Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

By: Monica Stich

What is it?•AKA Multiple Personality Disorder•Mood Disorder•Multiple Personality Disorder is a disorder where the individual’s behavior is controlled by two or more separate & distinct personality states•It is a disturbance in identity

Symptoms

•Split Identities•unable to recall key personal information•memory variations with each personality•mood swings, suicidal tendencies•sleep disorders, anxiety/panic attacks/phobias,

Many people start to suffer from depression

Individuals suffering from DID start to experience psychotic-like

symptoms, including auditoryand visual hallucinations

Personalities• The different identities have their own age, race,

and sex• They also have their own way of talking

• The personalities can be animals or imaginary people

• Types:• the host, the protector, the rational one, the

angry one, the sexual one, the kids, the suicidal

Causes • No proven specific cause

• Psychological theory: Believe that condition develops as reaction to childhood trauma

• Having a family member with DID can increase the risk

Treatment• Psychotherapy is the best treatment-try to help

clients improve relationships with others

• Expose them to things they have not been comfortable with in the past-prevents the patient from anxiety

• Try to stabilize the patient and unite all the personalities

Treatment• Psychologists also use hypnosis-allows the patient

to have a greater control when they change personalities because they know more about their symptoms

• Medications-used to treat depression, anxiety, anger, and impulse-control problem

• When psychotherapy and medication is not enough, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can be used

Treatment• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing

(EMDR)-incorporates traumatic memories with patient’s resources-is used as welll

• helps with information processing & healing

Famous People with DID

• Herschel Walker-former NFL running back

• disorder almost drove him to suicide

• has been in treatment for a while, and says the disorder is under control

Complications of DID• People with DID can end up abusing

alcohol or other substances in order to deal with the disorder

• Poor relationships

• Inability to maintain employment

• Violent behavior-may lead to suicide

Prevention• The only thing that can be done to prevent a

person from developing dissociative identity disorder is to keep them away from abusive families

• Children should also be treated as early as possible

How does it feel to have DID?

Confusion

• I am very confused, especially when all of a sudden I become a new person. I do not get it at all.

Loss of Identity

• I feel as if I do not who I am. I have completely changed as a person.

No Confidence

• I do not have any confidence in doing anything anymore. My self-esteem is so low. I feel as though I am worthless.

Anger

• I feel angry a lot of times. I do not have a reason to be angry but I am. Because of this relationships are very hard for me

Loss of Memory

• I often forget many things that happened in the past. It is very frustrating.

Depressed• Sometimes I do not want anything to do with

anyone. I just want to be left alone. I hate life.

• Having dissociative identity disorder is very frustrating. You never know when you are going to change personalities. You can easily go from being depressed to anger to happy. It is all so confusing. However, therapy does help

Works Cited

• http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/dissociative-identity-disorder-multiple-personality-disorder

• http://www.nami.org/Content/ContentGroups/Helpline1/Dissociative_Identity_Disorder_(formerly_Multiple_Personality_Disorder).htm

• http://www.psychologytoday.com/conditions/dissociative-identity-disorder-multiple-personality-disorder

• http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dissociative-disorders/DS00574/DSECTION=symptoms

• http://www.aamft.org/imis15/content/Consumer_Updates/Dissociative_Identity_Disorder.aspx

• Google images