Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder)

- Psychological Disorders and Mental Health Conditions

Overview

Dissociative Identity Disorder is a controversial diagnosis in the mental health community. There is still a divide between those who believe it is a true illness and those who feel it is a form of defense mechanism that is used to gain attention by the client. Dissociative Identity Disorder, formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder, has an average age of onset between the ages of 5 and 6 years old. It can go unnoticed due to the assumption that a child is playing a game in which they are pretending to be someone else.

It can also go unnoticed when the disorder is due to abusive parents inflicting trauma with no concern for the wellbeing of the child. A child might have endured abuse so severe that they could not handle it emotionally and had to escape mentally to retreat from the fear and pain. Those at risk of developing Dissociative Identity Disorder are those who were exposed to long term, intense, trauma that could include neglect, violence, rape, molestation, or verbal and physical abuse. A child that lives in an environment that is unsafe will likely retreat inward when physical escape is not an option. This use of dissociation becomes a pattern and is a form of self protection. Dissociation can be compared to daydreaming or getting so caught up in thought that your immediate environment is not noticed to a degree that sometimes allows for total memory lapse of that time period.

Diagnosis

Dissociative Identity Disorder is difficult to diagnose. It is likely that there will be other mental illnesses present and there are no tests to determine if the person is being truthful about symptoms. Symptoms of this disorder include having at least two distinct personalities, sometimes called alters, that emerge during times of stress or as needed. In children the different personalities are not due to the child pretending or play acting. There are also clear instances of memory loss that cannot be accounted for by seizures or drug use. The person with the disorder might stare blankly without responding to the environment and then seem to come back as a different person. There have been cases where the alternate personalities have different ailments, different eyesight, different voices, and different religious beliefs. The personalities are usually very different and can be any age including infancy. Symptoms of Dissociative Identity Disorder do not disappear on their own and can change in severity over the lifetime of the sufferer.

Treatment

The treatment modalities are as controversial as the diagnosis. Some counselors feel it is necessary to combine the alternate personalities and allow the client to find adaptive ways of dealing with stress. Others feel that allowing the client to use the personalities with complete control is the best goal. Techniques used include everything from talk therapy to hypnosis and sometimes medication is used to treat underlying mental illness. It is ultimately up to the client and the family to decide the best course of treatment that will help the client have a successful life. It is not always necessary to seek inpatient care unless the client has shown tendencies toward violence or a desire to harm themselves. If there is a diagnosis of Dissociative Identity Disorder it is necessary to seek guidance from a professional with experience treating this disorder. Most mental health professionals have not treated such a complex and rare disorder so choosing who to go to for care is an important issue.

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