How Does Neurodegenerative Disease Affect Personality Identity

Even if only a person’s body changes and the mind stays the same, the person’s physical identity changed, therefore a person’s entire identity experienced a change as well. Some errors of personal identity include the following; that since we change over time, our mind undergoes change as much as our body, so there will always be change occurring in the mind and the body.

When it comes to Alzheimer’s, I know firsthand how it affects individuals and their families. My great grandfather had Alzheimer’s for many years before his passing late last year, at age 92. Alzheimer’s is a disease that many individuals suffer with each year, but yet with all the advancements in modern medicine we still have no cure for it. There are different ways to conquer this disease, understanding the causes, knowing effects, and researching possible treatments.

In The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013) dissociative identity disorder is diagnosed when a person displays at least two personalities of a differing, cohesive, and definitive nature. The disorder is marked by thoughts that repeatedly intrude on a person during their waking life, affecting their “sense of self” (APA, 2013, p.292). DID involves a marked change in one’s own body being one’s own, as well as changes in perception including “derealization and depersonalization” (APA, 2013, p.292). All of these criteria seem to be met as the narrator describes the shift in his life away from a single identity, to one where he comes to realization that he has been actually displaying two distinct and different personalities. But, what of

To understand the importance of DID in philosophical debates on personal identity, we must first understand what DID entails. DID is a mental disorder in which the person afflicted with the disorder momentarily “loses” their personal identity through what are known as: dissociative [or disassociation] episodes. Furthermore, this “loss,” which causes a person to take on, or switch to, a “different” identity, occurs when a person with DID is triggered by an action, person, and/or thing that makes a repressed traumatic experience, or at least a part of it, resurface. Yet, this “loss” of personal identity cannot solely be considered a “loss” because it is more of a purposeful defense involuntarily utilized by the mind of someone with DID to prevent the person from becoming aware of the repressed experience that has resurfaced. Moreover, disassociation, some may say, is a way to prevent the resurfaced experience from reaching the shoreline.

Human beings have full control over their identities after they have received knowledge and have become shaped from external stimuli. These stimuli include the teaching process of humans which comes through tradition, schooling, and the actions of other humans and the influence of the organisms around them. Andrew Solomon, through “Son,” was able to use his experience of growing up and labeling himself as a gay dyslexic to show how his environment and knowledge had shaped his identity and how it was viewed by others with different identities. In “An Elephant Crackup,” Charles Siebert was able to explain how the other organisms or humans are able to form new identities for elephants over time by shaping them a new environment and having the elephants process it. In “Mind’s Eye,” Oliver Sacks had different case studies of blindness from different people and was able to show how each one experienced their blindness help shape and express their individual identities. The stimuli that becomes processed by a person in the situations, accounts, and studies of these works assist in the role of explaining the formulation of an identity.

“In Defense of Masks”, by Kenneth Gergen regards that it is not possible for humans to adequately find a coherent self identity without an aftermath. Gergen states, “to the extent that they do, they many experience severe emotional distress” when trying to do so (172). He refers to Erik Erickson, a psychologist who speaks about how self-alienation can result due to the pressures of society to individuals with various masks of identity.

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

Identity is one’s perception that shapes one’s mind. It reflects the outer aspect of personality and the life choices we make as an individual. In Anthem by Ayn Rand, a dystopian futuristic novelfuture, Equality talks about how society is integrated to try to control his mind, body, and spirit. In “Don’t. The secret of self control” by Jonah Lehrer, a nonfiction article, Lehrer explains an experiment where children are determined to be a high or low delayers. Furthermore, In “Who Holds The Clicker” by Lauren Slater, a nonfiction article, Slater explains analyzes the fear of how brain implants can treat intractable mental illness. The formation of identity is created when a person is tied to the choices he makes,

other psychologists that one needs to live with a "coherent sense of identity"(Gergen, 198). In

Furthermore, this essay demonstrates the dilemmas that people are faced with when they have Alzheimer’s Disease, focusing on the stigma around Alzheimer’s Disease.

If on Tuesday, I suffer an accident and lose all of my memory, it is probable that my family and friends will still love and care for me, creating an impression that I am indeed the same person I once was. These conditions imply the theses of animalism and bodily continuity when it comes to personal identity. However, is this human habit enough to discard the idea that it is psychological continuity that sustains identity? Whilst many may argue that it would be against our intuition to say that I am no longer the same person, I do not believe that this is caused by our intuition, but instead a societal construct that’s sole purpose is to make the trauma of the accident and loss easier to deal with. By using this premise and upholding the psychological

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder, is a psychological issue that is quite debilitating to the affected individual. Symptoms of this disorder often mimic those of other physical and mental disorders such as seizure disorder, substance abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder (“Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder)”, 2012). The distinguishing symptom of Dissociative Identity Disorder, however, is the presence of two or more distinct identities that alternately take control of the individual and this symptom is the main basis and plot of The Secret Window. In addition, the person is plagued by memory losses that cannot be explained by ordinary forgetfulness and may even find items that he or she doesn’t remember buying. (“Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder)”, 2014). Also, the individual may experience unexplained changes in eating

Another study on Alzheimer’s patients and personality changes was done by Dr. Chatterjee and colleagues, and used the caregivers of AD patients as a source of information. The study found that the Alzheimer’s patients were