Do you remember the main character of Fight Club? What about the villain Harvey Dent from Batman, who developed the criminal personality known as Two-Face after having acid thrown in his face during a trial or Alex Mason from Call Of Duty: Black Ops, seemed to become two different people after being brainwashed in a Russian prison camp. Maybe your favorite childhood character was Launch from the anime and manga Dragon Ball, who changed from a sweet and caring person to an angry criminal and vice versa every time she sneezed. These media characters all had the same disorder called Dissociative Identity disorder. Many believe that Dissociative Identity disorder was a made up diagnoses for it is often shown in movies and other media from comedy or suspense, but there are people who suffer from this disorder daily and when properly educated on this subject, you can begin to see and learn that this disorder is not always the comic relief it is usually used for in your favorite movies or television shows. Dissociative Identity disorder, DID, is a disorder in which a person experiences a variation of changes in one’s memory, identity, feelings, actions, or conscious. Dissociate identity disorder was perviously known as Multiple Personality Disorder until 1994 where the name was changed to give a better understanding of the condition. It was felt that Multiple Personality Disorder name was more characterized by the separation of identity than the growth of separate identities. It is very rare in life, and is thought to originate from severe trauma during early childhood by the person with the disorder. The aspect of dissociative is thought to be a mechanism for coping. A person with dissociative identity disorder is literally separati... ... middle of paper ... ... better and gain more control. In conclusion, Dissociative Identity disorder is a very rare and interesting disorder for those who observe it. For the patients however, it can be a very confusing and terrifying experience. DID is not always the over dramatic way Hollywood movies may define it as, and is a lot more serious than one may expect. Luckily treatment can help one with this disorder, teaching how to control it and live through life with this disorder. There is also a way for observers to help prevention. Dissociative Identity disorder is usually developed by traumas, or abuse that one has gone through in life. So if you know of someone who is being physically, emotionally, or sexually abused, talk to someone and let them know. There are many trusted adults that can help solve the issues. Also Early treatment is the best way to start a road to recovery.
Dissociative Identity Disorder was known as Multiple Personality Disorder until the publication of the DSM-IV. In this version of the DSM, Multiple Personality Disorder was renamed Dissociative Identity Disorder (A History). The name was changed to better reflect the condition, which is characterized by fragmentation or splintering of the identity. Previous names improperly characterized the condition as a proliferation, or growth of separate identities (Psychology
Cognitive therapy, which involves changing dysfunctional thought patterns. Family therapy, which helps to educate the family about the disorder, recognize its presence as well as work through issues that have developed in the family because of dissociative identity disorder. And also Hypnotherapy which can be used in conjunction with psychotherapy and can help clients access repressed memories, control problematic behaviors, such as self-mutilation and eating disorders, and help fuse thier other personalities during the process. Some indications that therapy might be needed include sysmptoms like: memory loss, a sense of being detached from themselves and their emotions, distorted Perception, a blurred sense of identity, significant stress or problems in life, inability to cope well with emotional or professional stress, and mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. DID requires a medical diagnosis, and treatment should always be conducted by professionals that specialize in dissociative identity disorder as it is a rare and challenging condition to treat. There are also contraindications onvolving the treatment of DID. Caution needs to be taken while treating people with DID with medications because any effects they may experience, good or bad, may
For my research paper, I chose to utilize a disorder known as “Dissociative Identity Disorder” (DID). This disorder is also coined as Multiple Personality Disorder. When defining the actual meaning of this disorder, it is defined as “a severe condition in which two or more distinct identities, or personality states, are present in—and alternately take control of—an individual” (1). Specifically, “DID is a disorder characterized by identity fragmentation rather than a proliferation of separate personalities. In addition, the disturbance is not due to the direct psychological effects of a substance or of a general medical condition” (1). Based off of this knowledge, I chose to look at two individuals who have obtained this disorder
Multiple Personality Disorder is a mental illness which most commonly has been referred to as Dissociative disorder or DID in recent years[1]. The illness commonly disassociated with schizophrenia finds a person experiencing two or more clearly differing personalities which will in habit assume control at some stage. Changing from one personality to another in a matter of seconds, the person will actually believe that they have more than one personality. DID can co-occur with other illnesses which include a range of anxiety disorders. The causes of DID are still not proven but it is thought to have occurred in response to a traumatic childhood experience[1]. The diagnosis is not constructed as a set test and so the mental health professional is required to test a patient using a mental status exam. The various symptoms of the illness can be treated through a range of treatments ranging from talk therapy to medications, but this does not always smooth out the outcomes resulting in a chaotic, imbalanced life. A great amount of controversy surrounds DID and is disputed by mental health professionals, some even believing that it does not exist[1]. Whatever the case, DID is displayed powerfully throughout the miniseries ‘Sybil’ in which a young emergency teacher finds herself with DID in response to horrific childhood memories[4].
Dissociation is a word that describes what happens when normal perceptions, sensations, memories, or identity become disintegrated. It is a separation between two things and becomes a disorder when the behavior is extreme and uncontrolled. Dissociative Identity Disorder, formerly known as multiple personalities, can be defined by as a mental disorder in which individuals experience a shattering of a unified identity into at least two separate but coexisting personalities with different memories, behavior patterns, and emotions(1). Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) shows an onset of multiple “alters” in a patient. Alters are personalities that appear to have the control over a person’s functioning in certain situations. These alters can dress,
The Dissociative Disorders category of the DSM-IV-TR, is characterized by a disruption in the functions of perception, identity, consciousness, or memory. The disorders in the Dissociative Disorders category include Dissociative Amnesia, Dissociative Fugue, Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), Depersonalization Disorder and Dissociative Disorder Not Otherwise Specified.
Dissociative Identity Disorder, or DID, is defined as: “The result of a marvelously creative defense mechanism that a young child uses to cope with extremely overwhelming trauma” (Hawkins, 2003, p. 3). Ross describes DID in this way: “In its childhood onset forms, the disorder is an effective strategy for coping with a traumatic environment: It becomes dysfunctional because environmental circumstances have changed by adulthood” (1997, p, 62). What types of traumatic environments are we talking about here? Often children who form DID are involved in some sort of abuse. These types of abuses can be physical, sexual and even ritual. Such abuses are not meant for children to have to endure, however, the mind is able to deal in effective ways to allow the child to bear such intolerable environments. As one examines this subject, one finds that there are varied opinions on DID, however, it is important to understand the nature of DID, types of DID as well as DID symptoms and healing in adults.
The growing recognition of psychiatric conditions resulting from traumatic influences is a significant mental health issue of the 1990s. Until recently considered rare and mysterious psychiatric curiosities, Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) (until very recently known as Multiple Personality Disorder - MPD) and other Dissociative Disorders (DD) are now understood to be fairly common effects of severe trauma in early childhood, most typically extreme, repeated physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse.
You wake up, walk into your living room, look around, and your house looks as though you have had a wild party. You pick up your journal and it looks as though a child has written in it. You walk to your closet and see cloths you would never wear, but you live alone and you do not remember having anyone over. The date is March 19th, but the last day you remember is March 1st. This is a common occurrence to someone living with Dissociative identity disorder. There is a lot of controversy surrounding whether or not Dissociative identity disorder is real. Although there are many similarities between DID and other personality and dissociative disorders, DID is a very real and serious mental disorder.
Do you ever feel as though you are acting as a different person in different situations or you lose time in your day? You are not the only one feeling this way but, patients of dissociative disorders have it much worse. “I used to lose time and I thought I was going mad. I used to come home with all these bags and think, I didn't buy this stuff'”. This is a quote of Lucy Adams whose Identity is split into thirty six parts. She experiences this “loss of her day” everyday since childhood. Lucy is experiencing a symptom of dissociative disorder. According to the DSM dissociation is the separation of an idea or thought process from the individual ongoing consciousness or awareness. According to the American Psychiatric Association the DSM
What is Dissociative Identity Disorder? A proper explanation of DID necessitates a dissection of the name itself. Dissociation is “a mental process, which produces a lack of connection in a person's thoughts, memories, feelings, actions, or sense of identity.”1 In other words, there is a disruption in the way in which these usually integrated functions communicate. Daydreaming, highway hypnosis, or “getting lost” in a book or movie are all examples of very mild dissociation.
According to Barlow, Durand & Stewart (2012), Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is one of several dissociative disorders in which a person experiences involve detachment or depersonalization. They go on to explain that people with DID ha...
As a teacher walks into her classroom, and demands attention she carefully instructs the students on how to perform the next step in their multiplication problem her students would never have thought she was anyone else but herself. However, she holds a secret that no one but her husband and family knows about. This seemingly normal teacher has been diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder, or otherwise known as DID. Dissociative Identity Disorder is a disorder, which typically happens after intense sexual or physical abuse, that the individual somehow splits their mind into several different personalities. This is why the previous name of this disorder was called Multiple Personalities Disorder, and some individuals will still refer to this disorder as such.
Dissociative identity disorder, a disorder that needs more research and trials than it is getting. As you read and hopefully discovered there is still a lot of questions left unanswered. But in your reading you should have discovered more knowledge as to what dissociative identity disorder; how it comes about, what is the diagnosis, and the risk of DID. Also you should have a better understanding of the treatment that goes along with DID. From therapy to long drug trials just to find what will send them into remission. Lastly able to discover the research that is happening today and what the future holds for treating and understanding dissociative identity disorder even better. Through all this I hope you now have a better understanding of this disorder and be more aware of it.
Multiple personality disorder (also known as dissociative identity disorder) involves the acute state of two separate consciousnesses. the individual becomes separated from reality, forming a distorted perception amongst themselves and their surroundings. It controls the individuals behavior, through the array of identities or personality states exclusive to themselves. Various factors are taken into consideration regarding the diagnosis of this non-infectious disease. This includes, two or more distinct identities, specific personalities present in particular circumstances, memory lapses, sexual dysfunction, consistent depression, anxiety and passivity and visual or auditory hallucinations.