Multiple Personality Disorder (DID)
Zachary Aidi
Mrs. Jacobs
English 3
8 May 2014
Multiple Personality Disorder (Dissociative Identity Disorder)
Multiple Personality disorder also known as Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is a severe condition in which two or more distinct identities, or personality states, are present in and alternately take control of an individual. DID is a disorder characterized by identity fragmentation rather than a proliferation of separate personalities. DID was called Multiple Personality Disorder until 1994, when the name was changed to reflect a better understanding of the condition namely, that it is characterized by a fragmentation, or splintering, of identity rather than by a proliferation, or growth, of separate identities. …show more content…
Patients also experience other symptoms, such as those seen in epilepsy, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, post traumatic stress disorder, personality disorders and eating disorders.
Multiple personality disorder has many different levels to it, there is a wide variety of symptoms and different effects or thoughts you can acquire. One thought many people get is sometimes believing they are Jesus and try to convince everybody that they are aswell. Many people confuse bipolar disorder with multiple personality disorder. Bipolar disorder is more of a sudden change in mood rather than personality, as multiple personality disorder basically says it in the name, changes in personality.
Every human being experiences it mildly, for example if you are at work or working on a project. Most people usualy don’t take it far at all or even realize they are experiencing it in the first place, when some others also take it seriously and nearly start a whole new life believing they’re someone else. Multiple personality disorder is usually acquired at an early age in life by children experiencing physical abuse, lack of sleep, verbal abuse and all sorts of things that can drive a child as far as even …show more content…
suicide.
Dissociative identity disorder is a coping system to get away from life its usually in most cases is the persons happy place. Everybody goes to their “happy place” for a little bit at a time but having DiD is like being stuck in your happy place but poping in and out unwillingly and it is very unhealthy as well. Many people with DiD are in denial and don’t seek treatment. Usually a family member or friend will take them in for therapy. Usually they will go to a verbal therapist and they are not usually given any medication/drugs. Although there are no medications that specifically treat dissociative disorders, your doctor may prescribe antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications or antipsychotic medications to help control the mental health symptoms associated with dissociative disorders. it usually becomes essential to replace this dividedness with agreement to work toward certain common goals, and to achieve treatment to succeed. Work toward such cooperation and the possible integration of the several personalities distinguishes the treatment of MPD from other types of treatment.
Many people believe that multiple personality disorder is not a real disease. There are two famous movies on multiple personality disorder that became really famous “three faces of eve” and “Sybil”. The case of "Sybil" has been accused as a case of the therapist creating the multiple personalities in her client through suggestion and sometimes demanding. Some professionals think that multiple personality disorder is a misdiagnosis of borderline personality disorder or another form of anxiety, and others believe there is no such thing at all and the clients who present different personalities are just acting out to gain attention of the therapist or responding to what they think the therapist wants. It has been recorded, however, that just because someone can pretend to have the flu does not mean the flu does not actually exist.
“The three faces of Eve” a classic American film based on a book written by psychiatrist Corbett H. Thigpen and Hervey M. Cleckley, who helped write the screen play as well. This movie is based on MPD of a wife and mother and the film was released in 1954. After this film was released there have been many sudden reports of random diagnostics of MPD. It is said it is easily faked. Professionals have proved that it is easily faked as a common flu. If the patient has symptoms the doctor will start by doing a complete diagnosis. They will start by pulling up the patients’ medical history. After that they will do a physical examination to look for any signs of physical or sexual abuse. This is standard procedure that usually will tell the doctor whether or not the patient has DiD or not. If they have symptoms of DiD the doctor will do an x-ray and blood test to be sure that they are healthy and these symptoms are in fact coming from DiD. After confirming that the patient does have DiD that is when they start signing them up for physical therapy. Certain conditions including brain diseases, head injuries, drug and alcohol intoxication, and sleep deprivation can lead to symptoms similar to those of dissociative disorders, including amnesia. In fact, it is amnesia or a sense of lost time that most often make a person with DID seek treatment. He or she might otherwise be totally unaware of the disorder, the family plays a big role in helping and supporting the person to seek treatment and get help. If no physical illness is found, the person might be referred to a psychiatrist or psychologist, health care professionals who are specially trained to diagnose and treat mental illnesses. Psychiatrists and psychologists use specially designed interview and personality assessment tools to evaluate a person for a dissociative disorder, sometimes medication is needed immediately and patients with DID should combine therapy with medication to relieve symptoms. A person with DID needs treatment to relieve symptoms, to ensure his or her safety and the safety of their loved ones, also to be able to "reconnect" the different identities into one well-functioning identity. Treatment also aims to help the person safely express and process painful memories, some can be very dramatic and hard to relive, develop new coping and life skills, restore functioning, and improve relationships. The best treatment approach depends on the individual and the severity of his or her symptoms. Treatment is likely to include some combination of Psychotherapy, Cognitive therapy, Medication, and family therapy, family support is the most important step in the healing process. DiD has very serious complications It is serious and chronic, ongoing, and can lead to problems with functioning and even disability. People with DID also are at risk for Suicide attempts, Self-injury, Violence, Substance abuse and repeated victimization by others. The outlook of a person with DID is not predictable because each responders to treatment and medication differently also there are many stages of complication, some patients refuse to stay in treatment because the different personalities help them cope with pain, confusion and depression. We cannot prevent DID, but it will be helpful to start treatment as early as the diagnosis are made. Left untreated DID can last a lifetime, while treatment and therapy can take years depending on how severe the condition is, it is effective, the patients can learn how to handle the symptoms and seek help if these symptoms become uncontrollable. Many of these patients that seek help end up in a better condition in the long run of their life span, imagine living with it every day which some people do and it’s sad because sometimes they don’t realize they even have it and they think it’s a normal thing when in reality it’s actually abnormal.
DID can be experienced also during a traumatic experience such as an accident, disaster, or crime victimization, dissociation can help a person tolerate what might otherwise be too difficult to bear. In situations like these, a person may dissociate the memory of the place, circumstances, or feelings about of the overwhelming event, mentally escaping from the fear, pain, and horror. This may make it difficult to later remember the details of the experience, as reported by many disaster and accident survivors. Current research shows that DID may affect 1% of the general population and as many as 5-20% of people in psychiatric hospitals. The rates are even higher among sexual abuse survivors and addicts. These statistics put Dissociative Disorders in the same category as schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety, as one of the four major mental health problems today. Dissociative Disorders survivors often spend years living with the wrong diagnosis. They change from therapist to therapist and from medication to medication, getting treatment for symptoms but making little or no actual progress, because DID is a very complicated illness, Research shows that people with Dissociative Disorders spend an average of seven years in the mental health system before getting the correct diagnosis. This is common because the symptoms that drive a person with a Dissociative Disorder to treatment are very similar to those of many other psychiatric diagnoses, most patient seek therapy because they think they are depressed, they cannot sleep or they have alcohol addiction. Unlike popular portrayals of dissociation in books and movies, most people with DID work hard to hide their dissociation.
They can often function so well, especially under controlled circumstances, that family members, coworkers, neighbors, and others with whom they interact daily may not know that they are chronically dissociative. People with DID can hold highly responsible jobs, contributing to society in a variety of professions, the arts, and public service.
Citations:
“Grohol, John M. "Dissociative Identity Disorder Treatment - Psych Central."Dissociative Identity Disorder. Psychcentral.com, 9 Oct. 2013. Web. 08 May 2014.”
“Edwards, Roxanne D. "Dissociative Identity Disorder: Get Facts on Treatments."MedicineNet. Medicinenet, 22 June 2012. Web. 08 May 2014.”
“WIlly, John. "Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder)."Psychology Today: Health, Help, Happiness + Find a Therapist. American Psychiatric Association, 10 Oct. 2008. Web. 07 May
2014.”
"Dissociative Disorders." Definition. Mayoclinic, 26 Mar. 2014. Web. 08 May 2014.
Mrs. Jacobs
English 3
8 May 2014
Multiple Personality Disorder (Dissociative Identity Disorder)
Multiple Personality disorder also known as Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is a severe condition in which two or more distinct identities, or personality states, are present in and alternately take control of an individual. DID is a disorder characterized by identity fragmentation rather than a proliferation of separate personalities. DID was called Multiple Personality Disorder until 1994, when the name was changed to reflect a better understanding of the condition namely, that it is characterized by a fragmentation, or splintering, of identity rather than by a proliferation, or growth, of separate identities. …show more content…
Patients also experience other symptoms, such as those seen in epilepsy, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, post traumatic stress disorder, personality disorders and eating disorders.
Multiple personality disorder has many different levels to it, there is a wide variety of symptoms and different effects or thoughts you can acquire. One thought many people get is sometimes believing they are Jesus and try to convince everybody that they are aswell. Many people confuse bipolar disorder with multiple personality disorder. Bipolar disorder is more of a sudden change in mood rather than personality, as multiple personality disorder basically says it in the name, changes in personality.
Every human being experiences it mildly, for example if you are at work or working on a project. Most people usualy don’t take it far at all or even realize they are experiencing it in the first place, when some others also take it seriously and nearly start a whole new life believing they’re someone else. Multiple personality disorder is usually acquired at an early age in life by children experiencing physical abuse, lack of sleep, verbal abuse and all sorts of things that can drive a child as far as even …show more content…
suicide.
Dissociative identity disorder is a coping system to get away from life its usually in most cases is the persons happy place. Everybody goes to their “happy place” for a little bit at a time but having DiD is like being stuck in your happy place but poping in and out unwillingly and it is very unhealthy as well. Many people with DiD are in denial and don’t seek treatment. Usually a family member or friend will take them in for therapy. Usually they will go to a verbal therapist and they are not usually given any medication/drugs. Although there are no medications that specifically treat dissociative disorders, your doctor may prescribe antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications or antipsychotic medications to help control the mental health symptoms associated with dissociative disorders. it usually becomes essential to replace this dividedness with agreement to work toward certain common goals, and to achieve treatment to succeed. Work toward such cooperation and the possible integration of the several personalities distinguishes the treatment of MPD from other types of treatment.
Many people believe that multiple personality disorder is not a real disease. There are two famous movies on multiple personality disorder that became really famous “three faces of eve” and “Sybil”. The case of "Sybil" has been accused as a case of the therapist creating the multiple personalities in her client through suggestion and sometimes demanding. Some professionals think that multiple personality disorder is a misdiagnosis of borderline personality disorder or another form of anxiety, and others believe there is no such thing at all and the clients who present different personalities are just acting out to gain attention of the therapist or responding to what they think the therapist wants. It has been recorded, however, that just because someone can pretend to have the flu does not mean the flu does not actually exist.
“The three faces of Eve” a classic American film based on a book written by psychiatrist Corbett H. Thigpen and Hervey M. Cleckley, who helped write the screen play as well. This movie is based on MPD of a wife and mother and the film was released in 1954. After this film was released there have been many sudden reports of random diagnostics of MPD. It is said it is easily faked. Professionals have proved that it is easily faked as a common flu. If the patient has symptoms the doctor will start by doing a complete diagnosis. They will start by pulling up the patients’ medical history. After that they will do a physical examination to look for any signs of physical or sexual abuse. This is standard procedure that usually will tell the doctor whether or not the patient has DiD or not. If they have symptoms of DiD the doctor will do an x-ray and blood test to be sure that they are healthy and these symptoms are in fact coming from DiD. After confirming that the patient does have DiD that is when they start signing them up for physical therapy. Certain conditions including brain diseases, head injuries, drug and alcohol intoxication, and sleep deprivation can lead to symptoms similar to those of dissociative disorders, including amnesia. In fact, it is amnesia or a sense of lost time that most often make a person with DID seek treatment. He or she might otherwise be totally unaware of the disorder, the family plays a big role in helping and supporting the person to seek treatment and get help. If no physical illness is found, the person might be referred to a psychiatrist or psychologist, health care professionals who are specially trained to diagnose and treat mental illnesses. Psychiatrists and psychologists use specially designed interview and personality assessment tools to evaluate a person for a dissociative disorder, sometimes medication is needed immediately and patients with DID should combine therapy with medication to relieve symptoms. A person with DID needs treatment to relieve symptoms, to ensure his or her safety and the safety of their loved ones, also to be able to "reconnect" the different identities into one well-functioning identity. Treatment also aims to help the person safely express and process painful memories, some can be very dramatic and hard to relive, develop new coping and life skills, restore functioning, and improve relationships. The best treatment approach depends on the individual and the severity of his or her symptoms. Treatment is likely to include some combination of Psychotherapy, Cognitive therapy, Medication, and family therapy, family support is the most important step in the healing process. DiD has very serious complications It is serious and chronic, ongoing, and can lead to problems with functioning and even disability. People with DID also are at risk for Suicide attempts, Self-injury, Violence, Substance abuse and repeated victimization by others. The outlook of a person with DID is not predictable because each responders to treatment and medication differently also there are many stages of complication, some patients refuse to stay in treatment because the different personalities help them cope with pain, confusion and depression. We cannot prevent DID, but it will be helpful to start treatment as early as the diagnosis are made. Left untreated DID can last a lifetime, while treatment and therapy can take years depending on how severe the condition is, it is effective, the patients can learn how to handle the symptoms and seek help if these symptoms become uncontrollable. Many of these patients that seek help end up in a better condition in the long run of their life span, imagine living with it every day which some people do and it’s sad because sometimes they don’t realize they even have it and they think it’s a normal thing when in reality it’s actually abnormal.
DID can be experienced also during a traumatic experience such as an accident, disaster, or crime victimization, dissociation can help a person tolerate what might otherwise be too difficult to bear. In situations like these, a person may dissociate the memory of the place, circumstances, or feelings about of the overwhelming event, mentally escaping from the fear, pain, and horror. This may make it difficult to later remember the details of the experience, as reported by many disaster and accident survivors. Current research shows that DID may affect 1% of the general population and as many as 5-20% of people in psychiatric hospitals. The rates are even higher among sexual abuse survivors and addicts. These statistics put Dissociative Disorders in the same category as schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety, as one of the four major mental health problems today. Dissociative Disorders survivors often spend years living with the wrong diagnosis. They change from therapist to therapist and from medication to medication, getting treatment for symptoms but making little or no actual progress, because DID is a very complicated illness, Research shows that people with Dissociative Disorders spend an average of seven years in the mental health system before getting the correct diagnosis. This is common because the symptoms that drive a person with a Dissociative Disorder to treatment are very similar to those of many other psychiatric diagnoses, most patient seek therapy because they think they are depressed, they cannot sleep or they have alcohol addiction. Unlike popular portrayals of dissociation in books and movies, most people with DID work hard to hide their dissociation.
They can often function so well, especially under controlled circumstances, that family members, coworkers, neighbors, and others with whom they interact daily may not know that they are chronically dissociative. People with DID can hold highly responsible jobs, contributing to society in a variety of professions, the arts, and public service.
Citations:
“Grohol, John M. "Dissociative Identity Disorder Treatment - Psych Central."Dissociative Identity Disorder. Psychcentral.com, 9 Oct. 2013. Web. 08 May 2014.”
“Edwards, Roxanne D. "Dissociative Identity Disorder: Get Facts on Treatments."MedicineNet. Medicinenet, 22 June 2012. Web. 08 May 2014.”
“WIlly, John. "Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder)."Psychology Today: Health, Help, Happiness + Find a Therapist. American Psychiatric Association, 10 Oct. 2008. Web. 07 May
2014.”
"Dissociative Disorders." Definition. Mayoclinic, 26 Mar. 2014. Web. 08 May 2014.