disorder, try a hypothesis: if the game is about memories, than at list a part of the story must be real. If other doctors cannot deal with her, is because it's something deep. It's probably useless consider only ordinary traumatic kind of troubles that happens every day. You see that this investigation leads to another game, in another layer.

I think Cheryl were a special child already (stupid child don't have complex troubles) in a problematic family with at list a divorce, but maybe drinking and violence at home. Than daddy die! But life goes on: she got the bulling problem at school, sexuality problems (no support from mom), she becomes at list a thief and maybe a murder. Her mind starts to avoid and denied reality, is painful and she got no "psychological strength" to deal with her own faults. Her mother is weak, didn't threat her at right time, she starts to use drugs and finally break down, when the police arrested her and she is probably forced to go to the clinic. She only gets luck with Cybil that got her own troubles and got some empathy with Cheryl.

[Trauma]

No, your English isn't very good

Forget about dissociative identity disorder, try a hypothesis: if the game is about memories, than at list a part of the story must be real. If other doctors cannot deal with her, is because it's something deep. It's probably useless consider only ordinary traumatic kind of troubles that happens every day. You see that this investigation leads to another game, in another layer.

Uh yeah... the parts of the game that are real are the various photos and sound clips you find of her.

Did you ever stop to think that "the other therapists didn't work out for her" because some people just hate opening up to therapists? It's not that uncommon.

In all Silent Hill games before this one, I know who I am and there is an initial objective. SM is basically a dialog! Am I in a clinic talking about my past

There's an initial objective in Shattered Memories, except that you find out later that what you thought was the initial objective actually isn't, and it's really something entirely different. Like you know, every other game in the series and mostly every other game in video game history? Once again. That's generally how plot works.

I'm still not convinced you know at all what you're talking about, and if you do- your flimsy articulation certainly isn't showing it. Why do you insist so hard to make a mountain out of a mole hill?

[gustavopi]

I'm still not convinced you know at all what you're talking about, and if you do- your flimsy articulation certainly isn't showing it. Why do you insist so hard to make a mountain out of a mole hill?

Because I got obsessive-compulsive disorder!!! What your excuse for not answering my questions?

Did you ever stop to think that "the other therapists didn't work out for her" because some people just hate opening up to therapists? It's not that uncommon.

That's obvious, an irrefutable answer for us to feel better. Good for a religion, not for a scientific approach, even just for fun (like "MythBusters" TV program). But why she, in her specific case, hate opening up to therapists?

Let me give you a hand:

- Because some people is just like this...

We're going nowhere. Better luck for us next time...

[Trauma]

Ok, what the flying fuck are you even ta...Oh nevermind

I'm done.