Transcript Dissociative Identity Disorder

Dissociative Identity Disorder
Dissociative Identity Disorder is a
condition in which a person displays
multiple identities or personalities.
This means that they literally dissociate from
an extremely violent or traumatic situation,
and have a different personality take over
and cope with it.
This disorder is characterized by the presence of
two or more identities that take power over the
person’s behavior.
The person is unable to remember important
personal information which can be best
described as “severe forgetfulness”.
The different personalities take over the
individual’s consciousness at random times of
the day.
The person suffering
from “multiple
personality disorder”
can have over 60
personalities which are
referred to as “alters”.
These alters have
different personal
histories, names, ages,
and sexes.
Diagnostic criteria for 300.14
Dissociative Identity Disorder
A. The presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states (each
with its own relatively enduring pattern of perceiving, relating to, and
thinking about the environment and self).
B. At least two of these identities or personality states recurrently take
control of the person's behavior.
C. Inability to recall important personal information that is too extensive
to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness.
D. The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a
substance (e.g., blackouts or chaotic behavior during Alcohol
Intoxication) or a general medical condition (e.g., complex partial
seizures). Note: In children, the symptoms are not attributable to
imaginary playmates or other fantasy play.Reprinted with permission
from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth
Edition, Text Revision. Copyright 2000 American Psychiatric Association
The different personalities
emerge when there is a severe
trauma or a situation that is too
violent for the person to endure.
We learned about defense
mechanisms during the
beginning of the school year,
and this is an example of a
coping mechanism.
When there is childhood abuse,
dissociation is the most
common defense mechanism.
This is true because only they
have the ability to break off from
their initial identity, and escape
the trauma.
Adults do not experience
onsets of different personalities.
This is an extremely
rare disorder. It occurs
to 1% of the general
population, but recent
statistics estimate an
average of 7% that
have not been
diagnosed properly
with the disorder.
The ultimate goal of treatment for
DID is to ensure the individual’s
safety, reconnect the different
personalities, and allow the patient to
express the painful traumas they
have experienced. We have learned
about different therapies in class,
and some of those are applied to the
treatment of this disorder.
Some of these are psychotherapy
and cognitive therapy.
There is also medication that is used
to treat anxiety or depression just to
ensure that the person maintains a
balance of positive thoughts and
behaviors. This is needed because
most of the time, with this disorder
emerges a suicidal personality.
Patients generally respond well to treatment, but
this can be a long process.
Some never reconnect with their initial identity
because they feel the need to use them as a
coping mechanism in different situations.
The best way to improve the person’s outcome of
the disorder is to treat the depression and
anxiety that comes with it.
Works Cited
Halgin, R. P. & Whitbourne, S. K. (2005) Abnormal
psychology: clinical perspectives on psychological
disorders. New York, NY:
Myers, D. G. (2011). Myers’ psychology for ap New
York, NY: Worth Publishers
Dissociative identity disorder: how many personalities
do you have?. (2002, February 27) Serendip.
Discussion Question
How might Dissociative
Identity Disorder affect
a child’s learning
process?