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]. There are no proven causes for DID, yet it is thought to most likely occur as a reaction to traumatic events such as childhood upset. This process would firstly see the child initially traumatised by a caretaker and then later in life having reoccurring memories of these events that come in the form of different personalities. It is even thought that DID is like a shortcut to remembering and facing terrible... ... middle of paper ... ... personalities. Whilst no causes are confirmed, it is believed that a traumatic event of some description can lead to DID in adulthood. Using the mental status exam, psychologists can begin to treat a patient using either psychotherapy or hypnosis methods or even both, whilst other alternative methods can also be used if need be. The symptoms of DID can be severe but the eventual outcomes can even more so be life threatening. Today, DID is recognised as a mental illness and it is easier now to receive help than it was in the 19th century. The movie Sybil shows how the illness can be treated in a modern day context and gives viewers a valuable insight to the disorder in full. Whilst the illness can be debilitating and devastating in life for some people, it is comforting to know that some psychologists’ think that DID is on the decline[1]. By Leighton Triplow, 2009
3. Walker is battling with dissociative identity disorder (module 12). This disorder presents two or more distinct personalities. These personalities can take over your cognitive awareness and create voices and opinions in your head. Some symptoms that are common are: anxiety, mood swings, amnesia, depression, self harm, etc. Dissociative identity disorder is very serious illness that disrupt daily activity and progression. Behavioral psychologist (module 1) research the learning and behaviors of individuals according to environmental influences. Behavioral psychologist can identify common symptoms of DID, which can help Walker become more aware of his disorder. Dissociative identity disorder has commonly been correlated from traumatic events from the past. Discovering these events can be beneficial to the source of this disorder. Memories of these events will be embedded in Walker's temporal lobe (module 2). In the temporal lobe, which is located above ears, it is the primary organization of sensory input. The temporal lobe is important for long term memory. Research has proven that a
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...
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.
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.
In the book Sybil, written by Flora Rheta Schreiber discuss the life story of Sybil Isabel Dorsett, who has developed 16 distinct personalities because of her childhood abuse. Sybil story became one of the most severe cases ever recorded with multiple personalities. Which is currently called Dissociative Identity Disorder in the current DSM-V. “Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is a severe condition in which two or more distinct identities, or personality states, are present in—and alternately take control of—an individual. The person also experiences memory loss that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness” (Psychology Today, 2008, para 1). Sybil’s distinct sense of selves helped protect her from the trauma she experienced as a child.
The story of Sybil is one that was rarely heard of in the 1970’s when this movie was created. Discovering dissociative identity disorder, or multiple personality disorder, was a groundbreaking discovery for psychology. Sybil, who is the main character, is a woman who endured unspeakable acts of violence at the hands of her mentally ill mother. To deal with the trauma of her past, she created several different personalities to keep herself from remembering and healing from the abuse. In the movie, she encounters a psychiatrist by the name of Dr. Wilbur.
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.
Kevin’s DID also cause severe anguish and impairment in his life as seen by his inability to retain a job or relationship, as well as operate effectively in society. Though this film portrays a character that experiences DID, it is important to remember that it is a work of fiction rather than clinical portrayal of the disorder. Furthermore, while the film highlights some aspects of DID, it does not go in-depth into the psychological difficulties and complexities that those who live with the disorder
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.
Each personality is well developed which is usually divided into the host and the alters. The switch usually happens when the alter needs to be there to handle reality. It happens instantly without the host realizing it. In most cases, when the switch happens, the alter knows everything about the host, including his internal conflicts while the host knows nothing about the alter. The alter is fully aware of the host’s thoughts and actions. DID is a psychological defense against trauma. The process of dissociation in DID sufferers is through repression. Because of a traumatic experience, someone could repress the unwanted memory because he or she could not bear to deal with it. There is a formation of personalities created by the sufferer to get something he or she wants to achieve or the form of anticipation for the things he or she does not expect to happen. Indeed, each personality that is formed has different functions and intention. After the formation of personalities, the switch among the personalities usually happens when an alter needs to be there to help the host in handling
The alternate identities present in an individual who suffers from DID are forms of coping mechanisms for the individual.
Causes: genes and certain changes in the brain can cause this, no known cause. Risk factors include: childhood conduct disability, childhood abuse or neglect, unstable family life
First, you must know about what DID is. DID is a mental disorder, in which two or more distinctive personality states (alters) alternately take the conscious behavior of the individual (host/core). The history all started in 1791, when a german women started showing signs of the disorder. The following years, DID became more known to people because of famous cases on the disorder. For example, Sybil, it is a book and a movie based on a girl who suffered from this disorder with 16 personality states (alters). Sybil often used these personality state (alters) to deal with her childhood traumas her mother caused. DID is a rare disorder and it affects women more than men.