A Battle Against Oneself Imagine living with a mental disorder that even your doctor refused to believe was real. For those living with Dissociative Identity Disorder, this is an unfortunate reality for far too many. Within the population, 1%-3% meet the criteria for DID, making the disease as common as other more familiar disorders like Schizophrenia or Bipolar Disorder (Gray). If the latter are easily identifiable, then why are both the public and certain mental health professionals reluctant to accept DID? Dissociative Identity Disorder is an authentic disease that can usually be prevented within the person’s childhood, can make the person’s life extremely difficult, and is frequently mistaken for other diseases with similar symptoms. …show more content…
The most recognizable aspect of Dissociative Identity Disorder is a person's experiencing of many different personalities, or “alters”. An alter is the shortened wording for an alternate personality. One of the most common misconceptions about Dissociative Identity Disorder, or DID for short, is that the person is made up of many people, when in reality these alters are simply fragmentations of a single person. However, these alters can have distinct characteristics and preferences that are much different than the host personality’s. The “host personality” is most commonly understood to be the person’s original personality, although certain instances prove that the most dominant personality can become the host personality over time. The switching between alters is something that is uncontrollable, and commonly leaves the person with very little memory of what has happened or a blank period of time altogether when another alter has been …show more content…
In a second study concerning 28 death row inmates convicted of murder, 14 met the criteria for DID and 12 of those 14 had long histories of child abuse (Lewis et al). Most cases, such as that of Blankity Blank, are brought on by abusive households. Blank was abused. However, the development of Dissociative Identity Disorder can be instigated by nonabusive, yet still traumatic, events alone. In the case of Chris Sizemore, her development of the disease was brought upon after viewing several horrifying accidents as a young child, such as fatal factory accident, a dead man’s body being dragged from a hole in the ground, and her mother being seriously injured in a kitchen mishap
Diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder (DID) accounts for an estimated 1% of the general population and up to 20% of inpatient and outpatient psychiatric populations (Brand & Loewenstein, 2010). DID can also be triggered and manifested in individuals which is why trauma is especially prevalent in individuals diagnosed with DID; about 71% have experienced childhood physical abuse and 74% sexual abuse (Foote, Smolin, Kaplan, Legatt, & Lipschitz, 2006). Due to trauma being so prevalent in DID many individuals with dissociative disorders suffer from a multitude of psychiatric issues that may include
Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a psychological condition in which a person will create one or more alternate identities. DID (formerly known as multiple personality disorder) is just one of three dissociative disorders. This disorder is set apart by the way the identities “switch” from one to another. Patients who suffer from dissociative identity disorder can often lead normal lives when diagnosed properly and treated accordingly; sometimes, they cannot. People suffering from dissociative identity disorder often have similar causes, symptoms, and treatments.
In chapter 15 of Exploring Psychology, the author discuss the basics of psychological disorders. Within this assignment, the psychological disorder of my choosing is Dissociative Identity Disorder. The commonality of the disorder is rare. Although we’ve disassociated ourselves in some form or the other with our ability to daydream, Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is more severe and is usually linked to trauma. Formerly the disorder was known as Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD). Individuals who suffer from this disorder usually have more than one aspect of themselves or personalities, whom he or she is completely unaware of. Sufferers of the disorder have to deal with a variety of symptoms such as memory loss, depression, anxiety, hallucinations, black-outs, impulsiveness, and perception of being detached from the self. The severity of the trauma is usually extreme, repetitive, and long-term. The individual may have an extensive history of physical, emotional, and/or sexual abuse.
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).
Dissociative Identity Disorder is a mental disorder where an individual experiences two or more distinct personalities. When an individual is diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder, one personality has dominant control of an individual. This personality controls how a person may act and how they live everyday life. A person diagnosed with this disease may or may not be aware of their alternate personalities. Each personality is contrasting of each other with distinctive likes and dislikes. They can differ in eyesight, prescriptions, language, and education levels. Many people who suffer from Dissociative Identity Disorder have experienced severe childhood trauma. Many Psychologist and others argue
The mental illness called dissociative identity disorder or DID brings up many controversies in the world of psychology. Many psychologists have their doubts as to whether it is a "real" diagnosis or not. In the article "Dissociative Identity Disorder: A Controversial Diagnosis" the author goes into detail, providing facts that have been collected from many sources and gives information as to why it is such a controversial topic. The article answers many questions regarding the topic, providing the reader with enough information to understand why there is such a controversy surrounding this topic.
Dissociative identity disorder can be diagnosed with, “the presence of two of more distinct identities or personalities states (each with its own relatively enduring pattern of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about the environment and self), b. at least two of these identities of personality states recurrently take control of the person’s behavior, c. inability to recall important personal information that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness, d. the disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance or general medical condition”, (Levy & Swanson. 2008. Clinical Assessment of Dissociative Identity Disorder Among College Counseling Clients. p. 11). Physicians argue that the evidence that the patient presents is real, they are looking for something more, or rather dig deeper to diagnose each separately as its own issue. Psychiatrists also argue that criminals may “get off” due to the individual’s alters playing a role in the diagnoses’ everyday life.
Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a mysterious condition that is misunderstood in its way of presentation in a patient. In this research article, there will be in depth analysis of the mental health condition that is so publicly recognized by Hollywood, but often ignored by medical professionals. There will also be an analysis of demographics, and who is affected more; males or females. There will also be a review of what factors predispose individuals to DID, and how it is diagnosed. There will also be information about how the disorder is treated, which includes therapy and medication. The usual signs and symptoms as well as medical and surgical interventions will be discussed. Lastly, this paper will review complications,
This essay will look at Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and its portrayal in the media. DID was formally known as Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD).This essay will cover the symptoms of DID, the criteria used for diagnosis, causes and triggers of disorder, how the disorder is portrayed in the media and the reality of the disorder for sufferers.
Dissociative Identity Disorder is a mental disorder where people display two or more diverse personalities. Another symptom of this includes memory loss or forgetting of events that exceeds everyday memory slips. It has been found that one of the main causes of this disorder is trauma, specifically childhood trauma. In fact, “about 90% of cases there is a history of abuse in childhood, while other cases are linked to experiences of war or health problems during childhood” (Dissociative Identity Disorder, 2018.). However, Dissociative Identity Disorder has also been linked to hypnosis. It is thought that this method of therapy, while eradicating the original problem, causes this personality disorder. Therefore, “it should be verified that
Dissociative Identity Disorder formerly known as multiple personality disorder is a disorder that researchers and doctors have shown immense interest in over the past century. Even though DID has evident symptoms and causes, some professionals in the healthcare system doubt that this disorder is real or it even exist. Dissociation is something that happens to every one of us; most of the time this is like day dreaming or being lost in thought while doing something like a project. However, DID is a more complicated form of dissociation. In this state, there is a disruption in the usually integrated functions of consciousness, memory, identity or perception of the environment (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV). When this
Before taking this psychology class, I had been skeptical of the Dissociative Identity Disorder. I had the same experiences as most people from the media. I had seen Sybil, the 1976 film starring Sally Field, and read “The Minds of Billy Milligan” while I was in high school. The subject piqued my curiosity, but I always saw it as a little too fantastical, especially the Milligan case, to possibly be legitimate. I merely discounted DID as a pseudo-disorder extremely clever individuals could use to avoid consequences or prosecution. A decade or so later, I found myself dating a woman who, after a couple months of the relationship, revealed that she was, in fact, diagnosed with DID. Needless to say, the relationship was tumultuous, unhealthy and very unfulfilling. Nonetheless, even with first hand experience, I was still left with tinge of doubt whether my ex’s case was “real”, or rather a well-crafted ruse to collect disability income. Worse, might the therapist be trying to his mark?
This paper explores 3 references. A website about Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), a book about this disorder and a couple of people who suffer from it, and a magazine article about one person that has experienced DID. This research discusses what DID is, it symptoms, what cause it, and two people that had/have this disorder.
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.
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