Many medical terms have evolved or changed over the years to reflect advances in medical knowledge or to reduce stigma. For example, what was once called consumption is now known as tuberculosis. Hypochondriasis is currently defined as an illness anxiety disorder. ADHD is no longer called ADD. And drug addiction is now known as substance use disorder.
Another medical name that has changed is dissociative identity disorder. Approximately 1.5% people with multiple personality disorder, formerly known as multiple personality disorder or dual personality disorder.
What is dissociative identity disorder?
Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a mental illness in which a person has multiple identities (often referred to as “alters”) and in which the individual assumes that in different situations, according to the NYC Health+ behavioral health system. Dr. Omar Fattal, the hospital’s director, explains.
Each mod can have a unique name, age, gender and personality traits, said Amber McGregor, a doctorate in education and clinical director. Top Priority Institute for a Better Life In Colorado. “Each alter also has unique behaviors, memories, perceptions, and ways of interacting with the world,” she added.
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DID is defined this way because dissociation means disconnection. This is what people with DID do when one of these personalities assumes a primary identity, called the “host” personality. The host personality is usually responsible for managing daily life and social interactions, but is often unaware of the existence of other identities. Some of them may appear rarely or only under special circumstances that cause them.
Changes can appear at any time, and with other associated complications, “unmanaged DID symptoms can make it difficult to pursue personal goals and maintain form.” meaningful relationships with other people,” says William Berger, clinical director of the Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Program for Youth at New York’s Montefiore Medical Center.
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What causes dissociative identity disorder?
“The causes of DID have been debated by researchers for decades,” says Berger, but much of today’s research has focused on several variables and contributing factors, including cognitive attribution errors and sleep disorders. The focus is on the factors. She said many studies have also focused on why women are significantly more likely to be diagnosed with DID in early adulthood than men.
Fattal agrees that DID can be caused by a variety of factors, but most commonly, the majority of people with DID experience “severe and long-term childhood trauma, especially when it comes to relationships with their caregivers.” They say that they experience “a situation that prevents them from forming a safe and secure attachment.” ”
Such trauma often leads to a splitting and compartmentalization of different aspects of the self, and is described as “defenses created by the brain to cope with excruciating experiences that the person is unable to process or escape.” It’s thought to be a mechanism,” McGregor explains. These different personality developments “allow individuals to mentally ‘escape’ from overwhelming stress,” she says.
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How is dissociative identity disorder treated?
One of the challenges associated with DID is that treatment options remain limited. “And there are currently no empirically supported treatments for this disease,” says Berger. Still, several treatments are practiced and prescribed and have been reported to be effective for many people diagnosed with DID.
Berger said these treatments include medications that “can play an essential role in helping people cope with and alleviate symptoms of DID.” And psychodynamic therapy “explores how past experiences shape present difficulties and aspirations.”
Psychotherapy remains “the cornerstone of DID treatment,” Fatale says, “cognitive-behavioral therapy with a particular focus on trauma.”
When providing such treatment, McGregor says mental health professionals must follow a holistic, trauma-informed approach driven by safety and trust. “People with DID often have a history of severe trauma and may have deep mistrust of others, including therapists.”
