Herschel Walker and Dissociative Identity Disorder As a professional football player, Walker (2008) was somewhat of an enigma to his teammates because of his diverse pursuits, which ranged from bobsledding to ballet dancing, and because he often referred to himself in the third person. “Herschel played well today,” he might say. After retiring from football, Walker began suffering from unexplained violent outbursts, blackouts, and memory loss. Since being diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder, Walker has identified a dozen distinct alters, including “The Warrior,” who handled playing football and the pain that went with it, and “The Hero,” who made public appearances. With therapy, Walker is learning to manage his symptoms and hopes to educate the public about this rare disorder.
AP Photo/John Amis