Most children at sometime in their lives have had at least one imaginary friend. Other individuals may not have been able to see this close friend but, to the child, this friend was real. They had personality, style, and a life of their own, which made the imaginary friend very realistic to the child. An important question to ask, though, is, “When does this harmless action turn into something that is more worrisome?” Most children grow out of this phase of imaginary friends when they reach school age. This is seen due to the fact that children can interact with others and make actual living friends. This idea makes it difficult to see the more harmful disorders, like dissociative identity disorder, that could be disguised in this innocuous …show more content…
This diagnosis was exceedingly vague and resulted in the over-diagnosis of multiple personality disorder. It allowed MPD to be viewed in a wide range of cases, from young children with imaginary friends to criminals who stated that an alternate personality committed the crime causing them to have no recollection of the incident. Multiple personality disorder changed names and diagnosis to dissociative identity disorder in DSM-IV. In DSM-IV it was now necessary that in order for an individual to be diagnosed with DID they must have the inability to recall important personal information that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness (Allen & Jacono, 2001). This inability to recall important personal information can range depending on how severe the disease …show more content…
This form of amnesia is when an individual has no recollection of memories, tasks, or personal information between different identities they obtain. This is now required by DSM-IV for proper diagnosis of Dissociative Identity Disorder (Kong, Allen & Glisky, 2008). Many researchers have found that one of the specific characteristics of inter-identity amnesia is evidence of memory transfer across identities on unconscious tasks such as word-fragment completion, sequence learning, and masked-word recognition. On the contrary, they have also found that patients exhibit inter-identity amnesia on explicit memory tasks such as story recall (Kong, Allen & Glisky, 2008). This is consistent across all forms of amnesia making it a very accurate and critical way to diagnose DID. Inter-identity amnesia gave specificity in diagnosing the disease and allowed less room for a miss-diagnosis. This leads one to believe that Dissociative Identity disorder is not only a myth but also a tragic reality to many
Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) Diagnostic criteria dictates that the presence of two or more distinct identities (each with its’ own relatively enduring pattern of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about the environment and self), as well as at least two of these identities recurrently taking control of the person’s behavior coupled with the inability to recall important personal information that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness. The disturbance must also be proved to not be due to direct physiological effects of a substance e.g alcohol or due to a general medical condition e.g complex partial seizures. I will take it upon myself to argue that persons with MPD/Dissociative Identity Disorder should be held responsible for bad actions committed when in an alter state because these alters are not independent selves, but rather parts of a single person. And a person should be held responsible for what a part of them did.
"People may be born with some risk factors, while others may be triggered by physical or emotional trauma, stress, drug abuse, or physical illness." (Bjornlund, 2011) DID sufferers frequently report severe abuse as a child, either physical or sexual. (Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder), Nov. 2014) “Child, persecutor, and protector identity states are often exhibited by DID sufferers.” (Rosik, 2012). Research shows that the development of the disorder is probably a mental response to interpersonal and environmental hardships, particularly at a young age when emotional abandonment or abuse can interfere with personality growth and development. (Goldberg, 2014) “The common belief among most professionals is the personality splintered or fractured before the age of five.” (Swartz, 2001) Victims use their multiple personalities as a coping mechanism when too difficult to remember the trauma they have been through. For example, in the study Recovering Identity, the abuse history
Dissociative Identity Disorder, also known as Multiple Personality Disorder is a psychological disorder that can be caused by many things, but the most common cause is severe childhood trauma which is usually extreme, repetitive physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. A lot of people experience mild dissociation which includes daydreaming or getting momentarilly distracted while completing everyday tasks. Dissociative identity disorder is a severe form of dissociation. Seveer Dissociation causes a lack of connection in a person's thoughts, memories, feelings, actions, or sense of identity. Dissociative identity disorder is thought to stem from a combination of factors that may include trauma experienced by the person with the disorder. When a
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
Dissociative identity disorder, a condition that has plagued and altered the minds of those who were diagnosed for many years, represents the condition in which an individual displays multiple personalities that overpower his or her behavior around others and even alone. Such personalities or identities can have staggering differences between them even being characterized by a disparate gender, race, or age. One of the sides of them can even be animal-like and display feral qualities. Also, the disorder severs the connection between the victim’s sense of identity, emotions, actions, and even memories from their own consciousness. The cause for this is known to be a very traumatic experience that the person had gone through previously and fails to cope with it, thus they dissociate themselves from the memory in order to keep their mental state in one piece. All these results from the disorder do not begin to tell of the rest of the horrors that gnaw away at the affected human.
More than two million cases can be found in psychological and psychiatric records of multiple personality disorders also called dissociative identity disorders. Dissociative Identity, formerly known as multiple personality disorder, is a condition in which, an individual has a host personality along with at least two or more personalities with each identity having his or her own ideas, memories, thoughts and way of doing things (Bennick). Personality disorders are a group of mental illnesses. They involve thoughts and behaviors that are unhealthy and inflexible. A person with a personality disorder has trouble perceiving and relating to situations and people. This causes significant problems and limitations in relationships, social activities,
Out of all the classes that I have taken here at Westfield State College, I can honestly say that Abnormal Psychology has been by far the most interesting. Since this course has had such a major influence on me this semester, I am strongly considering continuing my education in this field of psychology. Throughout the semester, we studied a number of intriguing disorders. The disorder that really seemed to catch my attention was the Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). I took it upon myself to use this opportunity to learn more about the disorder that seemed to be the most fascinating. This is the main reason why I chose to read The Minds of Billy Milligan, by Daniel Keyes. This true story shows us how a young man (Billy Milligan), who suffers from DID, is charged with crimes that one of his alternate personalities is responsible for. Daniel Keyes is the writer who offered to reveal Billy's story to the world. After Billy was fused, he was able to explore the depths of his mind and the minds of his other 24 personalities for Keyes. Keyes published The Minds of Billy Milligan in 1981, but most of the story takes place before then. The book starts out in 1977, where Billy is being sought out for rape crimes.
Mental disorders have baffled physicians, psychiatrists and the general public since the beginning of time. One particular disorder called Dissociative Identity Disorder, also known as Multiple Personality Disorder, has caused controversy between those who believe it is real and those who think it is purely part of an individual’s imagination. For those who believe strongly in its existence, it poses very real consequences and hardships. Dissociative Identity Disorder has many causes, symptoms, and treatments; unfortunately, those who don’t take it seriously use it as a scapegoat for others undiagnosed problems.
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.
Sexual molestation, beating, neglect, burning, and verbal abuse. All of these horrible happenings are believed to be linked to a condition known as Multiple personality disorder (MPD). Multiple personality disorder, also known as dissociative identity disorder, is a mental illness in which a person has two or more identities or personalities. Single personalities randomly take control of the individual's behavior. Usually, the sufferer gives the personalities their own names. These multiple personalities almost always have characteristics that greatly differ from the person's primary identity. A person with this disorder always experiences some amount of amnesia. Most of the time the individual forgets what each personality has done or said.
There are many types of amnesia, but the specific found in dissociative identity disorder is unique. The individual usually is in control, until a change take its place (Wood et al 411). This was shown when Norman Bates was unable to recall what occurred during these dissociative blackouts. Amnesia in individuals with dissociative identity disorder is not limited to stressful or traumatic events; these individuals often cannot recall everyday events as well. In one of the episodes, Norman is in his kitchen cooking breakfast in his mother’s aprons. His brother, Dylan, then walks in to ask Norman what he doing. Norman continues to persist that he was Norma and not Norman. The next day, Norman had no memory of this occurring. Many people with DID have early histories of severe physical and/or sexual abuse. As a result, researchers and clinicians have long assumed that early trauma plays a critical role in the development of DID, an approach that is consistent with the psychoanalytic perspective (Wood et al 412). Individuals who have dissociative identity disorder, usually present a combined diagnosis, such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, self-injury, non-epileptic seizures, or other common symptoms. Norman Bates suffered from depression, anxiety, and non-epileptic seizures. These symptoms were an effect from the underlying cause of dissociative identity disorder. Norman
My topic of choice for this research paper is Dissociative Identity Disorder or DID. This appellation is rather new; therefore, most are more familiar with the disorder's older, less technical name: Multiple Personality Disorder or MPD. When first presented with the task of selecting a topic on which to center this paper, I immediately dismissed Dissociative Identity Disorder (which for the sake of brevity will be referred to as DID for the remainder of this paper) as a viable topic due to the sheer scope of the disorder. However after an exhaustive examination of other prospective topics, I found myself back at my original choice. There are several reasons why I chose DID. The foremost of which is the widespread fascination of this disorder by many different types of people; most of whom otherwise have no interest in psychology or its associated fields. One would be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t been captivated at one time or another by the extraordinary, all too well known symptoms of this disorder. This fascination… dare I say ‘allure’ to this disorder is exemplified by the myriad of motion pictures that have been produced based on cases, real or fictitious, of DID. Another reason for my choice is what I feel is the insufficiency of effective treatments for DID. Despite what is known about this disorder, (which is relatively a lot) there are only two chief treatments for DID; the first and most prevalent is psychotherapy; also known as ”talk therapy”, the second is medication. The third and final reason for my choice is my own enchantment with DID. I must admit that ever since I read about Sue Tinker, a woman who was diagnosed with over 200 different personalities. In writing this paper I hope to discover more about this disorder and perhaps be able to identify a few areas that I feel might require more research on the part of psychologists specializing in DID.
Learning about Louis’ life history could be beneficial when trying to diagnose her. Many research studies have shown that there are traumatic or terrible instances that a person experiences. This can be physical or sexual abuse, and often times is incest. These traumatic events can cause dissociative disorder. The reasoning behind this, is when a person is being abused or they may be locked up in the basement, or some other case, their mind tries to flee the person from that experience. Therefore, the person may transition into their ‘fantasy’ world, which causes the multiple personalities to occur. The social worker needs to make sure that there aren’t any medications that Lois is on that could be causing her to act this way. A neurological examination will also need to be completed. This will help to rule out others factors that may contribute to the person’s dissociative disorders. The social worker should also be aware of how Lois acted and what she said when she first entered the emergency room. When she first entered, she stated many of the symptoms of dissociative disorder. She was confused, she claimed to live in
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...
Dissociative Identity Disorder (commonly know as Multiple Personality Disorder) is one of the most unexplored disorders and most debated psychiatric disorder. Through this essay you will become more knowledgeable about what the disorder really is; what qualifies you as having this disorder, what are the prognosis to DID, and what are risks for having this disorder? You will also learn about the treatment for Dissociative Identity Disorder; what kind of therapy do they need or the medicine they should have to help control the disorder. At the end of this paper you will then learn about current research and what the future holds for Dissociative Identity Disorder.