Dissociative Identity Disorder : Sybil And Primal Fear

Dissociative Identity Disorder, previously referred to as Multiple Personality Disorder, is a psychological illness that has raised a lot of controversy and led researchers to question its validity. This disorder has been recorded as early as the 1800’s, but has recently been given more attention to by clinical researchers because of its diagnosis rates. The brain is a very complex organ and certain traumas can lead to the occurrence of this illness. Dissociative identity disorder is an illness in which individuals develop two or more very different personality states. In this paper, I will explain the causes of dissociative identity disorder, outline the symptoms, and elaborate on the

DID falls under the DSM-IV-TR criteria. This includes dissociative amnesia and dissociative fugue. The main feature of this disorder is the that the individual personalities are dissociated, which is why there was a change from multiple personality disorder to DID. The diagnostic criteria for DID, according to the DSM-IV-TR, include the presence of two or more personality states, at least two of these states taking control of the individual’s behavior, and extreme memory loss that is more than just ordinary forgetfulness. All these symptoms should not manifest because of physiological effects like substance abuse or general medical condition (Durand and Barlow, 2016). When a personality dominates an individual’s behavior, it can change the demeanor of the person. Physical changes can be seen in their posture and facial expression. There may even be physical disabilities that form, like in the case of Louis Vivet. The range of identities an individual can have is endless, but most have one alter that is impulsive and sexually driven and typically another that acts as the protector. A switch is a term used to call the transition from one identity to another. It is usually instantaneous and can identified by physical change (Durand and Barlow, 2016). Memory loss also occurs quite frequently because most of the identities are detached from one another. There have been cases where only certain

Each identity has unique characteristics whether or not the personalities are aware of each other. The Mayo Clinic’s article states, “Each identity may have a unique name, personal history and characteristics, including obvious differences in voice, gender, mannerisms and even such physical qualities as the need for eyeglasses” (Mayo Clinic Staff). People with dissociative identity disorder may experience amnesia from time to time. The Cleveland Clinic’s article states, “The person may experience amnesia when an alter takes control over the person’s behavior” (“Dissociative Identity Disorder”). In certain instances, patients with DID may actually benefit from their disorder. The Cleveland Clinic’s article states, “In some cases, the person with DID may benefit from a particular alter (for example, a shy person may use a more assertive alter to negotiate a contract)” (“Dissociative Identity Disorder”). Though, in most cases, people suffering from dissociative identity disorder will have problems and added chaos in their lives due to their disorder. The Cleveland Clinic’s article also states, “More often DID creates a chaotic life and problems in personal and work relationships. For example, a woman with DID may repeatedly meet people who seem to know her but whom she does not recognize or remember ever meeting. Or she may find items around the home that she does not remember buying” (“Dissociative Identity Disorder”).

The phenomenal ability of humans is that we are able to change aspects of our personality by role-playing. Personality shifting is common and something we do everyday from having to go to work and be the boss to coming home and being part of the family. This is one reason why skeptics doubt Dissociative Identity Disorder as a real psychological disorder. Another reason for the skepticism is due to its short history which date back to 1791. The first official report of Dissociative Identity

Dissociative identity disorder is called a multiple personality disorder up until 1994 when they changed the name to give us a better understanding of the condition. Some people believe that patients with DID can become easily hypnotized and their symptoms are iatrogenic, "meaning they have arisen in response to therapists' suggestions. Brain imaging studies, however, have corroborated identity transitions in some patients." Usually a primary identity will carry the individual's name and is passive, dependent, guilty, and depressed. When an

Dissociative Identity Disorder is a severe psychological disorder characterized by at least two or more distinct personalities or different identities. The different personality states are said to occur spontaneously and involuntarily and function more or less independently of each other. The person suffering from the disorder also experiences memory loss that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness. Many people who experience this type of behavior are unaware that they have more than one personality because they can not remember anything that is happening while one of the mind alters are

Although there are many scientific facts that come with Dissociative Identity Disorder; there are many other factors that come along with it. A person with Dissociative Identity Disorder may have different likes and dislikes with taste of foods; and a person who may be allergic to peanuts may not be allergic to them the next day. The reason for this is, their alternate personality is not allergic to them. A person will not know how to play the piano one day, but the next day they know how. The most supported physical evidence of Dissociative Identity Disorder is the dramatic upsurge of eye vision in an individual (Visual Function in Multiple Personality Disorder 1). A person with multiple personalities can have contrasting eye vision. Along with eye vision comes medical needs. A person may have asthma one day and the next day they don’t. Many of these factors come along with Dissociative Identity

Dissociative identity disorder was formerly known as multiple personality disorder (MPD). DID was and is a very controversial disorder. Researchers argue whether or not the disorder is really validated because there are not fact stating tests revolving around the disorder. There are several similarities between dissociative identity disorder and borderline personality disorder, which is why some researchers had denied the existence of DID. (Gillig, 2009). Researches now realize that DID is on the same spectrum as borderline line personality disorder, but the symptoms are more severe. Symptoms of DID that coincide with borderline personality disorder include insomnia, sexual dysfunction, anger, thoughts of suicide, self-harm, drug and alcohol abuse, anxiety, paranoia, somatization, dissociation, mood altercations and changes in relationships and the loss of ties. (Gillig, 2009).

National Alliance on Mental Illness says that there are many dissociative disorders some are dissociative amnesia, dissociative fugue, depersonalization disorder and dissociative identity disorder that was called multiple personality disorder (NAMI, 2016). This paper will look at dissociative identity disorder and what brain abnormalities occur. According to Mayo Clinic, dissociative identity disorder (DID) is written off as the swapping of alternate identities in one person. The person may feel like there are one or more other people living inside them or talking to them. They may have their own names and different personality accompanied by different voices and even gender. People with DID usually have dissociative fugue and amnesia as

Dissociative Identity Disorder, previously called multiple personality disorder, is a severe form of separation. It is the most dramatic, least common, and most controversial dissociative disorder (King, 2012, p.569). Individuals that suffer from this disorder have more than one distinct personality, or identity. One of the identities is dominant, each identity takes over at different times. One identity may or may not be aware of the other, if someone has more than two, the identities may be aware of only certain others or none at all. If a situation is thought to be too violent, traumatic, or painful to assimilate with their main personality, the person with dissociate themselves and switch to another identity.

“The return of the voices would end in a migraine that made my whole body throb. I could do nothing except lie in a blacked-out room waiting for the voices to get infected by the pains in my head and clear off” (Jamieson). Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is a condition where an individual's identity is divided into two or more distinct personalities. Sufferers of this disorder are victims of severe childhood trauma. Patients diagnosed with DID shift into an alternative personality, known as an alter, to escape and protect themselves from anything that reminds them of their abusive past. When the person’s alter appears they have no control of their body. The majority of professionals in the mental field want Dissociative Identity Disorder

By definition, Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is a disorder that was formerly known as multiple personality disorder and involves “two or more distinct identities or personality states that recurrently take control of the individual’s behavior, accompanied by an inability to recall important personal information that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness” (Kahn & Fawcett, 2001). In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2013), DID falls under the category of dissociative disorders, which are characterized by their disruption of different parts of life, such as consciousness, memory, identity, and emotions. Other disorders that are considered dissociative disorders

Dissociative identity disorder, (Weiten, Dunn and Hammer, 2015) “involves the coexistence in one person of two or more largely complete, and usually very different, personalities.” This disorder is also referred to multiple personality disorder. Individuals with this particular disorder feel that they have numerous identities. For example, each personality have a different name, character traits and physical abilities. Transitions from one personality to the other can occur very suddenly.

Dissociative Identity Disorder has been defined as multiple personality disorder. This disorder is the presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states that take control of behavior. Dissociative Identity Disorder reflects a failure to integrate various aspects of identity, memory, and consciousness. (Frances, 1994) Each personality state may be experienced as if it has a distinct personal history, self-image, and identity, including a separate name. (Frances, 1994) Individuals with this disorder have a primary identity that carries the individual’s given name and is passive, dependent, guilty, and depressed. The alternate identities frequently have different names and characteristics that contrast with the primary identity. (Frances, 1994) Some identities may emerge in specific

Dissociative Identity Disorder is a difficult illness to diagnose because many of the symptoms can reflect other disorders at first. Since it is such a complex disease, diagnosing a person with it is not a quick and easy process. It typically takes close to a decade to become a definite diagnosis. A major indicator is an individual having two or more distinct personalities or “alters”. The alters can be different races, genders, ages, or even animals. Each personality has his or her own mannerisms, accents, postures, and gestures. These split personalities take over the original individual’s personality. This leads to the person losing the ability to recall what happened during the switch. Each personality will have different memories and the ability to recall different things that have happened during that one personality having control at the time. When a switch happens, that personality has complete control of the person’s behavior, actions, and thoughts. The period of switching can happen in a moment or even days.