Dissociative Identity Disorder

Image via Wikipedia

Dissociative identity disorder   (DID) is the academic term for the medical condition previously called multiple personality disorder

Dissociative identity disorder is a very controversial illness because it is widely misunderstood, although it is listed in DSM-1V, hence it is a  legitimate clinical condition, Many still refuse to acknowledge it as such.

Psychiatrists and psychologists all over the world have different opinions based on their individual understanding of the available clinical literature.

Geographical location is also a factor in determining the acceptance or rejection of the condition.

Dissociative identity disorder is characterized mainly by the patient taking on multiple identities or personalities that alternate frequently.

Dissociative identity disorder patients characteristically are unable to recall important personal information relating to some or all of the different personalities.

Dissociative identity disorder is closely linked to overwhelming traumatic events in earlier life and this is believed to cause the onset of the condition.

Different childhood traumas such as episodes of very severe repeated abuse in the home in earlier childhood have been recorded as the main cause dissociative identity disorder in later life.

Dissociate identity disorder, is a way of coping with these traumatic events, which in the patients mind, they create different personality to handle it.

Switching

Switching is the process of change between personalities by the patient.

These other personalities are called “alters”.

In some cases the patient may be aware of the switching process and feel as if they’re standing back and watching it happen to someone else. This is called being “co-conscious”. And at other times they may be oblivious of the switching. Switching is normally triggered in the patient, by an action which reminds the patient of a past traumatic event.

How to Diagnose Dissociative Personality Disorder

Dissociative personality disorder is often mistaken for schizophrenia, patients and sufferers also have other mental health related problems such as post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and eating disorders.

Diagnosis of the condition is based on the patient’s medical history; this can also be sometimes supplemented by hypnosis or drug-facilitated interviewing techniques.

Symptoms and Treatment

Dissociative identity disorder is characterised by a wide array of symptoms, these can vary widely, patients sometimes demonstrate an extraordinarily high or just normal levels of ordinary every day activity to simply not been able to function and attend to the most basic of daily activity.

Other classic symptoms include:

• Multiple mannerisms
• Attitudes and beliefs that are dissimilar to each other
• Headaches and other body pains
• Distortion or loss of subjective time
• Depersonalization
• Amnesia
• Depression

Patients may also experience an extremely narrow array of other symptoms that resemble:

• Epilepsy
• Schizophrenia
• Anxiety
• Mood disorders
• Posttraumatic stress
• Personality
• Eating disorders

Treatment of Dissociative Identity Disorder

Dissociative identity disorder is often commonly treated with sessions of psychotherapy, behavioural therapy and cognitive therapy.

There is no medication available on prescription to treat dissociative identity disorder Medication may be administered to the patient in the cause of treatment for the other underlying mental health conditions to and disorders that the patient may suffer such as anxiety and depression etc.