What Is
Dissociative Identity Disorder?
Dissociative identity disorder (DID), previously known as multiple personality disorder, is a psychological condition caused by many things. These include severe trauma during early childhood (usually extreme, repetitive physical, sexual, or emotional abuse). It's also known as split personality disorder.
With DID, you have separate identities.
DID is a form of dissociation, a mental process that produces a lack of connection in your thoughts, memories, feelings, actions, or sense of identity. The dissociative aspect is thought to be a coping mechanism -- you literally shut off or dissociate yourself from a situation or experience that's too violent, traumatic, or painful to assimilate with your conscious self.
When you have DID, you have two or more separate identities called “alters/parts.” They control your behavior at various times. Each alter/part has its own personal history, traits, likes, and dislikes.
Dissociation happens when there has been persistent neglect or emotional abuse, overt physical and/or sexual abuse and Satanic Ritual Abuse.
Traumas linked to DID include:
Repeated physical, mental, or sexual abuse
An accident
A natural disaster
Military combat
Being a victim of a crime
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Symptoms of DID
DID is characterized by two or more distinct or split identities or personality states that continually have power over your behavior. There's also an inability to recall key personal information that's too far-reaching to be explained as mere forgetfulness. DID also includes highly distinct memory variations, which may fluctuate.
Not everyone with DID experiences it the same way. For some, their "alters/parts" have their own age, sex, or race -- plus their own postures, gestures, and distinct ways of talking. Sometimes the alters/parts are imaginary people; sometimes they're animals.
As each "alter/part" or personality reveals itself and controls your behavior and thoughts, it's called "switching." Switching can take seconds, minutes, or days.
Other symptoms of DID can include headache, amnesia, time loss, trances, and "out of body experiences." Some people with dissociative disorders have a tendency toward self-persecution, self-sabotage, and even violence (both self-inflicted and outwardly directed).
If you have DID, you may find yourself doing things you wouldn't normally do, such as speeding, reckless driving, or stealing money from your employer or friend. But you feel compelled to do these things.
Some people with DID describe feeling like a passenger in their body rather than the driver. In other words, they believe they have no choice.
Some main ways DID changes the way you experience living are:
-You feel detached from your body. It's often referred to as an "out-of-body" experience. This is called depersonalization.
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-You feel that the world isn't real, or it looks foggy or far away. This is called derealization.
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-You have amnesia where you can't recall significant personal information that's so extensive it can't be blamed on ordinary forgetfulness. You can also have micro-amnesias where the discussion you're engaged in isn't remembered, or the content of a meaningful conversation is forgotten from one second to the next.
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-You have a sense of confusion about who you are. This is called identity confusion or identity alteration. An example of identity confusion is when you have trouble defining the things that interest you in life, your political or religious or social viewpoints, your sexual orientation, or your professional ambitions. In addition, you may experience distortions in time, place, and situation.
It's now acknowledged that dissociated states aren't fully mature personalities, but they represent a disjointed sense of identity. With the type of amnesia typically associated with DID, different identity states remember different aspects of your identity. There's usually a "host" personality who identifies with your real name. Your host personality is usually unaware of your other personalities.
The distinct personalities may serve diverse roles in helping the individual cope with life's dilemmas. Environmental triggers or life events cause a sudden shift from one alter or personality to another.
What Other Mental Health Conditions Can Occur With DID?
Dissociation and multiple or split personalities, people with dissociative disorders, may have been misdiagnosed with a number of other psychiatric problems, including symptoms like:
Mood Disorder
Depressive Disorder
Bipolar Disorder
Anxiety Disorder
Panic Disorder
Agoraphobia
PTSD
ADHD
Eating Disorder
Somatic Disorder
Sexual Disorder
Sleep Disorder
Gender Dysphoria
Substance-related and Addictive Disorder
Impulse-Control Disorder
Intermittent Explosive Disorder
Psychotic Disorders (auditory/visual hallucinations, Catatonia)
Delusional Disorder
Brief Psychotic Disorder
Schizophreniform Disorder
Dissociative Disorder
Depersonalization/Derealization
Amnesic Fugue
Personality Disorder
-Cluster A
Paranoid Personality Disorder
Schizotypal
-Cluster B
Borderline Personality Disorder
Histrionic
-Cluster C
Avoidant Personality Disorder
Dependent
OCD
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It does NOT have to take
years and years to
remember and heal from
abuse and trauma.
Healing is truly possible with the
right dedication and tools.
I can attest to this personally.
​I have recalled and healed
the abuse and trauma of
an entire childhood
and large parts of my adult life,
in just 15 months.
So can you.
