Psychology Facts

▼ Multiple Personality Disorder / DID ▼

》Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a mental health condition. If you're living with DID, it means you have two or more separate identities. These personalities control your behavior at different times. Each identity has its own personal history, traits, likes and dislikes. DID can lead to gaps in memory and hallucinations (believing something is real when it isn't).

》DID is one of several dissociative disorders. These disorders affect your ability to connect with reality. Other dissociative disorders include:

Depersonalized or derealization disorder, which causes a feeling of detachment from your actions.

Dissociative amnesia, or problems remembering information about yourself.

》DID is very rare. The disorder affects between 0.01 and 1% of the population. It can occur at any age

》Alters may have different ages,

different gender to the physical body;

different names, or no name;

different roles or functions, either related to daily life or to trauma;

different attitudes, and preferences, e.g, in food, or dress a different perception of their appearance, for e.g.,

different hair or skin color, body shape; different memories, e.g.,

some may remember trauma or events in daily life that others have amnesia for;

psychobiological difference to others, e.g.,

different vision,

medication responses,

allergies,

plasma glucose levels in diabetic patients,

heart rate,

blood pressure readings,

galvanic skin response,

muscle tension,

laterality,

immune function,

EEG reading

》DID. Is usually a reaction to trauma as a way to help a person avoid bad memories.

》People with DID have experienced a fragmentation, or splintering, of their identity, rather than a growth of new identities. For the vast majority of people with DID, switching between alters is involuntary and can't be identified by a casual observer at all.

》A person with DID experiences two or more distinct identities or personality states, each with its own way of thinking and relating. Some cultures see these states as the experience of being possessed.

》DID is more commonly diagnosed in women than men.

》DID and schizophrenia are very different illnesses. Schizophrenia is a psychotic illness, where a person may experience delusions, paranoia and hallucinations. It does not involve dissociation. People with DID are not delusional or hallucinating their alters. 

》People with DID are no more likely to be violent than anyone else. There are very few documented cases linking crime to DID. The idea of an 'evil' alter is not true.

》People who may benefit either emotionally or legally from having DID sometimes pretend to have it, as with those who molest children, have antisocial personality disorder, or in cases of Munchausen's syndrome.

》There isn't a single test that can diagnose DID. A healthcare provider will review your symptoms and your personal health history. They may perform tests to rule out underlying physical causes for your symptoms, such as head injuries or brain tumors.

》Some medications may help with certain symptoms of DID, such as depression or anxiety. But the most effective treatment is psychotherapy. A healthcare provider with specialized training in mental health disorders, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist, can guide you toward the right treatment.

》Celebs with DID

Aaron Carter

Britney Spears

Roseanne Barr

Adam Duritz

Niki Minaj

Hershel Walker