Formerly referred to as multiple personality disorder(MPD), dissociative identity disorder(DID) is mainly identified as an identity disturbance whereby a person's behavior would be dictated by two or more diverse identities referred to as “alters”. Basically, the act of dissociation refers to a kind of mental procedure characterized by a decreased association with one's emotions, thoughts, and identity. Currently, the exact identification of DID and its connection to the other mental disorders remain a debatable subject. It has been suggested by some researchers that this condition could be a recent development in the western society. Speculations regarding its nature attribute its emergence to childhood abuse(physical and sexual) and indeterminate changes in the society occuring for a long period. People exhibiting DID symptoms were once considered as peculiarities. The legitimacy of the condition was not fully recognized until the 1970s when more cases were reported in the US.
What is Dissociative Identity Disorder(DID)?
When a person has DID, he/she possesses two or more divergent “alters” that are controlling his/her behavior. Thus, it is logical to assess that he/she has two or more different sets of behavior dependent the number of alters he/she has. The kind of personality identifying DID is characterized by a persisting pattern of seeing, associating with, and perceiving the environment and oneself. Each alter would take turns at controlling the person's being. As such, the person is liable to exhibit a totally different set of behavior, attitude, mannerism, gender attributes, and physical aspects(righthandedness, common illness/peculiarities, etc.). Once the person shifts to another alter, he/she may or may not have any memory of what transpired or what he/she was like before. In fact, most cases of people with DID are hardly even aware of the existence of their other alters. Individuals diagnosed with DID could have as many as 100 alters but no less than two. The average, however, is 10 distinctive alters. The treatment approach for DID patients might involve psychotherapy and hypnosis. At times, drugs taken from an antidepressant medication list may be prescribed by doctors since there is a possibility that some of the alters would be riddled with depression and/or anxiety.
DID develops early, specifically during childhood. However, most children with DID are misdiagnosed with schizophrenia. In most cases, diagnosing patients was proven easier during the adolescent period. Diagnosing would require standardized examinations, which are conducted to support the doctor's conclusion. The same examinations also serve asbases for the development of appropriate treatment methods. Along with these tests is an interrogation concerning the details surrounding the following episodes the patient undergoes: amnesia, depersonalization, derealization, age regressions, visual and auditory hallucinations, and autohypnotic experiences.
What are the symptoms of DID?
A person with DID would typically display majority of the following symptoms.
Experiencing amnesia or a disassociation with time
Hurting oneself physically
Experiencing hallucinations that are either visual or auditory in nature
A disrupted concentration in academic activities during the childhood stage
Alters begin to develop at the age of 5. 9 years
Having had noticeable conduct dilemmas during childhood
Depression or depressive tendencies to the point of being suicidal