Dissociative identity disorder (DID), formally and popularly known as multiple personality disorder was surrounded by controversy in its inception and still faces the doubts of many critics today. DID involves the presences of two or more personalities or alters in one individual. Its inclusion in the DSM-V formalized its realness and significance, paving the way for clinicians to assess, diagnose and offer treatment. The current paper aims to present an analytical overview of the methods for diagnosing and assessing the disorder, to examine the current treatment therapies and evaluate the availability of treatment resources within the local community.
Diagnosis
Despite the controversy surrounding its etiology DID was integrated into the DSM-IV.
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Presents 4 pathways to the formation of DID: childhood abuse pathway, childhood neglect pathway, factitious pathway and iatrogenic pathway. Childhood abuse pathway patients have undergone severe abuse often in the form of physical or sexual abuse, but those patients who faced neglect “described mothers who were [psychologically ill] and emotionally unavailable. Ross explained neglect in the form caging in small places. The factitious [sic] pathway as he describes presents no dissociative symptoms before initial therapy despite some history of abuse and neglect. He furthers that such patients fake aspects of DID and are often self-injurious. Ross suggests that such individuals are predominately antisocial. The last pathway he defined is iatrogenic which occurs as a result of poor therapy techniques, he further suggests that patients in this category tend to present a dependent …show more content…
In a study with a sample of 20 psychiatry patients who have either been diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder or dissociative disorder not otherwise specified (DDNOS). The DID patients scored an average of 11 while those with DDNOS only scored 2.2 (Ross, 1997). The items of the scale have been integrated into the MMPI-2 which includes questions such as, “I often feel as if things are not real” and “My memory seems to be alright” (Ross, 1997). This integration is a positive one because prior to the Phillips Dissociation scale, the issue of differentiating DID from borderline personality disorder was highly problematic; furthermore there was no scoring system for the diagnosis of DID. The issue would have been evident if the MMPI were used to assess Halime, she likely would have received an erroneous diagnosis because of the ambiguity of her presentation. Such misdiagnosis would have resulted in potentially harmful treatment – treatment that may have worsened her symptoms (Levy & Swanson,
McCoy, M. L., & Keen, S. M., (2009). Child abuse and neglect. New York: Psychology Press.
This type of inadequate treatment is often hidden, meaning it may not be visible on the surface. Neglectful caregiver-infant relationships perpetuate DTD. These interactions relay the message to the infant or child that the world is not safe, is threatening, and is unreliable. This lack of emotional safety is often as damaging as a lack of physical safety (Van der Kolk & d’Andrea, 2010). DTD can have a profound impact on both physical and emotional development.
The following research was published in the Psychiatry (Edgemont) Journal Online in March of 2009 by Paulette Marie Gillig, MD, PhD. There are also contraindications involving 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 cause the sufferer of DID to feel like they are being controlled, and therefore traumatized yet again.
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
Have you ever been sitting day dreaming, or got lost in a book or work? After you finish the book or your work, you come back to earth and remember what occurred while you were day dreaming or lost in that book or work. With a person that has MPD, it is not that easily done with most. Most individuals that have MPD do not remember anything that had occurred within hours or minutes of the event. Some think MPD is a hoax created by movies such as “Three faces of Eve” or “Sybil”, but is that a fact.
People often think that D.I.D. (Dissociative Identity Disorder) is something made up, something that a person is just inventing in order to get attention; that statement couldn’t be more Incorrect. Dissociative Identity Disorder, formally known at Multiple Personality Disorder, is a dissociative disorder, not a personality disorder or a psychosis. D.I.D. is a severe form of dissociation, a mental process which produces a lack of connection in a person’s thoughts, memories, emotion, behavior, or sense of identity. D.I.D. is thought to stem from trauma experienced by the person with the disorder. The dissociative aspect is thought to be a coping mechanism; the person literally dissociates himself or herself from a situation or experience that is too violent, traumatic, or painful to assimilate with his or her conscious self.
Dissociative disorders can affect someone’s memory and make someone forget some of the important things in his or her life suck as their own identity. “When a dissociative identity disorder comes in to a person life it normally can make that person seem very distant and never aware of the other people in their lives.” (Diseases; 1) Which means that this person has absolutely no socials life. This person, when having a traumatic childhood, he or she can establish two or more different sets of personality. As an adult, this person may see an object that triggers the other personalities to come out; meanwhile, attempt to take control over the body.1a. SV; conj. adv, SV.) This other personality can be a different gender and he or she will most likely go by a different name. When this personality is in play the person’s original personality will have no memory of what the other being inside of him or her may have done.
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,
The alternate identities present in an individual who suffers from DID are forms of coping mechanisms for the individual.
Despite the fact that DID is not a new medical development there is still ongoing controversy about its existence. The debate began during 1980s, it is believed that the sex abuse panic and the satanic abuse caused DID or MPD. Stories of people claiming to have DID became bizarre and the number of people claiming to have DID rose significantly. Some would argue that DID is a real disorder with real victims, while others would report it as being a second Salem witch hunt. Those who believe it is real argue that those who suffer it have suffered childhood trauma which is now affecting them. Others argue that if it is fictitious then the victims are displaying histrionic personality disorder, or the need for attention or approval.
Do you ever feel like you just can’t take reality anymore? You just want to escape it and in order to do so, your conscious awareness becomes separated from all the painful things you can’t stand, including your painful memories. Then suddenly you’re a totally different person. Another identity takes your place in suffering all the painful things you want to escape. Today, I’m going to talk to you about dissociative identity disorder (DID). I will be talking about what DID is, what causes DID and how it affects the individual (host/core). I will also mention a famous case in psychology.
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.
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.
Traub, C. M. (2009). Defending a diagnostic pariah: validating the categorisation of Dissociative Identity Disorder. South African Journal of Psychology, 39(3), 347-356. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.