Everything

You Should Know about

Dissociative Identity
Disorder

The Basics, The Myths and The Truth

Understanding DID

Dissociative Identity Disorder, or DID,

is a severe form of dissociation that disconnects a
person from their thoughts, memories, actions and
sense of identity.

This form of dissociation is common associated with trauma, as the

disorder is thought to stem from a victims need for escape from their
trauma and pain.

Myth: DID isnt real

The common iteration of DID that involves multiple personalities is often

exaggerated in media and many stereotypes exist regarding the disorder.
This leads many to believe that the disorder is simple someone making up an
illness for whatever reason.

Surprisingly, this isnt just a problem among laymen medical and psychiatric
professionals are still divided on the validity of DID, or that it is a misdiagnosis
of another psychological problem.

As it stands now, however, DID is real

and many people suffer from dissociations.

Symptoms Related to DID

One of the biggest symptoms related to DID

is the existence of split personalities or more than one personality in one
host person. Usually there is the main personality, the original person, and
one or more separate personalities that are created. These separate
personalities are often called alters.
Regardless of the hosts gender, sex, sexuality, race, personality and values,
the alters created within the host may differ wildly in all aspects.

Symptoms Related to DID Cont

While multiple personalities is the main defining

symptom of DID, there are many other
symptoms that can be found in those with this
disorder.

These symptoms can include:

mood swings,
suicidal thoughts and attempts,
anxiety,
depression,
panic attacks,
triggers,
headache,

amnesia,
time loss,
compulsions,
eating disorders,
psychotic-like symptoms,
and sleep disorders.

Diagnosing DID

6
The diagnosis of DID involves a psychologist
consulting the DSM-5 and going off of their
professional criteria for diagnosing the disorder.

This criteria includes

two or more distinct

personalities being present,
amnesia occurring within the
main host,
distress based on the
disorder,

disturbance in everyday life

and no other outside
influences being the cause
of the condition (like
alcohol intake or seizure
disorders.)

Myth:
DID and Schizophrenia are the same thing

This is definitely a myth.

DID involves multiple personalities, while those with

schizophrenia are plagued with chronic psychosis,
hallucinations and delusions.

While both disorder are mental illnesses

and share many sub-symptoms, but the main diagnosis of the
disorders are very different.

Living With DID

8
Living with DID can be very disruptive for a
person with the disorder. Often the dissociative
episodes will come suddenly with no warning,
though they can be triggered. This means that
they people with DID can go through their daily
lives having to deal with confusion, time loss,
derealization and amnesia.

While some people who suffer from DID have a certain

consciousness about what their alters do or say, others
have no idea what theyve done or said while dissociating.

Treating DID

There is no known cure for DID. However, long-term psychiatric care can be
an effective method of treatment to help keep symptoms and dissociations at
bay.
Forms of therapy that can help are
psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and movement therapy
are all recommended.
There are no exact medications that exist for DID, but because many issues
like depression and anxiety are co-morbid with DID, these medications may
be prescribed to help alleviate other coexisting problems.