A&E Network’s new, six-part original docu-series “Many Sides of Jane” will explore what life is really like for one young woman living with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), previously known as Multiple Personality Disorder, as she juggles parenting her two young boys and navigating her complicated relationship with her mother and her past. This is the first series of its kind that showcases this disorder in such an intimate light. Jane graciously allows cameras into her private day-to-day life, including her intense therapy sessions, to capture every moment as new memories emerge helping Jane as she continues to unlock mysteries surrounding DID and her childhood trauma that caused it. “Many Sides of Jane” premieres on Tuesday, January 22 at 10PM ET/PT on A&E.
In the new series, produced for A&E by Renegade 83, “Many Sides of Jane,” a 28-year-old mother of two from Boise, Idaho who was recently diagnosed with DID allows cameras to follow her journey. Her more than nine identities, ranging in age from 6-28 years old, can appear at any time and are typically triggered by stress. Diagnosed only three years ago, she is on a journey to understand what caused her DID as well as figure out how she can best co-exist with her many “parts” as they each emerge to try and make themselves heard. Throughout the series, Jane will be coming to terms with past abuses that occurred during her childhood and her relationship with her family under the watchful care of her clinical psychologist. This is a raw, unfiltered look at an extraordinary young woman who is learning how to live her life again with a commonly misunderstood disorder known as Dissociative Identity Disorder. Jane has nine distinctly identified “parts” although there are more inside that are either not as developed or haven’t felt safe making themselves known at this stage in therapy. Her nine distinctly identified “parts” thus far include the following:
· Janey is six years old, innocent and childlike, and has no memory of Jane’s abuse nor had to endure it.
· Beth is 10 years old, reserved and soft-spoken. She is scared and traumatized from enduring a majority of Jane’s abuse.
· Jaden is an 11-year-old tomboy and very defensive of Jane’s abusers.
· Alexis is a 17-year-old energetic, fun, party girl. She is the rebel and loves flaunting her sexuality and being in control.
· Madison is a 28-year-old lesbian who wants nothing to do with men. She is assertive, direct and is a protector of Jane and all her “parts.”
· Jerry holds all the anger about Jane’s past abuse and prevents her from fully feeling the emotion of anger.
· Ashley is 19 years old and has only recently made herself known in therapy. She is beginning to establish a good rapport with Jane’s therapist so that she can begin to tell her story.
· Jeffery is a male part who is still a bit of a mystery.
· A new non-verbal “part” has just started to emerge unexpectedly. This “part” comes out in association with new flashbacks and does not yet have a name.
A&E has partnered with NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization, to share information and resources for individuals and their family members who may be affected by mental illness. These resources include an on-air PSA featuring Jane Hart, end-card information with NAMI’s HelpLine, a discussion guide and more.