You may be familiar with Dissociative
Identity Disorder (DID) through movies or TV shows you've seen. Based on some
media depictions, what it's like to have this disorder seems straightforward
enough. A person with the disorder experiences a fragmented identity, which
leads to two, or more personality types. According to experts, the facts about
what it means to have DID as a mental health condition is often highly
misunderstood. People with DID don’t always go in and out of different personalities,
but instead experience several states of disassociation from their true self. There
are three different types of dissociative disorders:
Dissociative Amnesia is characterized by
an inability to remember personal information in a way that cannot be accounted
for by forgetfulness. This type of dissociative disorder deals with the
inability to recall critical personal information. This one is not associated
with physical trauma (such as a blow to the head) but, rather, a psychological
trauma. A person with Dissociative Amnesia will often not remember that trauma
that caused this disorder in the first place. Additionally, Dissociative Amnesia
has several subtypes:
·
Localized
Amnesia
– people with localized amnesia have no memory from a specific period of time,
usually around the trauma.
·
Selective
Amnesia
– people with selective amnesia remember only parts of what happened during
specific timeframes. For example, an abuse victim may remember being on a boat
but not the abuse that took place there.
·
Generalized
Amnesia
– this rare form of amnesia is when the amnesia encompasses a person's whole
life including his or her identity.
·
Continuous
Amnesia
– this is similar to generalized amnesia in that the person cannot remember
anything before the present moment but the person is also aware of her or her
present surroundings.
·
Systemized
Amnesia
– people with systemized amnesia can't remember a certain category of
information. For example, a person may forget all the specifics about a family
member who abused him or her.
Dissociative Amnesia (with Fugue) – dissociative fugue used to be its own
diagnosis but now it is considered part of the dissociative amnesia diagnosis.
When the dissociative amnesia is associated with confused and bewildered
wandering or a journey of some sort, it is known as dissociative amnesia with
fugue. In a fugue state, the person is unaware of his or her identity.
Dissociative Identity Disorder involves people who
will dissociate from one identity only to associate with another one. One
personality may not be aware of any others. Other personality states are known
as "alters." It is also called Multiple Personality Disorder, and is
the most famous dissociative disorder.
·
Each
Identity Has Its Own Story- In cases of DID, a person can experience one or more
other identities. Although it's not always going to be as obvious as you would
think, each separate identity may have its own name, personal history,
sometimes voice, gender, and other specific characteristics. These separate
identities can take control at any given time and if severe amnesia is present,
there may be no recollection of what happened during this time.
·
It
Can Last a Lifetime If Left untreated-People should realize
that these dissociative disorders arise because of anxiety that overwhelms someone.
So finding ways to effectively manage stressful situations can be helpful. In
many cases, DID stems from childhood trauma,
so psychotherapy and even family therapy is highly suggested.
In terms of
medication, there is currently no medication
that's specifically used to treat it. Instead, some people may be
prescribed medication to help deal with mood disorders such as depression or
anxiety. If you or someone you know may be dealing with symptoms associated
with DID, seeking help from a therapist is a great first step to help better
cope with it.
·
It
Can Make Someone Feel Like They're In a Dream- In the case of Depersonalization Disorder,
which is another dissociative disorder, someone may feel distant or outside of
themselves. They may seem to be living in a dream-like state or feel like life
is mechanical. Mild sensations of this disorder are sometimes felt by normal
individuals under severe stress, as a side effect of medications or as a result
of intoxication. Depersonalization Disorder may last for only a few moments (or
stretch out for many years).
·
It's
a Coping Mechanism-
Patients with DID have often dealt with violent and traumatizing experiences in
the past. These experiences could include witnessing someone die or undergoing physical abuse. Because these
moments are too stressful to remember, these patients tap into their
dissociations to escape. When a moment triggers a traumatic memory, these
patients might cope by daydreaming or acting differently.
·
It's
Not Always as Dramatic as the Media Portray It-Although DID makes for a great film experience,
the flip from one personality to another as dramatically as is portrayed is
never a part of DID. What are often identified is slight changes in behaviors
of the individual such as sitting differently, talking differently, or even
clearing one’s throat. They are a different personality. So what does the
average person with DID look like? They may appear confused, look physically
anxious and at times, lost or out of it and forgetful. The people suffering
from this call it depersonalization.
·
It's
not as Uncommon as You Think- Experts argue on the prevalence of DID, but most agree
that about two percent of the
population meet the criteria. If that number doesn't seem like a
lot, it's actually comparable to other conditions like schizophrenia and
bipolar disorder.
While it is rarer
than mental health disorders like anxiety and depression, it’s not as uncommon
as people tend to think. It is important to know the facts, and remove any
stigmas attached to mental health disorders so those who are dealing with the
issue feel the freedom and encouragement to seek the help they need.
·
Memory
Lapses Are Common-
Due to their separation from their sense of self, a number of DID patients are
likely to struggle with memory issues. Often times,
they may even fail to remember key pieces of personal information. They might
recall something scary that happened to them but forget normal, everyday events
such as things that happened at work or in their personal lives. As you can
guess, this may lead to problems in both their personal and professional
relationships.
Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder is characterized by feelings
of derealization: feeling that objects from the physical surroundings are
changing in shape or size or feelings that other people are inhuman; and/or
feelings of depersonalization: feeling that one is detached from one's own life
and mental processes or that one is viewing one's life as if it were a movie. A
person with depersonalization disorder will have persistent and recurrent
episodes. Here is some other vital information you should know about DID:
“I always had a dissociative
disorder. But I healed from it over the course of 14 years of big-time therapy.
But, you know, I mean, everybody’s kind of loony now. So I was kind of a
pioneer in the mental illness thing, too.”(Roseanne Barr)[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“7 Surprising Facts about Dissociative Identity
Disorder” By Kristine Fellizar
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