A man living in Germany is no longer able to leave the house alone because of a rare psychiatric condition that has split his personality into ten.
Leonard Stöckl, 22, has Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), meaning ten people make up his personality. The condition often develops in childhood as a result of severe trauma.
Stöckl shares his body with Kovu, 4, Hektor, 8, Ana, 16, Cosmo, 17, Ash, 18, Jessy, 19, Leo, 21, Billy, 23, Liv, 24, and Red, 26.
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The group - which Stöckl refers to as his ‘system’ - share one body but have their own distinct forms of consciousness.
Stöckl is the ‘host’ of the system, meaning he is the person most often in control of his body.
While Stöckl was able to cope and manage his day-to-day life into his teenage years, his DID became overwhelming when he started his A-levels last year and he was forced to seek medical help.
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He is still unable to work as each of his system’s differing personalities mean it’s impossible for him to hold down a job, however he is able to make a living selling tote bags and bookmarks on Etsy.
Stöckl, who lives in Munich with his partner Massimo, spoke to the paper in detail about each member of his system, explaining: “We live with Massimo and he is the main person looking after us. Each alter has their own relationship with my boyfriend.”
He added: “One of the alters hated him at first - he’s now trying to be pleasant but it doesn’t always work.
“We have a very young alter that has met him, but it can be difficult for my boyfriend when there is a younger person fronting whilst we are together.”
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It’s unclear whether Stöckl was referring to Kovu, 4, or Hektor, 8, but he did share an insight into both of their personalities.
Stöckl explained: “Kovu is our youngest and we don't know much about him, because he is very quiet - we suspect that he is very traumatised.”
He added: “Hektor is a very excited kid - he loves stuffed animals and always gets excited about going to the zoo or visiting an aquarium.”
Stöckl said that because people with DID are often reluctant to share their experience with the world due to factors like shame and fear of a past abuser contacting them.
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He hopes his online videos will educate people about the condition.
Stöckl also emphasised: “DID is not portrayed correctly in movies and series - we don't have superpowers and we are not dangerous.
“We need authentic movies and documentaries, we don't need film productions to make millions of dollars at our expense and risk. DID is more than just having multiple personalities living in one body.”
If you're experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They're open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you're not comfortable talking on the phone
Topics: Mental Health, Health