Multiple personality disorder, also known as dissociative identity disorder, is a mental illness, which is a common effect of severe trauma during early childhood. It is usually something extreme, repetitive physical, sexual, and or emotional abuse. MPD is a disorder involving a disturbance of identity in which two or more separate and distinct personalities control a person’s behavior at different times. The dissociative aspect is said to be a coping mechanism. This is because a person who suffers from this dissociates themselves from a situation or experience that is too traumatic, violent, or painful to deal with themselves.
When under the control of one identity, the person is usually unable to remember some of the events that occurred while the other personality was under control. The different identities are referred to as “alters.” Those with MPD have a dominant personality that determines the individual’s behavior.
What Causes Multiple Personality Disorder? This disorder is believed to be linked to overwhelming stress, a horrible childhood, or an incident in which the person experienced an event that caused shock or trauma. A high number of patients with MPD conclude that the cause of their disorder is child abuse. People diagnosed with multiple personality disorder have said that they have experienced severe physical as well as sexual abuse in their early childhood. This is where the trauma starts and as a result traumatizing the sensitive brain.
Signs and Symptoms of MPD Multiple personality disorder is characterized by the presence of two or more distinct or split identities or personality states that continually have power over the person’s behavior. It is usually noticeable when signs of changes in one’s behavior occur. The “alters” have it’s own distinct personalities, for example ways of talking, gestures, and postures. When one of personalities is