Essay On Dissociative Identity Disorder

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

Psychology plays an enormous role in Dissociative Identity Disorder it is the way of explaining the disorder and the troubles the victims got through. In “Dissociative Identity Disorder: A Literature Review” by Mcallister, Mcallister states ways in which psychology connects with DID. Phycologists have and continue to study this disorder closely. They explain how this disorder is developed by many abused children. These children

Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a severe condition in which two or more distinct identities or personality states are present in, and alternately take control of an individual. People who suffer from DID often have no recollection of what they have done or said while under the influence of the alternate personalities. Friends, family, and the person with the disorder often have a hard time dealing with DID, because of the sporadic nature of the personalities. DID is a serious disorder that affects a person’s long-term and short-term memory, their own identity, and their self-control.

Approximately 43 million Americans suffer from some kind of mental illness. Although this statistic suggests it’s a normal and accepted fact, the reality of the situation is that mental health does not get enough awareness as it should. This is because a lot of people believe that these ailments such as depression and bipolar disorder are “all in their heads.” Technically speaking, these people are not wrong since these things do occur in the brain, hence the name “mental” illness. One disorder that has grabbed my inner psychologist’s attention is dissociative identity disorder also known as DID. Dissociative identity disorder is a controversial disorder because psychologists are split on its existence and validity.

Dissociative Identity Disorder, or DID, is defined as: “The result of a marvelously creative defense mechanism that a young child uses to cope with extremely overwhelming trauma” (Hawkins, 2003, p. 3). Ross describes DID in this way: “In its childhood onset forms, the disorder is an effective strategy for coping with a traumatic environment: It becomes dysfunctional because environmental circumstances have changed by adulthood” (1997, p, 62). What types of traumatic environments are we talking about here? Often children who form DID are involved in some sort of abuse. These types of abuses can be physical, sexual and even ritual. Such abuses are not meant for children to have to endure, however, the mind

Dissociative Identity Disorder, popularly known as multiple personality disorder, is the most talked about disorder and also the most controversial diagnosis that evokes myriads of responses. It is a very severe mental health condition that originates in early childhood because of severe trauma that a child experiences. This eventually creates two or more distinct personas used as a defense mechanism against that trauma (Barreda-Hanson, n.d.). Some people characterize it as someone being possessed because it is unwanted and involuntary (APA, 2013). The involuntary personalities develop separately and later on in adulthood help deal with stress by calming the main personality (Cherry, 2005). People with

Sexual molestation, beating, neglect, burning, and verbal abuse. All of these horrible happenings are believed to be linked to a condition known as Multiple personality disorder (MPD). Multiple personality disorder, also known as dissociative identity disorder, is a mental illness in which a person has two or more identities or personalities. Single personalities randomly take control of the individual's behavior. Usually, the sufferer gives the personalities their own names. These multiple personalities almost always have characteristics that greatly differ from the person's primary identity. A person with this disorder always experiences some amount of amnesia. Most of the time the individual forgets

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

Dissociative Identity Disorder/Multiple personality is a mental disorder, comorbidity of psychosis, childhood trauma and dissociation (1). It’s a complex chronic disorder characterized by the identification of multiple severe psychological syndromes of unexplainable and recurrent amnesia, the ongoing coexistence or the alternating of two or more subjectively independent identities, and depersonalization. (1,5) Dissociative Identify Disorder in majority of the occasion transpire as a mechanism for the patient to cope with post traumatic stress of childhood abuses but not apparent until adulthood. (4) Therefore, those two are inevitably linked through interviews and experiment on patients diagnosed with DID (2,4).

Once physical conditions are ruled out, mental health specialists are usually called in to make a final evaluation. Due to her abusive past with her parents, she was massively affected to the point of developing dissociative identity disorder. She was brought to a psychiatrist since many of the doctors she’s visited in the past believed she was suffering from mere pseudo-symptoms. Yet when consulted properly, she was thought of as a landmark of women who experience similar emotions. Her diagnosis would have gone through a different process in modern psychology, especially with the use of the MMPI test. And despite the strides in the machinations of diagnosing disorders, the rarity of dissociative identity disorder can make a diagnosis extremely difficult to complete. In an American study, there was “29% of 149 outpatients...had a dissociative disorder, including 6% who had DID” and research showed that “previously undiagnosed DID can be detected through structured diagnostic interviews in the general population” (Ross, 2006).

Just think, how would it feel growing up and having to share your own body with yourself. People that have been in extreme traumatizing situations in their early childhood conjure up this second personality. Only in extreme cases of brain trauma or psychological abuse to an individual. For example, when a child is shy and terrified of society because they were taught that they were never going to be good enough, they will create a better version of them. This shy and terrified child would create an identity that is strong and outgoing. This identity that the child conjured up would become a part of them for the rest of their life. Secondary identity would only appear when provoked. This identity becomes like the child’s superhero saving them from unwanted monsters and the unknown fears in the darkness. Dissociative Identity Disorder is the distinct and separate personality states that are caused by a disturbance of identity. (1)

People who are said to have dissociative identity disorder may adopt as many as 100 new identities, all simultaneously coexisting, although the average number for most people is closer to 15. In some of the cases the identities are considered complete with each its own behavior, tone of voice, and physical gestures. But in many cases only a few of these characteristics are distinct because these identities are only partially independent, which means that there are not “multiple” complete personalities. The etiology is really examined when finding the cause of DID, but almost every patient with this disorder reports to their mental health professional of being horribly abused as a child. Some observations have

The treatment of dissociative identity disorder can be very challenging. The purpose of most treatment is the integration of all the personalities into one coherent personality. The process starts by identifying the functions of each personality and then helping each personality confront, develop coping skills, and work through the trauma that led them to this disorder. There have been few studies that have empirical data on the treatment of dissociative identity disorder. One study that was able to produce results was able to integrate the personality of the individuals for 2 years after the treatment. These patients also reported few symptoms of substance abuse or depression and reduce the use of medication. On the other hand, patients who had not achieved full integration or relapsed through treatment continued to express symptoms of dissociative identity disorder and a number of other disorders (Ellason & Ross, 1997). Many therapies, such as psychotherapy, that deals treatment through addressing trauma can be effective because of its integration with the root of dissociative identity disorder.

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