Mental Health Rotation: Multiple Personality Disorder

Dissociative Identity Disorder, previously known as “multiple personality disorder”, is a mental disorder in which a

Multiple Personality Disorders (MPD), or what has been re-classified, Dissociative Idenitfy Disorder (DID), is a deliberating and frightening illness for the DID individual; as well as their friends and family. The meaning of DID (Dissoiative Idenity Disorder) usually means that a person has more than two self-states or identities, which often times appear like entirely different personalities. When one is under the control of one identity, the person usually is unable to remember some of the events, but is able to keep other personalities in control.

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.

We’ve all experienced the feeling that we’ve moved into a different life, dissociation from reality, just mild like when we daydream, delve into a good book or become engrossed with a project. But then after that, we do still come back to reality. However, some people are diagnosed with a dissociative identity disorder or the popular multiple personality disorder (MPD). This differ from mild dissociation that all of us commonly experience. People who have this live a fairly complicated life. Sadly, people who have this experience traumatic physical, sexual or emotional abuse during their childhood.

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.

Multiple personality Disorder, (MPD) was first recognized in the 1700’s but was not understood so therefore was soon forgotten. Many cases showed up during the years, but was overlooked, or misdiagnosed as either schizophrenia or psychosis. Many in the medical profession did not believe that a person could have more than one personality in a body, unknowingly, even after the 1950’s. In 1993, records show that three to five thousand people were being treated for MPD, compared to the hundred cases reported ten years earlier. The disease is commonly found in adults who were abused mentally, physically, emotionally, and or sexually as children, between birth to eight years of age. The child uses a process called disassociation to separate himself/herself from the abusive situation. This is when the child makes up a personality to take control of the mind and body. During abuse, usually there is a personality for every emotion and feeling when the abuse is taking place. Symptoms of the disease include: amnesia, hallucinations, depression, and suicidal thoughts, and tendencies, and there can be anywhere from two to over a hundred different personalities. Usually each personality will fall into one of the following categories: host, core, child, teenager, artistic, adult, animals, intimate members, self-helpers, persecutor, rescuer and helper. The child is usually under the age of twelve, with according behaviors,

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

Multiple Personality Disorder, or MPD, which is also referred to as Dissociative Identity Disorder, is a mental disorder in which sufferers experience several personalities. All of these subpersonalities, also called alters, exist within one person along a central, primary personality. Each personality has its own memories, characteristics, behavior, thoughts, and can have perceived age and appearance that distinguishes one personality from the next. People with this disorder may exist with two personalities, one primary and one alter, or they may exist with more than a dozen coexisting subpersonalities, making thoughts and everyday life tremendously more difficult for the victim and the people they associate with. Multiple personality disorder derives from several things. First, psychological egos are poorly coordinated due to the stress on sense of self in the mind of a person with the disorder, causing alternative personalities to develop as a form of self defense (Kelley and Kodman 167). Second, it is compelled after experiencing

MPD/DID “is an illness that is characterized by the presence of at least two clear personality states, called alters, which may have different reactions, emotions, and body functioning” than can lead to “time and memory lapses and blackouts” . This illness is “is thought to be an effect of severe trauma during early childhood, usually extreme, repetitive physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, which produces a lack of connection in a person 's thoughts, memories, feelings, actions, or sense of identity”.

In my opinion, I believe that Multiple Personality Disorder does not exist. The fact that it increased in popularity after being brought into the public's eye via media is very suspicious. "In North America, the number of diagnoses exploded from only 2 reported cases per decade from 1930 to 1960, to more than 20,000 in the 1980's" (McHugh). I believe that the idea of MPD goes along with Sigmund Freud's theory of repression. Repression was thought to be a defense mechanism that concealed terrible experiences and painful memories from consciousness. The theory of repression was later discredited after studies proved that high stress events enhance the memory making negative, traumatic events remembered well. I believe that people diagnosed with MPD have a form of Schizophrenia or Autism and when portraying themselves as an alternate personality they are simply acting like someone they may have

Dissociative identity disorder is a type of dissociative disorder. A dissociative disorder can be explained as an individual becoming dissociative with his or her sense of self. These disorders disturb both memory and identity and usually have a psychological cause. Dissociative identity disorder is a disorder in which two or more identities or personality states are present in one individual. These identities alternatively take control of the individual. This causes frequent gaps in memory, which are believed to be caused by the other personality. When one personality takes control, the other one does not remember anything that took place. There has been continuing research about what causes the disorder. It is believed that the disorder is caused by intense physical or sexual trauma (Dissociative Disorders). The disorder was once called multiple personality disorder until 1994. This changed to reflect a better understanding of the

Dissociative Identity Disorder, commonly referred to as Multiple Personality Disorder, exists as a bizarre mental disorder in which a person acquires two

Each alter makes up the person’s whole personality. “Someone who has MPD/DID may have distinct, coherent identities within himself that are able to assume control of their behavior and thoughts” An Introduction to Dissociative Identity Disorder. They may not even know about the alternate personalities they have. Sometimes they go unnoticed and in some cases it can be very obvious to someone else.

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

years. It is a syndrome marked by the clear existence of two or more “personalities” (or