Dissociative Identity Disorder

Gina Gerdik

12/16/06

Psychology Paper

Period 9

Dissociative Identity Disorder

Dissociative Identity Disorder is a severe psychological disorder characterized by at least two or more distinct personalities or different identities. The different personality states are said to occur spontaneously and involuntarily and function more or less independently of each other. The person suffering from the disorder also experiences memory loss that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness. Many people who experience this type of behavior are unaware that they have more than one personality because they can not remember anything that is happening while one of the mind alters are occurring. Psychologists are studying the causes of this disease and doing further research to better the treatments. There are many different symptoms categorized for people that can be diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder.

Psychologists are unsure about what exactly causes Dissociative Identity Disorder. Psychologists believe that the disorder can be traced all the way back to a person’s childhood but doesn’t develop until they reach adulthood. It is believed that the deleterious effects of abuse and violence may be a cause of the disorder. It is evident that many people with Dissociative Identity Disorder may also have post-traumatic symptoms, causing them to have nightmares and flashbacks. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder is a psychological disorder, affecting individuals who have experienced or witnessed profoundly traumatic events. Psychologists have studied causes of the disorder and it is suggested that it is more common for most biological relatives to have Dissociative Identity Disorder than the general population. Dissociative Identity Disorder used to be very rare but is now becoming more common, as well as becoming more controversial as to how it is caused. Many believe that the symptoms are induced by a physician’s activity, manner, or therapy. However, there have been brain studies that have supported the identity transitions.

There are numerous symptoms classified for people with Dissociative Identity Disorder. The most important symptom is that a person experiences anywhere from two to over 100 different identities or personality states. Each identity can be completely different from the next. They are so different that in one identity a person can be right handed and then in another they can be left handed. Each identity can be of a different age and they also may speak differently. The transitions from one identity to another are likely triggered by stress and can occur and any given time. A person can control when their identities transition to the next. A person with Dissociative Identity Disorder may experience frequent memory loss of certain events at any given time. While one identity may not remember an event, another memory may be able to remember that event. The dominating and protective identities usually have stronger memories than the less dominating and protective identities. Another symptom of Dissociative Identity Disorder is anxiety. Anxiety is the inability to relax due to a constant worry. In childhood, misbehavior at school and well as inability to pay attention can be early symptoms. People that may have the disorder may experience self-mutilation as well as suicidal behavior. People may claim to hear or see hallucinations.

The treatments of Dissociative Identity Disorder, may not fully take away the disorder, but they will most likely have a positive impact. Individual therapy is the first step to treating the disorder. Talking about and understanding the disorder can control it from commonly occurring. Scheduling