Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

I would like to further my knowledge on the controversial mental illness identified as Dissociative Identity Disorder, or DID. More commonly known as multiple personality disorder, it has been a mental illness which gained attention from being the main focus in a variety of Hollywood’s films, aside from what has been portrayed in films I have little insight to what this disorder is.

According to “Healthy Place”, 89% of people who suffer from Dissociative identity disorder (or Multiple Personality Disorder) are misdiagnosed (B.J.). Therefore, Dissociative identity disorder is labeled as “The Hidden Epidemic,” because it is never diagnosed as it really is, but hidden by other illnesses (Slack pg. 43). Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is often triggered with traumatic events like experiencing severe abuse. People with Dissociative identity disorder can come to a realization that they are diagnosed if they start having symptoms such as self harm, mood swings etc. Some people think it is some other disorder or disease, but majority do not know what DID is or of they are diagnosed with it. Although DID is incurable, there

Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a condition where there are two or more distinct identities that are and will become present in an individual. These personalities can and will eventually take control of the individual, many people consider having dissociative identity disorder an experience of being possessed. The individual can and most likely will experience memory loss that is more extensive than ordinary everyday forgetfulness (Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder). Around two percent of people will experience dissociative disorder, women are more likely than men are to be diagnosed with DID. "Almost half of adults in the United States experience at least one depersonalization/derealization episode in their lives, with only 2% meeting the full criteria for chronic episodes” (Dissociative Disorders).

Psychotherapy is what’s primarily used for those who suffer from DID, the treatments usually involve uncovering and mapping the alter egos or parts; treating the traumatic memories and fusing the egos together to consolidate the new personality.

Dissociative identity order Dissociative identity disorder is a fairly new diagnosis in the world of psychology, appearing first in the DSM-II as hysterical neurosis. Now, it has grown into a single disorder under an entire dissociative subtype (Spiegel et al., 2011). Of these diagnoses, dissociative identity disorder is one of the more controversial with much evidence supporting that, under the right psychological influence, certain individuals can fall into a state that resembles dissociative identity disorder. Psychologists are not in complete unison on what even causes DID making the diagnosis that much more challenging. Generally, there are three main areas where most psychologists look to diagnose DID: post-traumatic model, socio-cognitive model, and the biological model.

Although there is no “cure” for DID, long-term committed treatment can be helpful. If not treated properly, DID can worsen over the years and can last a lifetime. Trust is the most vital issue in treatment and many patients have a hard time trusting anyone. Patients long to be loved and to love because they were often deprived of that as children (Cohen, Giller & W., 1987). DID patients must be cared for and treated in a loving environment with a therapist that is supportive and patient (Cohen, Giller & W., 1987) One of the primary focuses is to help patients learn to control and contain symptoms. Control helps patients no longer see themselves as victims of the past but as survivors of their situations (Waseem & Aslam, 2016). Treatment

Dissociative identity disorder (previously known as multiple personality disorder) is thought to be a complex mental condition that is likely brought on by numerous variables, including serious injury amid early adolescence generally compelling, repetitive physical, sexual, or psychological mistreatment. The greater part of us have encountered mild dissociation, which resemble wandering off in fantasy land or losing all sense of direction at the time while taking a shot at an undertaking. In any case, dissociative personality issue is an extreme type of separation, a mental procedure which delivers an absence of association in a man 's musings, recollections, emotions, activities, or feeling of character. Dissociative character issue is thought to originate from a blend of components that may incorporate injury experienced by the individual with the confusion. The dissociative viewpoint is thought to be a method for dealing with stress - the individual actually separates himself from a circumstance or experience that is excessively brutal, traumatic, or difficult to absorb with his cognizant self.

The opposing side of Dissociative Identity Disorder claims DID is not a real condition and should be taken out of DSM-V for reasons concerning patients faking their symptoms, patients misdiagnosed and the treatments used on them. The first evidence used to show DID is not a real condition says patients diagnosed are faking their symptoms. David H. Gleaves of Texas University, author of The Sociocognitive Model of Dissociative Identity Disorder: A Reexamination of the Evidence, claims, “Individuals who are diagnosed as having DID are generally attention seeking and it is obvious in the clinical presentation” (43). The opposition believes patients may want to fake their symptoms for a diagnosis to avoid being identified as insane by others around them. It has been said DID symptoms are easily recognized, but patients diagnosed may show symptoms that are difficult to follow. Inexperienced clinicians still diagnose these patients as having Dissociative Identity Disorder. Inexperienced clinicians may also not recognize that some of these symptoms are linked to other disorders that they may be less familiar with. “Dissociative symptoms have been found to discriminate patients with DID from those with a variety of other disorders, including schizophrenia, eating disorders, panic disorder, borderline personality disorder, partial complex seizures, and simple posttraumatic stress disorder” (Gleaves 44). Dissociative Identity Disorder is a disorder that doctors can diagnose patients with if they are unsure what else this could be. This can be unbeneficial to the patients who are misdiagnosed because they are not actually receiving the correct treatment they need for the condition. Gleaves also states the treatment of Dissociative Identity Disorder can create or worsen the disorder by clinicians putting thoughts into the patient’s head.

Today, dissociative identity disorder is a relatively popular diagnosis with 20,000 cases recorded between 1980 and 1990. Researchers currently believe that from 0.01-10% of the general population has this mental illness. Dissociative identity disorder occurs 3-9 times more frequently in women than in men (science.jrank.org, 2015). Empirical studies in the general population and in different clinical samples using sound instruments have indicated that dissociative symptoms do not differ between the genders. The seemingly dominance of dissociative disorders in women may also depend on the socio-cultural context, because men with dissociative disorders usually do not enter the general health system, but rather the legal system or jailed (Spitzer & Freyberger, 2008, p.

According to most psychologists and research on dissociative disorders, Dissociative Identity Disorder (previously known as Multiple Personality Disorder) is a posttraumatic mental illness formed from disturbing experiences as a child, especially child abuse. The socio-cognitive model describes integration between social and cognitive influences on the way to function and process information and is therefore connected. Psychiatrists who believe in this model suggest that DID is not a valid psychiatric disorder but instead caused by therapists training their patients to believe their symptoms are leading them to create different sets of personalities. Also, DID may be a result of the media’s portrayal on psychotherapeutic defense mechanisms

Dissociative Identity Disorder is a disorder that is hardly talked about, however has extreme effects on patients that suffer with it. However, this topic is important because it can lead to finding treatments that may be more effective for patients with DID. Past studies have shown that the main treatment for Dissociative Identity Disorder usually involves therapy. The most popular types of therapy are psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and family therapy. Treatment for DID has a specific purpose which is to unite an individual with their personalities, and form a functional identity (Pais, 2009). Additionally, a strength of past studies is that they usually do a follow up on patients. Another strength is that the participants are usually all of different ages. One limitation is that there is never enough participants for research, another limitation is that there aren’t many treatment options to try on patients. Furthermore, is diazepam useful when paired with psychotherapy? Moreover, my study will be unique because there has only been one case that tried lorazepam, which is a similar drug to diazepam, and it proved to be successful (Mushtaq, Shoib, Arif, Shah, Mushtaq, 2014). Also, my study will have more than one patient, to have more accurate results. Finally, diazepam and psychotherapy could be a good treatment for DID.

This research paper aims to explore the mental disease known as Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), previously known as multiple personality disorder. I explore the meaning, symptoms, and effects of DID. My research describes those diagnosed with DID and the probable reasons of why they have the disorder. This study also explains the many different treatments and the effects those treatments might have on a person that has the disorder. I include a research study done on someone diagnosed with DID, the method used to help treat her, and the results of her treatment. Lastly, I state my opinion on DID and the methods I believe with help people prevent, treat, and cope with

Clinicians usually have a difficult time diagnosing dissociative identity disorder due to the fact that numerous clinicians do not receive enough training about the disorder and there is still some skeptics today on whether DID actually exists. According to Putnam (1989), dissociative identity disorder comes with a large amount of symptoms which include depressed moods and mood swings, different personalities in a person’s psyche, amnesia/time loss, anxiety and exhibit phobic-like behavior, substance abuse, hallucinations, delusions, thought disorder, suicidal behaviors and may self-mutilate, may exhibit catatonic behaviors, and may display transsexualism and transvestism behaviors (p.57-65). The reason for depressive symptoms is because individuals with personalities disorder tend to demonstrate low self-esteem and have a terrible outlook on life. According to Putnam (1989), these depressive symptoms are the most common in DID

Imagine waking up in a new house, town, city, even state and not knowing how you got there. Now add onto that thought of forgetting almost a year of your life because someone else, or something, has taken over your body. That is just a look into dissociative disorders in general. Dissociative Disorders are ‘extreme distortions in perception and memory” (Terwilliger 2013). Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), or previously known as Multiple Personality Disorder, is often the most misunderstood dissociative disorder of them all. It has always been somewhat of a mystery. Seeing videos of the disorder can really give you an insight on what happens with the person who suffer from it. Almost everyone in the

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, Fifth Edition (DSM 5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013) describes dissociative identity disorder (DID) is the presence of two or more personality states or an experience of possession and recurrent episodes of amnesia; often counseling professionals refer to these personalities as alters. The harmful effects of childhood abusive experiences on growth and development have been well documented and are associated with dissociative identity disorder. Although the diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder is not usually made until adulthood, long after the problem has taken a toll on the person. Therefore, the most common cause of the disorder is agreed to be early, ongoing, extremely