Dissociative Identity Disorder

It is also known as Multiple personality disorder. DID is a mental disorder that involves at least two or more personalities within one individual which is also known as alters. These alter can imaginary people and sometimes even animals. It is characterized by an involuntary escape from reality. It is a mental process where they lack connection in a person’s thoughts, memories, feelings, and sense of identity.

DID is seen more frequently in women than men because females experience more childhood abuse and as they are more frequently present with acute dissociative symptoms whereas men tend to deny that trauma history and get more violent in their behaviour.

Statistics show that in the general population occurrence of DID is 0.01 to 1%. The symptoms start to show at age 5 to years and the emergence of alters starts around age 6. DID can last a lifetime if not treated.

 

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Symptoms of Dissociative Identity Disorder

• Each alters have a different kind of personality, name, personal history, and the way they relate to the world.   
• Significant memory loss of certain event, place, and people
• Feelings of disconnection
• Flashbacks
• Hallucinations
• Lack of self-identity
• Thoughts of suicide
• Out of body experience

 

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Diagnosis 

1. The presence of two or more personalities in one individual. It can be self detected or by a therapist.

2. Amenisa must occur

3. They have difficulty in day to day activities

4. The symptoms are not a result of substance abuse.

5. Symptoms are not part of religious or cultural practice.

 

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Causes:

1. A sequence of trauma has played an important role in the development of DID.  90% of people with DID have shown signs of the past history of abuse.

2. physical and sexual abuse experienced during childhood.

3. Instability in relationships.

4. Impulsive behaviour

5. Self-harming behaviour

6. Neglect of emotional abuse

 

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Treatment:  

1. Psychotherapy 

Psychotherapy helps the person integrate different personalities into one single identity. It improves relationships and helps in coping in day to day life. The forms of therapy may include cognitive-behavioral theory(CBT), dialectical-behavioral therapy (DBT), and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing( EMDR)

2. Hypnotherapy 

Clinical hypnosis can help in accessing repressed memories, control problematic behaviours, and help integrate personalities into one.

3. Adjunctive therapy 

Therapies involving art movements help people connect with parts of their brain which had been shut off due to coping up with trauma.  

 

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Co-occurring conditions:

• Post-traumatic stress disorder 
• Personality disorder
• Depression
• Substance abuse 
• Conversion disorder
• Somatic symptom disorder
• Eating disorder
• Non-epileptic seizures
• Anxiety disorder 
• Suicidality

 

 

Coping techniques: 

• Meditation – Practising mediation helps in getting aware of their internal mental states.
• Relaxation techniques – It reduces stress and helps in managing the symptoms.
• Mindfulness – This practice can help them come back to the present state when flashback takes place.
• Reminders– writing down things can help in remembering after experiencing periods of forgetfulness.

 

 

How to help your loved one dealing with DID?

Stay calm during switches, it might happen abruptly. Learn how to recognize the alters and what triggers them. They might be triggered by a sense of smell, taste, touch, sounds, place, etc.