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Dissociative Identity Disorder

By: Emma Swift

Note to the Reader

This is a project for a high school AP Psychology course. This is a fictionalized account of having a psychological ailment. For questions about this blog project or its contents, please email the teacher, Laura Astorian: laura.astorian@cobbk12.org.

have DID.

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Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): psychological disorder in which two or more identities, or personalities, exist in an individual that can each take over the conscious behavior of the individual at different periods of time

Formerly called Multiple Personality Disorder

What is DID?

The Personalities

When under influence of one personality, the patient doesn’t recall events that occurred while in other personalities, behaving as a completely different person

Period of time controlled by a personality can range from an hour to five years

Each personality can have different characteristics (name, gender, physical attributes such as need for glasses)

Average number of alters (personalities): 10-13

The Personalities

First case in 1811 for Mary Reynolds and was documented by physician Samul Mitchel

Main early theorists of DID: Pierre Janet (explored unconscious and hypnosis), Morton Prince (explored relationship between physical and psychological parts of DID), and Boris Sidis (explored the role of neurons )

Became official disorder when added to DSM in 1980

Called Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) in DSM-III but name changed to DID in DSM-IV

Brief History

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Subjects with DID usually unaware that they have it

Thought to be caused by sexual or physical abuse as a child

First development of an alter at an average age of 5.9 years, typically in childhood

The Beginning

Diagnosis

On average, patients have spend 7 years in medical care before coming to a final diagnosis

Four times as many women as men are diagnosed

Symptoms may be: obsessive compulsive behavior , eating disorders, depression, and drug abuse

Treatment

Main methods: hypnosis and psychotherapy

Therapy aims to stabilize the individual and have the alters unite into single personality (integration)

Therapy: therapist tries to effectively communicate with all alters

Tries to get personalities to meet one another and interact

Attempts to uncover traumatic events, retrieve methods, and make peace with them

No know medication available for treatment

{The Struggle and Emotions

What it is Like to Have DID

Loss of Identity

Too many thoughts. Too many emotions. So many people in my head.

Thought Overload

Crowding

Low Self-Esteem

Lost

Frustrated

Dark. Cold.

Fake

Confused

Loss of Time

Memory Gaps

Lost Opportunities

Dispelling Myths about Dissociative Identity Disorder | Psych Central - Part 2. (n.d.). Psych Central. Retrieved December 14, 2013, from http://psychcentral.com/lib/dispelling-myths-about-dissociative-identity-disorder/0009785/2

  Dissociation and dissociative disorders. (n.d.). Better Health Channel. Retrieved

December 14, 2013, from http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Dissociation_and_dissociative_disorders

  Dissociative Identity Disorder. (n.d.). NAMI. Retrieved December 14, 2013, from

http://nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=Helpline&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=20562

Dissociative Identity Disorder. (n.d.). Psychology Today. Retrieved December 13, 2014, from http://www.psychologytoday.com/conditions/dissociative-identity-disorder-multiple-personality-disorder?tab=Symptoms

Dissociative Identity Disorder. (n.d.). Dissociative Identity Disorder. Retrieved December 14, 2013, from http://www.aamft.org/imis15/content/Consumer_Updates/Dissociative_Identity_Disorder.aspx

 

Works Cited

  Dissociative Identity Disorder Symptoms, Causes, Treatment - What is

dissociative identity disorder? - MedicineNet. (n.d.). MedicineNet. Retrieved December 14, 2013, from http://www.medicinenet.com/dissociative_identity_disorder/page2.htm#what_is_dissociative_identity_disorder

Clinic Staff. (2011, March 3). Definition of Dissociative Identity Disorder. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved December 14, 2013, from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dissociative-disorders/DS00574/DSECTION=symptoms

Phelphs, J. (n.d.). Celebrities with Dissociative Disorders. Yahoo Contributor Network. Retrieved December 14, 2013, from http://voices.yahoo.com/celebrities-dissociative-disorders-6680648.html?cat=70

  Vernon, L., Kallio, J., & Wilcox, A. (n.d.). Some Symptoms & Indications of

Dissociative Identity Disorder. Safe Home. Retrieved December 13, 2014, from http://www.sascwr.org/files/www/resources_pdfs/mental_illness/Symptoms_of_DID.pdf

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