Lucy Cottier shares her body with four other personalities, including a ‘sexual’ woman who seduces her partner, an ‘immature’ little boy and an ‘aggressive’ girl who has repeatedly overdosed and tried to kill her.
The 17-year-old Brisbane woman was diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) – otherwise known as Multiple Personality Disorder – three months ago, after she tried to commit suicide and had no recollection of it.
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia this week, Lucy revealed the reality of living with five different personalities.
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia this week, Lucy Cottier (pictured) revealed the reality of living with five different personalities
Her body is shared with Bridgette, a ‘sweet and cute’ 11-year-old who likes to dress in pink, Avrel, an overtly ‘sexual’ 18-year-old who seduces her partner, Emily, a 14-year-old who is ‘sad and angsty’, Sam, a 12-year-old boy who is ‘immature’ and Void, who is Lucy’s aggressive and harmful alter.
Lucy developed her first alter, Void, three months ago.
She woke up in hospital after overdosing, with no memory of what happened. That was the first of many self harm attempts by Void.
‘The scariest was probably 97 stitches in two days, thanks Void!’ she said.
While Void was her only aggressive alter, she was not the only one to have caused Lucy physical injury.
‘The funniest was probably Bridgette changing into her pink shirt and dislocating my shoulder. I have a connective tissue disorder called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, so her getting into the shirt a bit too excitedly ended in a hospital trip,’ Lucy said.

Lucy first developed her first alter, Void, three months ago, the result of trauma as a young teenager


Lucy (left and right) says she uses poetry and singing to get her through the difficult times

The 17-year-old said her alters differed drastically, each bringing their own challenge for her family, friends and partner, Samara (pictured together)
The 17-year-old said her alters differed drastically, each bringing their own challenge for her family, friends and partner, Samara.
‘They don’t get along with my not-so-nice personalities, but no one does really,’ she said.
While she struggled with one or two difficult alters, Lucy said some were more amiable.
Lucy said her ‘sexual’ alter, Avrel, showered her partner Samara in compliments.
‘(Samara) just politely declines any advances and takes the compliments, because me switching usually means I’m upset or stressed so she respects that and just tells Avrel no,’ Lucy said.
‘She’s the most understanding, thoughtful person. I couldn’t wish for a better partner.’

‘(Samara) just politely declines any advances and takes the compliments, because me switching usually means I’m upset or stressed so she respects that and just tells Avrel no,’ Lucy said (Lucy and Samara pictured together)

Lucy (with Samara) said she had no control over her alters or when she switched between them
Lucy said she had no control over her alters or when she switched between them.
‘I’ll be in the middle of a conversation and randomly switch back and have someone fill me in on what I’ve said for the past hour and I’ll have no recollection of it,’ she said.
‘It’s pretty sudden, I’ll switch into a personality and suddenly switch back. It feels like being jolted awake when you’re dreaming.’
She said she switched almost every day, and had no recollection of the time she lost to her alters.
Lucy revealed her DID diagnosis was the result of trauma she suffered as a child and young teenager.
She endured bullying in primary school, and was the victim of mentally and physically abusive relationships in her early teenage years.
‘I thought I was more over it than I was, but I obviously wasn’t that over it, because I developed the DID so it did shock me,’ she said.

Lucy is pictured playing the piano in Brisbane, after she was admitted to hospital for Ehlers Danlos Syndrome

Despite the challenges DID brought, Lucy said she maintained a positive outlook on life

Lucy, who graduated from school with top marks, said she only knew information about her alters because they told her family and partner about themselves
Lucy said she only knew information about her alters because they told her family and partner about themselves when they came to the surface.
Now three-months since she first switched, Lucy said her life changed drastically.
One of the most difficult parts of the disorder, she said, was losing large gaps in time.
She said she often jolted awake in a completely foreign place, with no memory of how she got there.
‘I woke up in a public bathroom at my local shops. I was just laying on the floor when beforehand I was just sitting in my bedroom,’ she said.
‘I was confused, shocked and scared. I quickly ran home and told mum what happened. I’ve dissociated and walked away from home quite a bit.’

Lucy is pictured with her mother Sandi after she was hospitalised for Ehlers Danlos Syndrome

Lucy said she was forced to leave Grade 12 early in the year due to her disorder, but still graduated with an OP 4 – an ATAR equivalent of 94

If Lucy is unable to snap out of it herself, the responsibility falls on her family or partner
If Lucy is unable to snap out of it herself, the responsibility falls on her family or partner.
Her family uses ‘grounding techniques – like breathing exercises’ to bring her back, but Lucy said it wasn’t always so simple.
‘Realistically my other personalities aren’t that cooperative so that usually means ice or water being thrown on my head to shock my senses and bring me back,’ she said.