Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is a mental health disorder. A person with DID has two or multiple personalities in terms of thinking, behaving, and sense of self. Affected people experience different personality states, shifting multiple times a day. Although its prevalence is around 1%, it causes 2 major challenges, one of which is a memory gap. Means they often didn’t remember what happened in a specific altercation. Another major challenge is having a high risk of suicide or self-harm.
In this blog, we will discuss Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), including causes, symptoms, risk factors, and how to treat it.
What is Meant By Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)?
Dissociative means two or distinct. Identity means personality. Collectively, Dissociative Identity Disorder means a single person with two different personalities. It is a mental health disorder, having at least two personality states, called an alter.
alternating personality.
In each alter, the same body acts oppositely to another. People diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder have noticed distinctive thinking and behavioral patterns and daily life preferences. Also, it causes major memory gaps. What they experience in our alter, shifting to others often doesn’t make sense to people, making life difficult.
Dissociation vs Disassociation
In DID, people confuse or interchangeably use the words “Dissociation ” and ” Disassociation” to define the term separation. Although “Dissociation” is used in psychology to define someone disconnected with reality. While “Disassociation” is a common English word, it means separation from others (people, group, etc).
Prevalence of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): How Common Is It?
The ratio of people being affected by DID, highlighted in research, indicates that it’s not a common disorder. Reports show approximately 1 to 1.5% of the global population is affected by this disorder, historically known as Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD).
More than men, women are more affected by it. The reasons are that, which is commonly highlighted in studies, women experience a higher ratio of childhood trauma. Also, many other factors are considered behind the higher prevalence of DID among women, such as hormones and different coping and reporting styles.
How Does A Person with Dissociative Identity Disorder Feel & Act?
A person affected by Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) feels and acts in ways like:
How They Feel
- Impairment from reality
- Frustrated (severe forgetfulness)
- Hear internal voices
- Confusion
- Anxiety and depression
How They Act
A body with a DID has significant personality differences. The person has distinctive preferences in each state.
For example, what they love to eat in one personality state isn’t the same in another. Similarly, the way they normally sound doesn’t sound the same when spoken while being in another personality. Also, their body language, habits, etc differs, depending on specific personality state.
Symptoms of Dissociative Identity Disorder
Below are some of the common signs indicating DID. However, its symptoms may vary from person to person, but the commonly noticed symptoms in most people include:
- Having at least two distinctive personalities comes with unique yet opposing behaviors
- Memory gaps in everyday activities, struggling to realize what’s happened or what’s been performed in each personality state
- Significant detachment from the real world (Derealization)
- Seeing and observing your own body from the outside (Derealization)
Can Someone Have DID Without Knowing?
Yes, it is possible. And it is often seen in some cases. Most people often realize having DID much later in life, due to amnesia (memory gap), internal switching, misdiagnosis, etc. Resulting in worsening the conditions.
If you or your loved ones find the symptoms above familiar, immediately consult with your healthcare professional. This is because a DID diagnosis requires clinical evaluation and attention. Also, it helps reduce the risk of experiencing co-occurring mental health conditions, which have been seen in some people with DID. But it’s not common for everyone with DID to have them. These include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- PTSD
- Hallucination
- Substance use disorder
- Suicidal thoughts
Causes of Dissociative Identity Disorder
Parental verbal abuse, childhood sexual abuse, and more are the root causes of dissociative identity disorder. Often happens in the first few years of life, when the brain is in a developmental state (the child’s brain develops by 90% at age 5), experiencing long-term abuse (discussed above), loss of brain ability to develop as a single personality. This results in multi-personality development.
Let’s explore some of the main causes of dual personality:
1. Childhood Trauma
This is one of the main causes. Childhood traumas like abuse, neglect, etc, affect brain regions, causing major impairment in brain structure. People diagnosed with DID indicate experiencing such trauma in those life years when the brain is almost fully developed (before age six).
2. Disrupted Development
Children are always in a learning and growing stage. They continue developing new skills, observing things, integrating memory and much more. Experiencing life stressors and abuse disrupts brain development, a major cause behind multiple personality development.
3. Lack of Support
Lack of support and inappropriate caregiving affect a child’s healthier mind growth. It causes several challenges in a child’s life.
Including the ones just discussed and many other additional factors, cause dissociative identity disorder, which often occurs in early childhood. Here, you might think the symptoms of DID started in childhood. Why do they persist into adulthood? It’s a common question; let’s answer it.
Why Does Dissociative Identity Disorder Persist Into Adulthood?
It developed in the very first years of life, and symptoms of dissociative identity disorder started to be diagnosed at age 5 to 10. The reason why it persists into adulthood is neglect, misunderstanding, or misdiagnosis of it. Parents often see a child’s behavior while undergoing such a mental condition as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
This misdiagnosis causes its persistence into adulthood, causing several complications in life, discussed below:
Complications of Dissociative Identity Disorder
The risk factors caused by dissociative identity disorder are severe. Often developed in childhood, it continues into adulthood. It impacts someone’s life significantly, from daily life functioning to relationships. Also, raise major challenges regarding physical and psychological health.
Below are some of the consequences of DID on someone’s life:
- People with DID face the challenge of a major decline in performance in academic and professional life.
- They become unable to perform daily tasks due to alter shifts and memory gaps
- Unable to maintain a healthy relationship, raising several challenges
- High risk of being addicted to drugs and alcohol to seek temporary calm
- Experience sleep disturbance as a result of chronic insomnia and many other factors
How Severe DID Can Be?
Research shows that around 70% of DID diagnosed people attempt suidice or self-harm activities. It’s not just about experiencing suicidal thoughts, but being involved in practicing causing serious injuries. It is a rising concern, putting people’s lives at risk. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, immediately call Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (U.S.).
This highlights the importance of early diagnosis and on-time, appropriate treatment. Also, it is a state where care and support are as important as undergoing the right treatment. For quality treatment, you can choose the Brainpower Wellness Institute as your trusted mental healthcare provider in California. Get a careful diagnosis of DID performed by a certified psychiatrist and undergo personalized treatments. Learn more about our mental healthcare services!
How is Dissociative Identity Disorder Diagnosed?
Diagnosis of alternating personality requires attention. It is performed by certified psychiatrists for proper identification of symptoms and to unravel the causes of conditions.
Psychiatrists assess symptoms, severity, and causes based on clinical interviews, questionnaires, medical history, and physical evaluation. They first communicate with patients to understand what they feel, how they behave, etc. As patients with DID experience significant memory gaps, healthcare professionals also gather valuable information from family, partners, or someone close to them, and often notice behaviors.
Although no test directly helps in diagnosing DID. Psychologists sometimes recommend physical exams. Lastly, they will review your symptoms and verify whether they meet the DSM-5 TR criteria for Dissociative Identity Disorder.
DSM-5 TR Criteria for Dissociative Identity Disorder
The criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision for dissociative identity disorder include:
- Two or more distinctive personalities
- Ongoing memory gaps
- Cause distress or impairment
- Not part of cultural or religious practice
- Not caused by substances of medical conditions
Treatments Brainpower Wellness Institute Offers for Dissociative Identity Disorder
After diagnosis, the next step is selecting the appropriate treatment based on the conditions. It’s always recommended to get a diagnosis from a certified, licensed psychiatrist, as treatment depends on the condition, intensity, and frequency determined in the diagnosis. Meet specialized psychiatrists for your conditions here at Brainpower Wellness.
However, treatments including psychotherapy and medication, helps you in managing alters, helping continuing with your daily life schedules effectively. Below are some of the dissociative identity disorder treatments, categorized in two main approaches:
- Phychothepray
- Medication
Phychothepray
Formally known as “talk therapy,” psychotherapy is a collection of various treatment approaches. It is used to address individual psychological and emotional challenges by talking to a certified therapist. Psychotherapy is focused on processing past traumatic experiences to address the root causes of DID. Also, it helps in teaching healthy behaviors, accepting and understanding oneself. In treating dissociative identity disorder, psychotherapy focuses on achieving results by merging two distinctive identities into a single unified personality.
Psychotherapy is categorized into several types; the effective ones and widely used for treating DID include:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT stands for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which is a well-recognised type of psychotherapy and is an ideal therapeutic approach for DID treatment. CBT focuses on identifying unhealthy, negative thinking and behavioral patterns and replacing them with positive ones.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy follows a strategic approach in treating mental health conditions like Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). For patients who underwent CBT, the psychiatrist often categorized the treatment process in several ways.
It started explaining and guiding patients about their conditions, answering “why,” a component of CBT called psychoeducation. Furthermore, with ongoing sessions, professionals identify negative, unhelpful thoughts and replace them, also focusing on developing healthy coping skills. CBT helps process trauma, reduce alter shifts, and help people continue to function their lives normally.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
DBT is also another psychotherapy type used by psychologists for treating DID. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) focuses on accepting reality and helping people with emotional regulation. This ensures they regulate sudden shifts. Also, its goal is to teach grounding techniques to people to manage intense trauma triggers.
Medication
Medication also plays a crucial role in treating dissociative identity disorder, not directly. Psychiatrists, based on the condition, may prescribe medication to reduce symptoms like depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses caused by DID.
There’s no specific medication for dissociative identity disorder treatment; don’t take any medication without a professional prescription.
DID is severe. Treatment takes time, requiring dedication to attend sessions. Moreover, before undergoing any treatment, make sure it’s safe and personalized to your conditions to ensure delivering quality results. Always consult with our healthcare provider for guidance and support.
Can Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) Ever Go Away?
DID is treatable, but it can’t be cured permanently. Treatment like CBT, DBT, often combined with medication, helps manage alters so you can live a normal life. While learning new coping mechanisms ensures that the alters won’t come to power again. Seeing on time, appropriate treatment can prevent conditions from being worse, reducing suicidal risks, and can recover better.
How to Stop Dissociating?
Unfortunately, there’s no way to prevent dissociative identity disorder (DID). The only way you can help yourself and your loved ones with DID is by preventing disease progression or severe buildup by seeking appropriate on-time treatment. Talk to an expert and get personalized services!
When to Consult with a Psychotherapist? A Note for Parents & Caregivers
Dissociative Identity Disorder starts developing in childhood, at an age before 6, after abuse, trauma, and parent neglect. Patients and caregivers must notice the child’s behavior and report any symptoms (discussed above), and immediately consult with a certified psychiatrist.
Such attention and on-time care help in preventing the progression of DID. It restricts childhood dissociative identity disorder persistence into adulthood, alternating personality.
How Brainpower Wellness Institute Mental Health (BPWIMH) Can Help?
Personality switches can be confusing, overwhelming and emotionally exhausting. In this journey, find the Brainpower Wellness Institute, your companion, offering the treatment and care you deserve. With our variety of mental health treatment approaches, we deliver every patient a comprehensive, holistic treatment, ensuring everyone regains stability and strengthens their sense of self.
Our certified professionals pay keen attention to every detail. They understand your symptoms, identify root causes, and prepare a fully personalized treatment plan. Whether therapies or medication, we have every option available, leading you towards mental wellness. We also offer ongoing support, ensuring you are not alone. We are here; guidance is always available. Call (714) 712-0711 for your mental health.
DID is a serious mental illness; with the right treatment and trust, recovery is possible. Don’t delay anymore. Are financial struggles a barrier? Worry not! Your mental wellness is more important to us. Get specialized dissociative identity disorder treatment using your insurance coverage benefits. Experience mindfulness and cut the cost. Find Brainpower’s in-network insurance partners and read our coverage policies.
