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What is Dissociative Identity Disorder?

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), previously known as multiple personality disorder, is a complex psychological condition characterized by two or more distinct personality states or identities that alternately take control over a person’s behaviour. This involves significant memory and identity disturbances.

People with DID experience severe dissociative symptoms, a disconnection between thoughts, memories, emotions, actions and sense of identity. Dissociation allows a person to compartmentalize traumatic memories and experiences into separate identity states. Switching between these alternate identities/personas is involuntary.

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The many identities

Each identity has its own pattern of thinking, relating, perceiving and behaving that is noticeably different from the others. There may be distinctive variations in speech, gait, mannerisms, opinions, attitudes and dress style between identities. An individual may shift into a child, persecutor, protector or other alternate identity in response to environmental triggers.

Switching between alters can be abrupt, with no memory of what happened during another identity’s control. Some experience transitions like flashes of light, headaches, or blurs in vision, which are signifying switches. Alters can also switch internally, with passive influence on external behaviour. Co-consciousness, where alters experience awareness of each other, also occurs.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis involves a structured clinical interview by a mental health professional to assess impaired functioning due to dissociative symptoms. Reports from a spouse or family member about exhibiting distinct identities may supplement patient history. Tests like the Dissociative Experiences Scale can screen for the likelihood of DID.

The treatments

Dissociative-Identity-Disorder-treatments
Treatment focuses on creating communication and cooperation between the alternate identities and integrating them. Psychotherapy helps patients process underlying psychological trauma that triggered the dissociative fragmentation. Hypnosis may aid in recovering repressed memories. Adjunct approaches like art or movement therapy and medication for co-occurring disorders are also used.

[expander_maker id=”2″ more=”Read more” less=”Read less”]Recovery from DID requires time, consistency and inner cooperation between identities to function harmoniously. With professional help, individuals can learn to experience previously dissociated emotions safely, develop internal communication and eventually fuse divided identities into unified functioning. This allows for reclaiming a coherent, stable sense of self.

DID reflects extensive psychological trauma during childhood when personality is still forming. Though controversial due to sparse systematic research, it denotes a complex coping mechanism in the backdrop of unspeakable trauma. Sensitive, empathetic handling of individuals with DID can help them reconcile internal divides and reintegrate a fractured sense of identity into a healthier, unified whole.[/expander_maker]