dissociative identity disorder

1639 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Research paper on dissociative identity disorder

History
Over the years, people with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) have thought to be possessed with demons this diagnosis continued well into the nineteenth century and is still a common misdiagnosis in some parts of the world today. Starting in the eighteenth century the possession theory started to die down and the first case of DID was found by Eberhardt Gmelin in 1791 a German Doctor. In America in 1815, Mary Reynolds was discovered as having multiple personalities (Coons, 2011 p 3).
The first studied case of DID was by Pierre Janet in 1883. Janet patient was a 45-year-old woman who had three different personalities her name was Leonie. Leonie had one personality that knew of the other two this is known as the host. The personalities were able to control the body at different times and Leonie remembered nothing of these missing times. The one personality would take over, take Leonie to another place, and let her take back over and she would have a panic attack not know where she was. (Manning & Manning, 2011 p 7). Janet took the case of Leonie to other big names in Psychology such as Jean-Martin Charcot, Frederick Myers, and Charles Richet; these men reviewed the case and agreed with Janet findings. Janet described the splitting of personalities as the process of the splitting of consciousness as disaggregation. Disaggregation was later translated in English to dissociation. He described the personality splits as successive existences that he thought was capable of having an independent identity and be able to lead a different live. Janet believed that this split was caused by real trauma in Leonie life. He believed to treat the disorder that he needed to bring to consciousness the split of memories and emotions and r...

... middle of paper ...

...o be the cause of chronic posttraumatic psychopathology. There are several factories that contribute to this complex splitting of personalities. Over whelming stress coinciding with the ability to separate ones memories, identity, and perception from our conscious awareness, abnormal psychological development, and insufficient protection and love as a child ( Pais, 2009 p 1). It is still not clear how these lead to DID. Dissociative identity disorder tends to manifest in early childhood and arises during adolescences due to the protective reaction to server childhood trauma usually sexual abuse. There have been numerous studies on the early severe abuse and dissociative disorder. It is believed that these identities are invented due to a unified self-identity failed to form due to the trauma especially if the trauma occurred before the age of five ( Pais, 2009 p2).

Show More
Related

  • Dissociative Identity Disorder in the Secret Window

    1542 Words  | 4 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Exploring Dissociative Identity Disorder: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

    1561 Words  | 4 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Multiple Personality Disorder (DID)

    1870 Words  | 4 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Kim Noble Case Study Essay

    781 Words  | 2 Pages

    The case study I found was about a woman named Kim Noble who is diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder. Before Noble was diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder, the doctor misdiagnosed her as having schizophrenia. She had a rough childhood in which her parents physically abused her. This is significant because severe trauma can trigger dissociative identity disorder. Her multiple personalities started to emerge at young age, but her parents ignored her antics. Not until her teenage years was she referred to a psychiatrist. Noble says ‘Kim Noble’ does not really exist, as her multiple personalities have taken over her. The most dominant one is balled Patricia. She was able to write a book and take care of her fourteen-year-old

    Read More

  • Dissociative Identity Disorder In DSM-IV: Case Study

    2047 Words  | 5 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Abnormal Psychology in The Minds Of Billy Milligan

    1931 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Sybil Sparknotes

    1593 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Dissociative Identity Disorder

    2767 Words  | 6 Pages

    Imagine waking up in a new house, town, city, even state and not knowing how you got there. Now add onto that thought of forgetting almost a year of your life because someone else, or something, has taken over your body. That is just a look into dissociative disorders in general. Dissociative Disorders are ‘extreme distortions in perception and memory” (Terwilliger 2013). Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), or previously known as Multiple Personality Disorder, is often the most misunderstood dissociative disorder of them all. It has always been somewhat of a mystery. Seeing videos of the disorder can really give you an insight on what happens with the person who suffer from it. Almost everyone in the world has a different view on what they think the disorder means. Here I will explain what the disorder is and what happens when you have the disorder. Also debunking a few myths along the way.

    Read More

  • Living With Dissociative Identity Disorder

    1947 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Dissociative Identity Disorder

    1290 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Shutter Island Ashecliffe Hospital

    1347 Words  | 3 Pages

    Others suggest that the history of dissociative identity disorder dates back to reports of demonic possession that are now thought to be incidences of dissociative identity disorder. Either way, it's clear that dissociative identity disorder has a long history and is not a new concept (while the terminology now used may be new). In 1791, the first detailed account of "exchanged personality" was written about a 20-year-old German woman who began to speak perfect French, behave like a French aristocrat and spoke German with a French accent. When she was the "French Woman" she remembered everything she did but as the "German Woman" she denied any knowledge of the "French Woman." (DID) was focused on for study between 1880 and 1920 and in 1944, 67% of all known cases had been reported during that time.

    Read More

  • Essay On Dissociative Identity Disorder

    984 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dissociative Identity Disorder or “DID”, a condition wherein a person's identity is fragmented into two or more distinct personalities. DID is a form of dissociation, which is a mental process. Dissociation according to Webster is, “the separation of something from something else or the state of being disconnected.” So dissociation begins from the person’s thoughts, their memories, actions, sense of identity, and their feelings. Most people subjected to this disorder where victims of severe abuse or trauma. In this moment of abuse or trauma, dissociation kicks in as a coping mechanism to protect them. In this the person creates a new person to help cope the pain.

    Read More

  • Does Dissociative Identity Disorder Exist

    905 Words  | 2 Pages

    true; however their are other factors that come into play. A person with Dissociative Identity Disorder is intentionally suppressing this memory. When they become aware of their alternate “personalities” most will remember what had happened during their fugue and will recall the memories they were suppressing. Charles Raison compared this to swiss cheese. He says having Dissociative Amnesia or fugue is like having holes in your memory (Charles Raison) . One can remember only certain things.

    Read More

  • Informative Speech On Dissociative Identity Disorder

    441 Words  | 1 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Dissociative Identity Disorder Analysis

    593 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dissociation can be defined as the splitting of regular interconnected mechanisms of memory, consciousness, perception and identity which define a person (Waseem, 2016). Dissociative identity disorder is a type of dissociative disorder where 2 or more personalities exist together in an individual (Passer, Mitchell, Smith, Muir, & Akinson, 2014). There are several other possible physiological effects of dissociative identity disorder due to the unique personalities and skills set that each personality brings. These physiological changes can range from in the mind to physical activities based on each personality.

    Read More

More about dissociative identity disorder

Open Document