The following is simply a general information post to give readers a general idea of this disorder is. Please consultlt with the approprite experts in this field if you, or someone you know believes to have this disorder.
Resources for this topic are as follows:
The American Psychiatric Association
Link: https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/dissociative-disorders/what-are-dissociative-disorders
Author’s Note: I am in no way a medical professional of any kind. I highly suggest if you or someone you know suspects that they have this condition or any other, so please consult with their trusted medical professional. I am also highly against self-diagnosis.
Dissociative Disorders
Effects and or creates problems with someone's identity, their memory, and can possibly have the potential to affect the person(s) ability to fully function mentally. Other issues include issues with emotion, perception, behavior, and sense of self. Examples of some of the experienced symptoms of this condition are as follows: The Person(s) Experiences Detachment, Feeling of being outside your body, memory loss, and amnesia. There are three types of DID: Dissociative Identity Disorder, Dissociative Amnesia, and Depersonalization/derealization disorder. What does dissociation mean?
When a person has this condition, they experience a disconnection with their feelings, memories, thoughts, and actions, a sense of who he/she is. It is also important to note that people can experience a more common or mild form of this. The most common/mild forms people experience dissociation is as follows: daydreaming and or getting lost in a book. During traumatic events such as a crime, violation and or accident dissociation can help the person and or person(s) to cope with the event if this disconnects from the situation. Often when this occurs during a traumatic event, dissociation happens because the emotional impact is too great for the person(s) to deal with. Later on, the person(s) may have trouble remember key details due to the disconnection.
Dissociative Identity Disorder
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) (Previously known as or referred to as multiple personality disorders.) DID is known to be associated with experiences of trauma or other traumatic events that happened during a person(s) childhood. The following symptoms are just a few of the symptoms that includes in the criteria for the proper diagnosis of this condition.
The existence of two or more distinct identities (or “personality states”). The distinct identities are accompanied by changes in behavior, memory, and thinking. The signs and symptoms may be observed by others or reported by the individual as well as on-going gaps in memory about everyday events, personal information and/or past traumatic events. The symptoms cause significant distress or problems in a social, occupational or other areas of functioning.
Also, it is important to note that one should make sure this disruption in behavior is not linked to a cultural or religious practice.
A person(s) with this condition may also experience a change in personality and take on the likes and dislikes of one of their personalities. For example, your core identity becomes an observer of sorts. They may say their physical physique feels different. For example, if one of your personalities is a bodybuilder, then the personalities take on that personality physical description. In other words, they physically feel different. This is called an "alter.” for a person(s) with DID. The level of functioning for someone with DID can vary widely. People with DID often try to minimize the impact of their symptoms.
Risk Factors-
People who have experienced physical and sexual abuse in their childhood are at increased risk for DID. Typically when someone gets diagnosed with DID, they have experienced repetitive and overwhelming trauma in their lives. Among many people who are diagnosed with DID in the US, Canada and Europe, about 90% of people have been victims of abuse and neglect. Self-injury and suicidal behaviors are common among people with DID. More than 70% of out-patents with DID have attempted to take their own lives.
Treatments-
Psychotherapy is known to help people with DID can help them gain control over the dissociative process as well as their symptoms. The goal of treating DID with therapy helps to help integrate the personalities. Therapy may be difficult and intense for the person with DID because it can bring up traumatic memories from their life that have suppressed over time. Other common therapies used to treat someone with DID are Cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy as well as hypnosis. While there is no direct medication to help treat this condition however there are medications that help the symptoms of DID. For Example, Anti-depressants are used to treat the symptom of depression that a person(s) with this condition may show.
If you would like to know more about the additional types of this condition. Dissociative Amnesia, Depersonalization Disorder, you can visit: https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/dissociative-disorders/what-are-dissociative-disorders.
I also highly suggest you talk to your doctor about any and all health concerns.
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| Photo credit curtsey of Unsplash.com |
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