The Stigma of Dissociative Identity Disorder in Movies with Dylan & Holly Crumpler: Petals of a Rose

Drew & Garden System have a chat with Dylan & Holly Crumpler about the portrayal of Dissociative Identity Disorder in Hollywood films. Dylan & Holly discuss the diagnostic journey, how the film Petals of a Rose came to be, their upcoming projects to help reduce stigma, and their hopes for the future.

Holly and Dylan Crumpler are a mother-son team of passionate activists working to reduce the stigma associated with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Given that DID has historically been depicted in an inaccurate, sensationalized, and violent way in film and television, Dylan created his senior thesis film, Petals of a Rose, at Chapman University to realistically depict a day in the life of a woman with DID. He co-wrote the screenplay with his mother, Holly, who was diagnosed with DID in 2018 at the age of 51.

Holly is a retired Tax Partner at Deloitte, an international public accounting firm, where she worked for 25 years consulting with corporations regarding their global compensation and benefit programs. Dylan is an independent filmmaker and 2022 graduate of Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film Production with an emphasis in Directing and a Themed Inquiry in Leadership.

Petals of a Rose has received international acclaim, with Dylan and Holly sharing the film at numerous mental health conferences and educational events. The film is being used by clinicians in training sessions, college courses, and therapeutic settings. The film’s subtitles are available in twelve languages.

Following is the link where you can watch the 15 minute film and learn more about its impact:  https://www.dylancrumpler.com/petals-of-a-rose

Please consider rating and reviewing Petals of a Rose on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19715926

Dylan and Holly are now developing a documentary exploring the impact of misrepresentation of DID in film and television, and also a longer film/series expanding on the story of their short film’s protagonist, Rose.

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Remember, this podcast is not a substitute for therapy. The purpose of this podcast is to educate and provide information on dissociative identity disorder. We share our personal stories, interview guests who also live with DID, and we interview mental health professionals to share their clinical knowledge.

And most importantly: remember that every system is different. What works for one may not work for another—and that’s okay. Your journey is valid, your healing is real, and we’re so glad you’re hanging out with A Couple of Multiples.

Articles cited in Seasons 4 & 5:

Brand, B. L., Sar, V., Stavropoulos, P., Krüger, C., Korzekwa, M., Martínez-Taboas, A., & Middleton, W. (2016). Separating Fact from Fiction: An Empirical Examination of Six Myths About Dissociative Identity Disorder. Harvard review of psychiatry, 24(4), 257–270. https://doi.org/10.1097/HRP.0000000000000100